Flying Fox Zipline in Jodhpur

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” – Leonardo da Vinci

I’ve been on ziplines before.  Once between the slopes of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains in British Columbia, the other time in the Herb Hillz Eco-Park in Daegu, South Korea.  They’re a unique way to explore an area, provide an adequate boost of adrenaline, and don’t break the bank.  As fun as my previous experiences were, they don’t quite measure up to the zipline in Jodhpur.  Why’s that?  Two words: desert fortress.  Flying Fox Zipline in Jodhpur starts on the wall of the mighty Mehrangarh Fort, adding a bit of medieval atmosphere to the experience.

I was tagging along with a group of Germans on tour, all of us grinning in anticipation of getting started.  They’d already finished their first wire, so I joined up at the second (and got to do one by myself later).
Hooking in proved to be one of those moments where I felt hyper-focused on what I was currently doing, but was in denial of what would happen next.  It was as if my brain was blocking out the knowledge that I’d soon be ‘flying’ and, instead, chose to concentrate solely on the immediate necessity of making sure all of my gear was in order.

The staff member gave me a countdown; all I had to do was lean back and extend my legs, letting gravity take control.  My acrophobia kicked in a bit, but not nearly as much as the time I went skydiving.

There was no sensation of falling, no feeling of terror as the ground dropped away.  Just the buzzing snarl of the cable, the hot blast of desert air, and the face-splitting exhilaration of flight.  The battlements rushed past and I found myself dangling over empty space before crossing back over the wall and landing on the far side.

As I mentioned before, the adrenaline rush was heightened by the epic-ness of the environment.  My inner child was pretty much dancing in excitement as I zipped along the wire like a secret agent, preparing to infiltrate an enemy base.  Silly?  Sure.  But I loved it.

We finished the course all too soon, stripping out of our harnesses and dropping the gear off at the office.  Content with my time on the zipline in Jodhpur, I took one last look at the view before heading back to Singhvi’s Haveli for a delicious dinner.

*AUTHOR’S NOTE* Taking good footage of this experience with my GF6 was doable, but definitely not convenient.  Does anyone have GoPro recommendations? I think it’s high time I took the plunge and got one.

How about you? Have you gone ziplining anywhere?  Have you done the zipline in Jodhpur?  How was your experience, and would you do it again?  Let me know in the comments below!