If you're searching for fun things to do on vacation, chances are that you're going to see ziplining offered as an option in many locations. Have you ever wondered why crossing the sky on cables and pulleys got so popular, or whether ziplining has any practical applications? Ziplining is a good way to explore the natural wonders of a region without disturbing the species that live there, which is why ziplining has become popular among travelers interested in eco-tourism. But ziplining can be more than just a fun ride – it can also be an important and necessary mode of transportation. Take a look at some interesting and important ways ziplines have been used around the world.
Berlin Wall Escape
The Berlin Wall was one of the most distinctive features of the Cold War. The wall prevented most emigration from East Germany, but around 5000 people attempted to escape between 1961 and 1989. All of their stories are inspirational, and one particularly exciting story involved a makeshift zipline.
Michael Becker and Holger Bethke were the brave pair that ziplined over the Berlin Wall, with the help of Ingo Bethke, Michael's brother, who had escaped East Berlin several years before. In March of 1983, Michael and Holger tied fishing line to an arrow and fired it over the Berlin Wall from a fifth story attic on their side of the divide. They aimed for a house on the other side, where Ingo intercepted the arrow and attached the fishing line to a chimney with a steel cable. With the line firmly in place, Michael and Holger zipped across the Berlin Wall on wooden pulleys for a successful escape.
Ziplining for Science
The people who made ziplining into a popular activity weren't extreme athletes or travel agents. Instead, they were scientists – specifically, wildlife biologists. It was important for biologists in South America to find ways to study the inner workings of the forest without disturbing the animals with their presence. They knew that they could affect the habitat and the behavior of the animals by entering the forest on foot, and this could affect their findings. They needed another way into the forest that wouldn't be disruptive to the animals, and ziplining was what they settled on.
The activity became more popular and began to spread from there. Ziplining in South America is also called a canopy tour – viewing the forest from the canopies of the trees. It soon became a recreation activity popular with environmentally minded tourists, and it soon spread to other parts of the world.
Zipping to School
Though the origins of the first ziplines are unclear, what is known is that ziplines have actually been used for a very long time to cross rough terrain. This is still true today. It can be hard to imagine when you live in a society where the school bus picks your child up at the corner of your street for school, but in some areas, including a small hamlet in the Rio Negro valley in Colombia, ziplining is the way that children travel from home to school.
One particularly captivating photo captures the image of a small girl zipping above a canyon while holding her five year old brother in a sack. This is the only way for her and her brother to get across the canyon to the other side where the school is located. Locals in the area also use the zipline to transport goods like corn and cattle. For them, the zipline is not an exotic adventure; it's a necessary part of their daily lives.
As you can see, ziplining can be an escape route, a means of scientific discovery, and even a daily mode of transportation. However, it can also be a great activity to do just for fun. If you're planning a vacation, check to see if there are zipline tours in the area that you're headed to. You're sure to see your destination in a whole different way than you would see it on the ground.
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