User:Johncline

Ziplining is a exciting and increasing popular outdoor activity. In this extreme sport you are harnessed to a steel cable and propelled by gravity from platform to platform high in the tree top canopy.Although they date back far back into history for their civil use and even scientific they are now used for recreation and fun.This new use for them has created a whole new tourism industry for adventure travel. What are now called Canopy Adventures (or Canopy Tours)are guided trips to exotic destinations often jungles and forests where you are led on an tree top trek 20-80 ft high above the treetops. At this height you are able to observe the diverse flora and fauna of the jungle canopy and floor.

Types of Canopy Adventures

There are hundreds of zip-line tours across 5 continents to date.^[1] They vary in size and trip length. Many tours in Costa Rica, Thailand, Brazil,and other countries with jungles or rainforests include a jeep or hike tour to the zipline site during which a guide tells you about the wildlife and flora. At some mountain resorts, the zipline experiences are near the base of summer-green ski slopes and the first zipline is reachable via a chairlift.^[2] These guided tours often last from a 1 day to 3 days depending on the tour company. It will often include accommodation, meals, transport and even additional activities. Some of these include: rafting, mountain climbing, sight-seeing, hiking, trekking, and mountain biking.

Customers

Although highly popular among adventure seekers and nature lovers canopy adventures cater to everyone.Different tours have different minimum ages and weight requirement that should be checked before your trip.

Ecology and Conservation

Zip-lining is environmentally friendly. Building a zip-line course only requires a few nails in the trees to support the platform and a cable around each tree to connect them. Wooden nails can even be substituted. These nature oriented tour companies strive to preserve the environment as the rain forest is their playground. Without a rich and vital jungle or forest there would be no trees for ziplines as well as a loss of species to be observed and appreciated. Some canopy tours have even taken extra steps to not only prevent harm but to give back to the environment. One canopy tour in Thailand,Flight of the Gibbon,promotes reforestation and animal conservation. They have promised to plant 1,000,000 trees in the next 20 years.^[3]

Popular Canopy Tours

Central America

As one of the original locations for zip-lining they have over multiple locations with a high concentration in Costa Rica.

Thailand

Newly emerging in the zip-line industry they boast tours through the mountainous jungle landscapes.

There are also numerous tours in locations including North America, Europe, Canada , Australia and Asia.

References

External Links

htttp://www.ziplinenirvana.com/ http://www.canopytour.com/

[1] ttp://www.ziplinerider.com/Zipline_Locations.html

[2] ttp://adventuretravel.about.com/od/ecotourism/ht/howtozipline.htm

[3] ttp://www.treetopasia.com/rainforest-conservation/thailand-rainforest-conservation/

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