Free Vancouver 2010 Olympics Events: Zip Line

The Downtown Vancouver Zip Line by Ziptrek Ecotours is open during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Photo by s.yume on Flickr.

Travelling to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games is an expensive trip, from accommodations and tickets to Cultural Olympiad shows. But there are some fantastic free events happening, too, and one of the best is the initiative Ziptrek Ecotours has taken.

This Whistler-based company runs the Whistler, BC zip line (and one in Queenstown, New Zealand) and has set up a line above downtown Vancouver for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. And it’s FREE.

Starting on the south side of Robson Square (just look for the tall platform with cables extending overhead), people can try out the line everyday from 10:00am to 9:00pm and see the city from a different view. I’ve done some zip lining in my time and I have to say that, somehow, stepping off a platform into a busy street below is much more frightening than jumping into the wilderness of Jamaica or Newfoundland. Go figure.

I was able to test out the Ziptrek Ecotours zip line yesterday to see if it was really worth the (probable) wait to get on. Yes, folks, it’s worth it.

Free Vancouver Zip Line over Robson Square during the 2010 Olympics. Photo by s.yume on Flickr.

Seeing the excited faces below pointing up at you as you whoosh by, the unfamiliar feeling of being so close, yet so far from the downtown buildings, and the even more strangeness of taking that first step off of the platform and into the city before getting whisked away by the zip line is fantastic.

It’s 170 metres (550 feet) across, 6 stories high and goes right over Robson Street. Honestly, if this were my first time to Vancouver, the zip line would be my first stop. You can’t beat free, can you?

Vancouver Zip Line
There’s no posted age limit that I saw, but those under 19 must have their parents or guardian sign the waver for them.

• Dates: February 12-28, 2010
• Hours: 10:00am to 9:00pm daily
• Price: FREE

The photos in this post are by s.yume on Flickr.

Tags: Downtown Vancouver, Eco, Events, Free, Robson Square, Robson street, Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Vancouver Zip Line, Zip Line, Ziptrek Ecotours