Lake District Sports - Lake District Hi-Wire

Most of us are content to navigate a forest at ground level. Most of us think the best way to cross a gorge is over a bridge. But some people just can’t wait to start swinging through the treetops or sliding down a wire at 40 mph. So if you’re part Spiderman, part Orang-Utan — or if you just have a head for heights and a thirst for adrenaline — the region’s activity providers can offer more than their fair share of high-wire or high-rope thrills.

For those who enjoy running off the edge of a 70 metre cliff, Cumbria’s gorges and quarries are liberally laced with zip wires — including the UK’s largest and scariest. Or visit the high-wire adventure trail which stretches for a mile through Grizedale forest, combining everything from rope bridges and Tarzan platforms to trapezes and, of course, a high speed descent at the end!

Lake District Hi Wire Operators

Go Ape!, Water Park

A hi-wire, zip-line, zip wire, aerial runway, death slide or tyrolean crossing consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. They are designed to enable a user to traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined rope or cable, by holding onto the freely moving pulley. Most often, these contraptions are used as a means of entertainment.

hi-wires come in all forms and shapes. Sometimes they are short and low, intended for childs play. This kind is sometimes found on playgrounds. Longer and higher rides are often found at outdoor adventure camps where they are usually one element on a larger challenge course, or ropes course.

Small hi-wires can be ridden with a hand car (pulley) that is held on to and the person hangs underneath. Larger rides sensibly necessitate that the rider wear a safety harness. These rides can be very high, starting at a height of over thirty feet, and travelling well over two hundred feet.

Users of hi-wires must have means of stopping themselves. Typical mechanisms include a mat or netting at the lower end of the incline; a bungee cord arrester, which slows then stops the pulley's motion; of the use of a cable suspended between two similarly high points, sagging in the middle, such that the user comes to rest at the low point after a period of oscillation. For children's versions, the hi-wire is usually not set up a steep incline, so the speeds are kept relatively low, negating the need for a means of stopping.

Proper knowledge of ropework is required in order to construct a hi-wire; attempts to build a hi-wire without the requisite knowledge may lead to the construction of a dangerous contraption capable of injuring users.