Zip Lining in Mendoza
Zip lining is all about riding the delicate balance between holding on and letting go. It feels unnatural, trusting a steel cable no thicker than the diameter of a quarter. But that’s what must be done. You must edge your feet to the side of the wooden platform, resist looking down, and let your weight sink into the gentle support of a cable you only just met.
Hanging there, suspended like a pair of sneakers tossed over a telephone line, time almost comes to a pause. You feel suddenly aware of the cold mountain air resting against your skin and the bright glare of the Mendoza sun glancing off the surface of the lake below. But before you can lose yourself in an untimely reverie, you feel the gentle insistence of a hand on your back – telling you that it’s time to get moving.
You cross your feet at the ankles and pike your legs out in front of you, creating what you imagine to be an aerodynamic arrow that will soon be sent piercing through sky. You wiggle your fingers in the heavy leather gloves, feeling the coarse material flex beneath your touch. Tipping your head back slightly, you look at the cable – its spiraling braid of single wires, all working as one to hold you up. You place your dominant hand in the position that your guide has instructed: resting the thick leather portion of your glove atop the wire, you find the groove where the wire fits, and maintain a loose grip around it. This thick piece of leather is your break pad, pulling down on it will ensure a safe and steady landing. And your loose grip is your steering wheel, the only way you ensure your arrow flies straight, rather than whipping around in circles.
If your instincts had their way with you, your hand would tighten into a white-knuckle death grip around the cable, but you have to resist. In order to have any chance of making it to the tiny wooden platform across the ravine, you are going to have to find that delicate divide between holding on and letting go.
That moment when adrenaline makes your legs shake, yet you can still look down at the rocky landscape below with a smile; or when the wind whips you out of position and you begin to spin, yet you can still see the sunbeams on the lake and feel just a little bit in awe – that is the sweet spot. That is what you came for.
In the end, even the longest cable never feels long enough. The rush is too rushed, and you feel like the end came too soon. After returning your equipment to the chalet, you sit for a while on the patio. Looking out at the same landscape, but this time from ground level.
About Zip lining in Mendoza
Zip lining is a half day adventure conducted in Potrerillos, an hour and a half southwest of Mendoza city. It is an activity best attempted in loose fitting athletic clothing. Long sweat pants, tennis shoes, and a wind breaker are recommended. In addition, there are several short hikes between lines, and participants should be comfortable with light exertion.
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