Humans have longed to fly through the air for centuries (perhaps eons) before the Wright Brothers first dreamed of gliding above the dunes of Kitty Hawk. In the last few decades alone, extreme athletes have found ways to go beyond “ordinary” aircraft, and push the envelope. They’ve sought to defy gravity with endeavors like base jumping, wingsuit flying, hang gliding, sky diving, and paragliding.
Not surprisingly, most of these extreme adventure sports require advanced training and, in some cases, years to obtain the necessary skills (or mindset). However, the advent of ziplining has allowed the average person to experience “flying” with minimal training and far less risk of danger. Here are the three longest ziplines in the world. Are you ready to fly?
No. 3: El Monstruo
Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Located at Puerto Rico‘s Toroverde adventure park, El Monstruo sits 1,200 feet above the ground and measures a whopping 8,300 feet long. To put that in perspective, that’s more than 1.5 miles of cable. Riders fly Superman-style, reaching speeds of up to 95 mph face first and receive a flight certificate upon completion. The zip line’s name in English? It’s appropriately dubbed The Monster. The park also offers a few shorter, less intense zip-lines in case you’re not quite ready for The Monster. But, if you’re reading this, you’re probably ready to go big or go home.
No. 2: ZipRider
Copper Canyon, Mexico
The ZipRider held the world record as the world’s longest zip line by just 50 feet until early 2018. Despite it barely edging out The Monster, this zipline in Mexico’s Chihuahua State is significantly more intimidating. At 8,379 feet long, participants take flight from a launch platform set on the edge of a canyon at Parque de Aventura Barrancas del Cobre. The two cables run parallel to one another, allowing participants to fly above three different canyons. Those who dare to take the leap will experience a vertical drop of over 1,450 feet as they travel over the fields of a local Tarahumaran community before reaching the landing platform right below the bottom station of the gondola.
No. 1: Jebel Jais Flight
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Opened in early 2018, the current title holder of the world’s longest zipline is Jebel Jais Flight in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was created in collaboration with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) and Toroverde, the same company that created El Monstruo in Puerto Rico. It seems the company was looking to go even bigger. Set high above rocky terrain atop the country’s tallest mountain, Jebel Jais (6,345 feet), the ride is 9,284 feet (or 1.75 miles) in length. And don’t forget to pack a crash helmet, as participants of this Guinness World Record holder reach speeds close to 95 mph. Expect to pay 500 United Arab Emirates Dirham (about USD $136) for the privilege of this ride of a lifetime. But, we think it’s well worth the bragging rights to claim you rode the world’s longest zipline.
What about the world’s other most extreme ziplines?
Once you’ve done the world’s longest ziplines, what’s next? For our money, we’d want to tick some of the other most extreme ziplines off of our bucket list.
Where is the fastest zipline in the world?
The aptly named Velocity 2 in Wales has the distinction of being the world’s fastest zipline. Carrying up to four riders at time, it reaches speeds of over 100 miles per hour and covers nearly a mile.
Where is the steepest zipline in the world?
Once you’ve hit the fastest and longest ziplines in the world, head to Nepal’s HighGround Adventure Park. Here you’ll find the ZipFlyer—the tallest and steepest zipline in the world with a vertical drop of more than 2,000 feet.
Can you zipline underground?
Surprisingly, yes. Louisville, Kentucky is home to the world’s only fully underground zipline. The Mega Zips zipline system is located inside a 100-acre cavern located entirely under the earth.
Article originally published by Mike Richard on June 12, 2017. Last updated by Mike Richard.
