This is the second part of my re-telling of my love affair with ziplines. Granted, it has partially fizzled out by now, although I wouldn’t say no if I get another opportunity. In my previous post, I talked about the first time that I tried zipping down a line. A couple of days later, I got to do it again and, this time, at ZipZone, which was the longest dual zipline in Asia (at that time, at least).
This is a classic case of “if you’re gonna do something, then you gotta do it right”. On the last day of our stay in Cagayan de Oro, we found ourselves having a free day (our flight isn’t until later that night). So, along with a few others, we hired a van for the day to bring us all the way from Cagayan de Oro City, past the pineapple farms of Dole, and to Dahilayan Adventure Park in Manolo Fortich, in the nearby province of Bukidnon.
With several stops in key places for some picture-taking, it took around an hour and a half until we arrived at Dahilayan Adventure Park. We arrived at a little past 8 in the morning, on a Friday, and there were already several groups ahead of us.
Dahilayan Adventure Park is touted to be “Mindanao’s Favorite Extreme Playground”. I personally thought it had the perfect location for it, because it was adjacent to the northern slope of Mt. Kitanglad, where the Dahilayan Forest Park is also located.
It was 2011 when we visited, and already the main attraction was its Zip Zone, which was opened to the public only around the end of 2009. So this was still relatively new, but it was already drawing quite the tourist and adventurous crowd.
Immediately, we signed up for the Zip Zone (because that’s what we went all the way there for).
ZipZone was quite the sensation. Quoting the description on a national daily at that time:
The piece de resistance of the park are its two 840-meter multi-cable ziplines with a drop of 100 meters on a 15-degree slope with a ziprider launched at the 4,500 feet above-sea-level launch pad. Zipriders zooming as fast as 60 to 80 kph through rainforest canopy would then land on a carrier-type flight deck.
This was quite a jump, because the ones we rode at the Mapawa Nature Park were NOTHING on this one. All four of us were quite excited, but with a lot of nerves. Like… A LOT.
We had to queue to sign up for the zipline. And pay, of course. They had different fees then. We took the All-Ride package, which was Php600.00. Looking at their current rates, they did not increase their prices. the 150m + 320m zipride is still at Php250.00 and the 840-m is still at Php500.00, with the all-inclusive package still priced at the same rate of Php600.00. WOW.
The fee is inclusive of photos and a certificate saying you went on the longest dual zipline in Asia!!!
While awaiting our turn, we just soaked in the sights, particularly of the Dahilayan Forest Park, which was still under construction at the time.
Of course, the whole time, our eyes were drawn to the flight deck where zipriders will “land” from somewhere “up there”.
Just to take the edge off, I suppose, there are a couple of dual ziplines that you can ride before you get to the “big one”. Even this “foreplay” zipline was longer (and sloped, thus faster) than the ones at Mapawa Nature Park.
This one is a 320-meter dual zipline that offers a medium-speed cable ride. It’s a two-parter, because after the 320-meter one, you’ll transfer to a 150-meter one that will bring you to the foot of the mountain.
When we reached the bottom, we had to hike back up to get back to the reception area. From there, we rode on a safari 4×4 vehicle that will take us up to the launch pad of the “big one”.
Unfortunately, when we rode on the truck, they did not allow us to take cameras because… well, I don’t think you’re supposed to take photos. GoPro wasn’t yet around that time, was it….?
So we made do with the photos taken by the Park, and by someone who held on to Pedz’ camera while waiting for us to arrive at the flight deck.
We went higgggggggh until we got to the launchpad and, from there, we could just see a glimpse of the flight deck. A tiny glimpse, if you will.
It was a heady experience. The level of exhilaration is high! When I was being strapped, I kept looking at that long expanse that I will be riding through, and it’s basically forest canopy all the way to flight deck. But you’ll be very high up, and I remember looking this way and that, marveling at all the greeeeen that my eyes are seeing.
And, somewhere, at the back of my mind, I kept thinking how, in case the cable snaps and I will fall along with it, I can only hope that the thick foliage and brambles down below will break my fall. But, considering how high it is, I highly doubt it.
Needless to say, we had such a great, great time! If we had more time, we would have wanted to give it another go, but we had some other place to go immediately afterwards.
Here are the four of us having the time of our lives. It was only for a few moments, but it was definitely something that we will always remember!
While looking at the website of Dahilayan Adventure Park, it looks like the place has definitely expanded, with the adjacent Dahilayan Forest Park also opening its doors. ZipZone is still its main draw, but they also have the highest parajump in the country (the Skytower Base Jump). Check out their packages here.
I am so glad that we got to try this. Which is really funny, because we went to Cagayan de Oro without having planned anything, and then we just went from one thing to another, and even looped other people with us (because it’s cheaper that way, haha!)
Did you think my love affair with ziplines and zipriding is over? Wait for my next post. It’s a trilogy, I tell ya.
Leave a Reply