Did you catch last week’s edition of “The Bachelor?” (I promise the only reason I am watching parts of it this season is because Andy the “bachelor” lives in Hawaii and my sister-in-law knows some of his friends.) Last week bachelor Andy took three of his potential mates to the island of Kauai to do a bit of sightseeing. On one of his dates he and his love interest Tessa went on a zipline adventure. The same zipline that many of my friends and family members have rode on and raved about.
Never heard of a zipline? You’d know one if you saw it. Wikipedia describes a zipline as a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. Users traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined rope or cable, by holding onto the freely moving pulley.
The zipline featured on “The Bachelor” is just part of a package deal that “Just Live,” a training and adventure company offers to eco-tourists. Although several companies in Hawaii offer zipline excursions, Just Live’s tours are the only ones set solely among treetops. The company specializes in eco-adventure tours, teen adventure camps, and custom-designed team-building programs for groups, but they will accommodate any one who is game to soar through pine trees, bamboo, and mammoth mango and eucalyptus trees.
Just Live’s Outdoor Team-Building Facility and Challenge Course sprawls over five acres of thick trees and is bordered by a former sugar plantation. From the top of the zipline you are treated to breathtaking views of Mount Kawaikini, Kauai’s tallest mountain; Mount Waialeale, one of the wettest spots on Earth; and the Kahili mountain range, one of the most picturesque areas on the island.
The company offers a “Climb, Zip, Eco-Challenge Tour,” which is a three-and-a-half hour heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping adventure not geared for the faint of heart. It requires participants to fly on two ziplines measuring 300 and 400 feet and to scale a 60-foot Rock Climbing Wall. That is followed by a 45 foot climb into the canopy of Norfolk pines to tackle the Burma Bridge, a 50-foot rope bridge with cable handrails; and the Jungle Vines Traverse, a 70-foot walk on a 3/8-inch galvanized aircraft cable strung between treetops.
Bachelor Andy and his date signed up for the “Thrills on the Tree Top” tour which featured six zipline runs, a 60-foot-high rope crossing and a 70-foot high swinging suspension bridge.
If you are looking for a thrilling adventure the next time you’re in paradise consider zipping amongst the flora and fauna. If you head over to Just Live keep in mind that the minimum age requirement for all tours there is 9, and you must weigh between 70 and 275 pounds.
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