Zip, zap, zoom

River rafting, rock climbing, trekking, and snorkeling are passé as young adventure enthusiasts in India are now booking exclusive zip lining activities to experience an adrenaline rush in the air. As Indian adventure seekers keep looking for new challenges, zip lining seems to be the latest craze among youngsters who are exploring offbeat locations like Rishikesh, Neemrana, Kiker and Jodhpur to try out various vistas for this adventure sport.

What is a zip line?

In simple terms, a zip line is a strong metallic cable that stretches from one end to another on a higher altitude; it is also known as flying fox or ropeway in some countries. This metallic cable is attached to a pulley and is used by adventure seekers to hang and commute from one end to another by suspending freely in the air. It uses the same mechanism as a cable car, but in this case, it’s a human taking the journey up in the air.

The trend of the zip line is not new for people, but earlier it was mostly restricted to adventure parks outside India. With more locations opening up in India, a lot of youngsters now have access to this activity which can be enjoyed in a group or solo. Drashan Mehta, an IT professional from Delhi, who tried the 6 zip-line tour over the majestic Mehrangarh fort, talks about his experience and says, “I was suitably impressed to try out this, and I thought it was priced quite reasonably for an adrenaline pumping experience. Since it was the first time for me, I was given a professional demo session prior to the zip-line tour. My trainers were motivating and very professional, so I didn’t feel scared at all. This should definitely be on your bucket list for sure.”

While a lot of people head to the hills in summer and try out adventure activities, Karan Bharadwaj, blogger at Born Of Web, especially went to try out the zip line tour with his friends this summer. He mentions. “I tried the 2 zip tour at Shivpuri, Rishikesh with my friends and it was an excellent experience. For me, it was the highlight of my holiday as I had never experienced something so cool over river Ganga. The zip line in Rishikesh extends from one end of the river to another and it one of the longest ropeways in Asia, above 200 feet from the ground. One gets to see the various forests and an entire skyline of the city from the top -- all within one minute or less.”

One can enjoy zip line tours in many popular locations across India, and in the peak season over 3,500 people go for zipping sessions per month. It’s particularly popular with people aged 20 to 40 years, but we’ve had kids as young as 7 and grandfathers in their 80s zipping too, mentions Jonathan Walter, MD, Flying Fox Asia. According to him, anyone with a sense of adventure can try zip lining and a lot of the customers feel a sense of fulfillment by overcoming their fears once they complete the zip tour. “Some of our customers are scared of heights, but our instructors are well trained in putting people at their ease. In fact, our main restrictions are height and weight - you need to be at least 4 feet seven inches tall and weigh no more than 115 kg. Also we do not recommend zipping if you are pregnant or have a medical condition which may be aggravated by zipping,” he adds.

Although the sport has picked up recently, one of the oldest zip lines near the capital was installed ten years ago in Rajasthan by Flying Fox. Speaking about the popularity of it, Aman Nath, founder and chairman of Neemrana Hotels, mentions, “Neemrana Fort palace was the first in India to install and launch the Flying Fox zipline. Now we get to see drone views, but earlier this was the only option. While many people thought that the Indian market could be less responsive, we were very upbeat from the start. It has grown from strength to strength as there are five zip lines and guests find them really thrilling. Many return again or highly recommended it to their guests bringing us a younger profile. The view of the 15th century palace from top is amazing, and guests love to experience it.”

Due to the rise in popularity of zip lines in India, Fly Fox will soon be opening the 5th Flying Fox zip tour in Jammu, informs Walter as he sums up, “We provide world-class experience, operated to the highest international standards, at a fraction of the cost you’d pay in Europe or the US.

Our pricing for 2019-20 ranges from Rs 1,100 for a single zip at Kikar Lodge up to Rs 2,399 for the full tour at Neemrana including entry to the fort. And, if you book through the website there are many deals as well.”