A
tourist activity in a forest (ideally, a
rainforest, such as
Costa Rica's
Cloud Forest).
The idea is simple:
wires are strung between trees at an angle, just below the
treetop canopy (typically 50 to 100
feet above the ground), with small
platforms to stand on where the wires meet the tree. The
tourist is strapped into a
safety harness, and somehow gets to the beginning of the
top wire; methods for doing this include climbing a ladder or rope, or
hoisting the
tourist by means of a
rope and pulley (some
operators force the
tourist to hoist themselves). Once at the top
platform, the
harness is attached to the wire, and the
tourist whizzes down the wire -- again, usually 50 to 100
feet above the ground -- to the next
platform, using a gloved hand to grip the wire and
brake when necessary. Once on a platform again, the
tourist gets switched over to a new wire, and the
whole thing repeats.
As in any activity where your life depends upon the
safety gear provided by the operator,
fly-by-night operators should be avoided
like the plague;
setup costs are cheap, so it is vital to ensure that your chosen
provider has a good
safety record. However, views from just underneath the
treetop canopy are amazing.