I took this video as I was zipping down the longest stretch of the zip wire complex at Selvatura Park, which runs above and through the Monteverde cloud forest in central Costa Rica. The Canopy Tour consists of 15 zip cables running over a total distance of 3km, most a few 100 metres in length but the longest (this one) measuring 1,000 metres. As you can see I am sitting in a harness behind the guide, which leaves me hands free to manage the camera.
One of the 18 platforms on the Selvaltura zip-line.
The 1,000 metre length was the only one I traversed with a guide: the rest I did solo which involves resting one hand, encased in a heavy leather glove, on the wire to act as a brake. Hazel did some with a guide, and a few on her own (see below). As a result we were too busy to really appreciate our surroundings, although we did get to wander through the forest later with a guide which, if the truth be known, was more rewarding.
Hazel takes off through the forest canopy.
You can find out more about Selvatura Park and the Monteverde cloud forest at http://www.selvatura.com.
Another Roadside Attraction 