Well, firstly ... I'm still alive. Just ...
We recently snuck a week in between guests in order to do phase 1 of our bathroom project and some maintance work. More on that in a different post.
Whilst the bathroom was ‘out of order’, I thought it’d be a great idea to take my adrenaline junkie of a teenager to Zipworld at Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, near Bangor, a mere 45-minute drive from Gwendon, for a ‘flight’ on the world’s fastest zip wire. What was I thinking? I’m the one normally holding the bags at rollercoasters!
Dog-friendly 🐾
Upon arriving, I was struck by how dog-friendly Zipworld is! There were allowed in the viewing galleries and even the cafe and restaurant, so it makes for a fantastic day out for the whole family for those choosing to hold the bags and the pets. In fact, they even have a Pet Stop service where you can leave your dog(s) in the hands of professionals in a kennel environment whilst you enjoy the rides! One to note for the future.
And we're off ...
I have to admit that I was really nervous, whereas Louis was super excited, as you’d expect from a 15-year old. We got weighed and kitted up and did the short walk to the FIRST zip wire. Due to my nerves, I missed the part that told us that this was the short zip wire and the ‘big one’ was yet to come. Apparently, this one is only speeds up to 40mph and gets you across the lake at a lower height, to be greeted by the distinctive red quarry trucks. I naturally thought I’d ‘breezed’ the Velocity 2, not knowing we were going to be piled into the truck and driven 15 minutes up the quarry face to the top. Enough time for me to stew about my impending doom 😱.
Up next … OMG, my heart was beating so fast I could hear it in my helmet! There’s 4 zip wires and all are released at the same time. Your speed is dependent upon your weight, but you hit the lake on an average of 100mph. Ooomph! I didn’t realise this of course, I was too busy with my eyes closed, swearing profanities. They slow you down after passing the lake, as you traverse the 1.5km line in less than a minute, passing crowds and roads along the way. Wheeeeeee!
At the end, a member of staff gives you a grab bar to hold on to for dear life. If you struggle to grab it, you may end up being pulled back, dangling over the lake, where a rescue mission is needed to bring you back. Only happened twice, I believe. I grabbed onto that cookie for dear life, I can assure you!
Overall, I’m glad I did it. Will I do it again? I’m not sure… I certainly wouldn’t be as frightened, for sure. There’s lots to do here, from smaller baby zip lines, to quarry karts, so lots to do for all the family. We didn’t have food but it certainly looked OK.
Some snaps from the adventure and helmet cam videos. You don’t need to be a lip-reader to understand my potty mouth, but it’s good for a laugh. Lou’s video was ace!
Further details and booking at zipworld.co.uk.
