Zip-Lining
Being in Ottawa has really given me the chance to spread my wings and try new things. This past Sunday, I took the opportunity to do just that, literally.
Heights have never been my thing. You are talking to the girl who cried in Costa Rica on the middle of the suspension bridge in the rainforest, frozen in terror until I managed to creep my way across while someone held my hand... However, last year in Paris Disneyland I went on an upside down roller coaster for the first time and loved it! So when I saw the RipRide (aka: zip-line) at the Great Canadian Bungee Co., just outside Ottawa at a gorge in Wakefield, QB I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to face that fear again.
The zip-line started at the top of the gorge atop a tower. I trekked up the hill with the harness on my back (in the 40'C heat so I nearly passed out before I even made it to the top). Once up there, I had to wait at the bottom of the tower for the person ahead of me to be sent off. The two young (hot and shirtless) guys at the top of the stairs called down "Hello, Bonjour" to which I replied, "Bonjour!". Dummy... The reason they say it in both languages is to determine which one you speak. I don't speak French fluently and now they're thinking I'm French... Luckily, the next words out of his mouth were "Attendez-la" which I could interpret as "Wait there". When they waved me up, I made sure to greet them quickly with "Hey guys, how's it going today" (i.e." "I speak English").
The guys got me harnessed in and I had the option of being attached to the zip-line from the front so I would go down sitting or from the back so I would go down head first. I decided that head first would be more adventurous and before I could change my mind, I said "Back" (best decision!) so they hooked me up by a single cord on my back... They did the double check on all the straps out loud which made me feel somewhat safe (if I knew what they were talking about, I would've felt safer), declared me ready to go, and instructed me to dive off the platform.
Oddly enough, I had no anxiety of hesitation and I leapt into the air head first! The free-fall lasted about 3 seconds before I was sailing along the line Superman-style with my arms wide and a huge grin on my face at speeds up to 80km/h. My two fans, Jenn and Oliver, snapped some photos and cheered me on from the bottom of the gorge.
At the bottom, you hit a speed bump of sorts that slows you down, then they reel you back until you're over the floating dock and they lower you and remove the harness. Unfortunately for me, they reeled me back too far and the young guy (cute and tanned - where do they find these employees??) on the dock, after radioing up to the top "Uhh, you guys sent her back too far" had to use a net-like pole to pull me in... I might've been embarrassed had I not been on such a high from the ride.
I had a big goofy grin on my face when I met Jenn and Oliver at the end of the dock. Definitely one of the best experiences in my life and I will definitely be doing it again this summer!
I wonder what I'll surprise myself by doing next....
Heights have never been my thing. You are talking to the girl who cried in Costa Rica on the middle of the suspension bridge in the rainforest, frozen in terror until I managed to creep my way across while someone held my hand... However, last year in Paris Disneyland I went on an upside down roller coaster for the first time and loved it! So when I saw the RipRide (aka: zip-line) at the Great Canadian Bungee Co., just outside Ottawa at a gorge in Wakefield, QB I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to face that fear again.
The zip-line started at the top of the gorge atop a tower. I trekked up the hill with the harness on my back (in the 40'C heat so I nearly passed out before I even made it to the top). Once up there, I had to wait at the bottom of the tower for the person ahead of me to be sent off. The two young (hot and shirtless) guys at the top of the stairs called down "Hello, Bonjour" to which I replied, "Bonjour!". Dummy... The reason they say it in both languages is to determine which one you speak. I don't speak French fluently and now they're thinking I'm French... Luckily, the next words out of his mouth were "Attendez-la" which I could interpret as "Wait there". When they waved me up, I made sure to greet them quickly with "Hey guys, how's it going today" (i.e." "I speak English").
The guys got me harnessed in and I had the option of being attached to the zip-line from the front so I would go down sitting or from the back so I would go down head first. I decided that head first would be more adventurous and before I could change my mind, I said "Back" (best decision!) so they hooked me up by a single cord on my back... They did the double check on all the straps out loud which made me feel somewhat safe (if I knew what they were talking about, I would've felt safer), declared me ready to go, and instructed me to dive off the platform.
Oddly enough, I had no anxiety of hesitation and I leapt into the air head first! The free-fall lasted about 3 seconds before I was sailing along the line Superman-style with my arms wide and a huge grin on my face at speeds up to 80km/h. My two fans, Jenn and Oliver, snapped some photos and cheered me on from the bottom of the gorge.
At the bottom, you hit a speed bump of sorts that slows you down, then they reel you back until you're over the floating dock and they lower you and remove the harness. Unfortunately for me, they reeled me back too far and the young guy (cute and tanned - where do they find these employees??) on the dock, after radioing up to the top "Uhh, you guys sent her back too far" had to use a net-like pole to pull me in... I might've been embarrassed had I not been on such a high from the ride.
I had a big goofy grin on my face when I met Jenn and Oliver at the end of the dock. Definitely one of the best experiences in my life and I will definitely be doing it again this summer!
I wonder what I'll surprise myself by doing next....