Zipwire at Calvert Devon
What is the zipwire?
Also known as ziplines, or zipwiring, zipwires are an exhilarating aerial ride where participants glide along a suspended cable, propelled by gravity!
You may have seen various types of zipwires, including some where you simply hold onto a handle above your head (and yes, sometimes drop into water!), or others involving a full harness where you’d be lying or sitting down to enjoy the ride.
At Calvert Devon, our zip wire is located next to the top of the outside climbing wall. It’s often an add-on activity that guests can do after another rope-based activity.
You’ll be attached to our safety system through a harness. Once an instructor has done all the suitable checks and you’re feeling ready, you’ll begin your journey down (and back up) the wire! We have specialist equipment that ensures everyone can take part in this activity.
Your zipwire session
Click on each step for more information on what you can expect from a zipwire session at Calvert Devon…
1: Get ready
- Zipwire is usually paired up with abseiling
- After everyone in your group has had a go at abseiling, you’ll then move on to the zipwire part of your session
- You’ll already be wearing the harnesses and helmets needed, ready to jump straight in
2: Learn how
- Your instructor will give you a safety briefing before starting, they’ll tell you how the system works
- Feel free to tell your instructor if you have any worries or concerns, and they’ll be able to talk you through these
3: Have a go
- During the session, you’ll each have a turn on the zip wire
- Whilst not on it, you can cheer on your group members
- Our instructors have the ability to change the speed of the zipwire, so make sure you let them know if you’d like to go slower or faster
- Every time you reach the bottom, your legend of an instructor (plus your friends or family) will grab the rope beneath you and drag you all the way back up to the top before either going down again or safely removing you from the zipwire system
4: Finish up
- Once you’ve finished your abseiling and zip wire session, your instructor will take you back to the equipment storage room to return your helmets and harnesses
- You’re then free to head back to the centre
Zipwire equipment
Get an idea of what our kit looks like, and see some of our specialised gear that helps make our sessions more accessible.
Click on each item for a description…
Mobile hoists
- These hoists can be used to transfer a wheelchair user from their own chair into the appropriate harnesses and safety systems
Harnesses
- Harnesses come in all shapes and sizes – we use “sit” harnesses and are commonly used for rope-based activities like climbing
- This picture shows harnesses on the floor ready to put your feet into the smaller circles and then pull up and over your waist, like a pair of trousers
- Our instructors will help you to choose the right harness for you and show you how to put it on correctly
- We also have chest harnesses, which are put on like a jacket
- This harness engages around the top half of the body and attaches to the “sit” harness, which creates a full-body support system
Zipwire kite harness
- This is a Kite Harness
- It’s an adaptive harness that allows users to have full body support
- It is particularly popular for our wheelchair user guests, as it’s super comfortable and gives you support where you need it
- We also have a head support which we can add to the system if you so require it
Helmets
- In all of our rope-based activities, you must wear a helmet
- We have helmets of all sizes
Yes! We leave no one out, and no matter what, we do everything we can to ensure that you can enjoy the zipwire experience in a way that suits you and keeps you safe.
The Calvert Devon instructors use the term ‘challenge by choice’, which ensures that while you’re taking part and given challenges along the way, you ultimately always have the agency and control over your own limitations.
Our staff are there to keep you safe and build your confidence.
Our zip wire is located by the top of our outdoor climbing wall, which is only a 2-minute walk from the main centre.
Every instructor has extensive in-house training, including observation hours logged before running a session independently.
Every instructor also has specific qualifications:
- Either
- a Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) qualification, including an abseil module bythe British Mountaineering Council
- OR
- a Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) qualification by the British Mountaineering Council
These qualifications can be transferred to the zipwire section of the session.
Established and essential governing bodies monitor instructors and the centre, such as the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres (AHOEC) and the Activity Activities Licensing Authority (AALA).
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