Did you know that the longest zipline in Europe is located in Lika?
Is this the zipline? No, this is public lighting. And this? These are power lines, I will definitely not go there! While driving through the heart of Lika in the search of Rudopolje, where the longest zipline in Europe is located, the excitement and panic are becoming stronger. For every wire seen in the distance, I think it is the one I am about to zip down soon. Even a clothes hanging rope was among the candidates for a while, but then the real “Pazi Medo” zipline finally emerged, reports Večernji List on September 5, 2018.
The first step is the reception area when all the details are arranged. It is located at the end of the track and includes a beautiful viewpoint so that you have something to do while waiting for a staff member to arrive. There is also an informational point where you can increase your fear by reading all the technical details about the zipline. “The total length of the steel wire is 1,700 metres,” it says. “The height is 100 metres. The wire is 15 millimetres thick and can withstand a load of up to 30 tonnes. It is possible to reach speeds above 120 kilometres per hour, but for that, it is necessary to have the wind in your back. Speeds about 100 kilometres per hour are usually reached.”
“Today, the bura is blowing from the north, which enables the fastest ride,” says the receptionist with a smile. You can choose whether you will go down alone or in pair with someone and whether you want to have a regular or a selfie camera on the helm.
Then you get dressed in something which looks like a combination of diving equipment and a construction site suit, and you enter a van. Among adventurers, there are both locals and tourists, adults and children. “Are you afraid?” asks the driver, even though he knows the answer well. The only question which anyone is thinking about is what are the chances that something will go wrong. Finally, we arrive at the start.
The start is at the top of the hill from which the reception area below seems to be so tiny. There are two employees there to hook people on the cables. Since this is the only zipline in Croatia in a lying position, preparations are a bit more complicated and take several minutes. It is necessary to determine which the wheel is adequate in relation to the weight, which must be honestly admitted, and to calculate whether the weights are needed for a better ride. I wonder if anyone has given up just before the start.
“Of course, and it is always the same! They ask if they can get a couple of more minutes to calm down, but you can see a terrified look in their eyes and you know they are going back in a van. But that is not a problem since we do not want to force anyone to do anything, and it does not happen that often,” says an employee.
The first part of the ride is awesome. And fast. You go through the woods, and the trees appear closer than they are. After the initial fear, there comes a wonderful flight over Rudopolje. You feel the wind in your face, and your body is overwhelmed by an almost unreal feeling of freedom and excitement. The ride lasts between one and two minutes and is truly spectacular, and the short time spent in the clouds is absolutely worth every minute of fear. You just want to do it once more.
You can be sure you will carry the beautiful images and the adrenaline feeling in your memory for days.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Stela Lechpammer).
