Flying by the seat of their pants

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Dena Whelan of Labrador tries out Hy-Wire Zipline Adventures near Manitou. It's best to book ahead if you want to tackle the five zip rides.

MANITOU -- Maybe Allen and Linda Brown are on to something.

Maybe what Winnipeg really needs isn't a new rapid-transit corridor but ziplines connecting building to building so you could swing to work every morning like Spiderman.

Zip, zip, and away!

That's what thousands of people are doing at the Browns' Hy-wire Zipline Adventures, Manitoba's only zipline operation, which recently opened in the Pembina Valley.

A zipline is an amusement ride where customers strap on a harness with rollers, then zing down cables stretched over forests and ravines.

People should be prepared to be dazzled, not just by the thrill of the ride but the magnificent scenery over the glacier-carved gorges of the Pembina River. Some visitors have ridden the ziplines for two hours, then canoed the Pembina River below for another two hours.

"We have people coming out thinking we do our zipline off telephone poles. They don't realize the extent of the valley here. They're just amazed when they see it," Allen said.

The amusement ride also compliments other family-friendly attractions in the area such as Morden's Stardust Drive-In Theatre (stardustmorden.tripod.com) and the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (www.discoverfossils.com).

The Browns bought their 160-acre property 20 years ago as a place to get away from the stress of the city. Allen worked as a crop technician and Linda as a health-care aide.

But the couple moved back to Winnipeg 10 years later because they felt their children were too isolated, as their father was frequently away with the family's only car. Allen got a job driving a school bus in Winnipeg.

Five years ago, the couple hit on a plan that could take them back to their Pembina Valley property and bring the family together in a business venture. A commercial on The Weather Channel for Ziptrek Tours in Whistler, B.C., switched on the light bulb. They already had suitable land along the Pembina River with a deep ravine running through it.

Banking officials thought Allen was nuts when he approached them with the idea. One banker suggested he revise his business plan to include targets so customers could throw things at them as they zipped along the cables. The family re-mortgaged their home to launch the venture.

The 2,000 customers they served in their shortened first year, 2008, convinced them there's a demand. The couple quit their jobs and plan to sell their Winnipeg home next spring. Daughters Caitlin and Heather, and son Adam, all work in the business.

"Fantastic!" and "Awesome!" are the most frequent comments in the company's guest book. One of the more curious comments claimed that riding the zipline helped the person overcome a fear of heights.

Younger people tend to like it for the speed -- up to 55 kilometres per hour on some ziplines. Some ride upside down or spread-eagled for fun.

People above a certain age tend to prefer right-side up and like to enjoy the scenery, Allen said. Customers have included children as young as five and adults in their 70s.

Before my ride, I asked what would happen if I didn't have enough momentum to reach the other side and found myself in limbo, which seemed fine with me. I'd just as soon dangle up there above the treetops, like on a Ferris wheel.

If that should happen, they zing down a sort of lifeline on rollers that you clip on, and then they pull you up.

No such luck. I zipped right along to the next staging area.

The five zip rides vary from a 150-metre-long bunny hill to a 300-metre ride, 45 metres above ground. There are short hikes in between and one hike up a steep incline is fairly strenuous. No one has turned back yet, Allen said.

The Browns try harder when it comes to safety. Instead of the standard half-inch thick cable on ziplines, the Browns opted for 5/8-inch thick cable. Instead of standard zipline harnesses, they use a stronger rescue harnesses.

Hy-wire Zipline's rides were put together with help from AJP Engineering of Winnipeg and are approved and regularly inspected by the Department of Manitoba Labour.

People should book ahead, although walk-ups are possible on weekdays. Hy-wire takes cash only. It takes about two hours to complete the five zip rides. It's $65 for adults, $35 for children under 12. Children must be at least five years old.

For more information, check www.hywirezipline.ca, or call 779-6528 in Winnipeg, or (204) 242-3396.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 5, 2009 A5