Scream Like a Sasquatch
Ziptrek’s Ecotours Sasquatch Zipline takes you to a mythical level!
Standing atop the Sasquatch line, I did something I’ve never done on a Ziptrek zipline before — I gulped. In fact, I more than gulped. My soul wavered a little. My knees even went a bit watery. This was some serious adrenaline coursing up through my body, and I hadn’t even stepped off the platform yet. We were standing high above the Fitzsimmons River on Blackcomb mountain, and I was facing the longest suspended line in North America. Some two kilometres separated me from the other side. I did my best to mentally prepare myself. Yes, I am about to hurtle across the iconic valley that separates Whistler mountain from Blackcomb mountain. Yes, this is supremely safe. Straining my eyes towards the other side, I could scarcely make out the distant landing platform. The metal cable above me disappeared into the distance. It felt like I was about to plunge into the vanishing point of existence itself. So, I did what one can only do in such circumstances. “Screw it,” I muttered — and before I could hesitate, I stepped off into the ether. Hurtling smooth and fast down the zipline felt like holding onto the roof of a race car at 120 kilometres an hour. The wind tore at my face while I pointed my legs like an aerial dancer. Then the madness of the thing took hold, and I was hooting and hollering to the ravens circling above. For, it struck me, in those seconds where sheer terror gives way to pure joy, that I was living out a childhood dream. I felt like I was flying like a falcon, dive bombing from on high into the sheer force of the atmosphere. And I loved every second.
The Sasquatch is for the adventurous. Thankfully, Ziptrek offers multiple levels of exciting and ecologically informative tours for newcomers and thrill seekers alike, from the treetop bridges and five ziplines of the family-friendly Bear Tour to the fast descents of the Eagle. They offer the ability to mix-and-match, and the Eagle and Sasquatch combo makes for a full day of flight school in one of the most beautiful places on earth.