Must-Know Ziplining Tips for Beginners

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For those who are new to ziplining, we’ve compiled several ziplining tips for beginners that’ll help ease any nerves you might have about your first climb at The Adventure Park. Ziplining really is easy peasy and so much fun! Read about our must-know ziplining tips, and you’ll have the best day ever—with worries in sight!

To help you conquer your fears in style, we’ve put together the ultimate zipline guide that teaches the basics of how to zipline and everything you need to know about using our equipment correctly and safely. Spoiler: it’s not as tricky as you think.

Our friendly Monitors will show you the ropes during an on-site safety brief anyway—but it also helps if you read through our ziplining tips. That way you’ll arrive feeling totally confident and raring to go.

Ready to learn and take to the skies? Let’s go!

1. Trust the Park Safety Equipment!

First up on our ziplining tips for beginners is a lesson in our Park equipment. We use the very best industry-leading equipment at our Parks: LockD Clips, our smart “always-locked” system with all sorts of locks, ropes and wires that keeps you flying among the trees.

We’ll teach you how to use the equipment during your pre-climb safety briefing, but in a nutshell, the equipment includes:

  • A harness that has all the right attachments you’ll need to attach to the cables.
  • Our “double-locked” smart belay system, which keeps you always locked on to our course lifelines.
  • A trolley, which is a device with pulley wheels that sits on top of the cable.

And rest assured our staff inspects the equipment daily. Learn more about how to zipline and what you can expect with our zipline guidebook.

2. Pay Good Attention to the Safety Briefing

Next on our list of the best zipline tips for beginners is to listen carefully to our safety briefing and follow the instructions.

We’ll teach you everything you need to know before you start your ascent – plus you’ll have the chance to practice beforehand if you’re unsure about anything. We’ll explain all the equipment you’ll be using in detail to make sure you know exactly what you’re doing up in the trees. Remember, you’re in charge up there.

You can also watch an online safety briefing video.

3. Follow the Rules

Think of our Park as an action-packed playground, but be aware that we have some zipline rules you MUST follow at all times.
If you’re ever stuck or confused about what to do, simply remember these rules when you approach a zipline:

  1. Your trolley is only used on ziplines that have a blue Tweezle.
  2. Look before you zip! Only go when the zipline is clear.
  3. Keep your hands on top of the trolley at all times.
  4. Lift your legs high before touching down on the end platform.
  5. At the end platform, grab the white rope and use it to pull yourself in.
  6. If you don’t quite make it to the end platform, don’t panic. Just turn around and pull yourself in.

4. Make Our Monitors Your Besties

Our friendly and highly-experienced course Monitors are there for you, so rely on them. You’re in super helpful and capable hands.

If you ever need any words of encouragement or a hand navigating a certain course element, simply shout “STAFF!” They’ll be on the scene in seconds to guide you through the next step.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

We’ll never send you on your way if you’re feeling confused about how the equipment works, so don’t be shy about asking any questions you might have. No question is ever too small.

If you’re confused, ask for some additional information. Our staff is always happy to clear things up. We want you to feel 100% confident before you take on any challenges.

6. Feel Empowered by Nerves

Learning how to zipline is the easy part—conquering any fears you may have is the challenge! Are you up for it? Good! That’s what we like to hear.

Nerves are perfectly natural. In fact, we’d be surprised if even our most experienced zipliners didn’t get at least a little bit nervous when they take to the skies. So embrace the pounding heart and shaky hands—feel empowered by them!

7. Complete the Right Course

Remember you can take on any zipline course you want to, including beginner ziplines that are perfect for easing yourself in. There’s no need to jump straight in at the deep end with our tallest and trickiest courses.

All of our treetop trails are color-coded according to difficulty, so choose the one that makes you feel most comfortable. They range from Purple (a beginner zip line for ages 5 -6) to Double Black (our most challenging trail designed to push you to the edge).

We recommend beginners start on our Yellow or Green trails—mid-tier courses that are perfect for new climbers.

8. Take a Deep Breath

Our list of tips for ziplining wouldn’t be complete without reminding you to breathe. It’s one of the best ziplining tips for beginners—one we often tell our new adventurers.

So if you’re feeling frightened and reluctant to take on the next challenge, simply breathe. You’ll be surprised at how useful it is to stop and take a moment if you need it. Fellow climbers behind you can always pass by, so don’t feel rushed.

Never underestimate the power of a deep breath!

9. Take Your Time

Here’s another handy tip for our zipline guide: take all the time you need. There’s absolutely no rush. Slow down and know your limits, and always put your safety first. A Park Monitor will always be ready below to help if you need it.

And remember, our ropes safety system is specially designed to allow any climbers behind you to pass by with ease. So rest assured there’ll be no hold-up if you need to take a moment to catch your breath or compose your nerves.

10. Enjoy the Views

Next on our list of zipline tips for beginners is the best advice for all the acrophobics out there (everyone who’s scared of heights): enjoy the views!

Taking in your surroundings will help you appreciate where you are and keep your mind off how high up you may or may not be.

Plus, the sights you see among the canopies are incredible. So once you’ve found your stride, make sure you take a second to look around. You’ll feel like a soaring bird zooming down the ziplines!

11. Pack Your Bags With the Right Essentials

Our zipline guide wouldn’t be complete without a checklist of all the things you need to bring along. Don’t worry, it’s not a lot, but here are a few things we recommend packing in your bag to make sure your day runs as smoothly as possible:

  • A pair of protective gloves for gripping and protecting your hands
  • A re-energizing post-climb snack (no doubt you’ll be hungry after a tough workout)
  • Sunscreen
  • A water bottle (hydration is important!)
  • Bug spray to fight off any buzzing insects
  • Your purse or wallet to browse our gift shop

12. Dress for an Adventure

We don’t want the wrong type of clothes to dampen your Park experience, so make sure you dress the part—something light, comfortable and like you’re ready for an adventurous active day including:

  • A top that’s suitable for wearing a harness
  • Long and comfortable bottoms that move easily
  • Sturdy closed-toe shoes

Note that hats, sunglasses and other accessories are permitted, but make sure they are secured.

We also recommend tying your hair back. We don’t want any strands getting tangled in the ropes and wires. Have fun and let your hair down—but not literally!

For more tips about what to wear, take a look at our clothing guide.

13. Check the Weather

What you wear and bring on the day ultimately depends on the weather, so make sure you check the forecast before you head out the door..

Bring a few layers if the weather’s chilly, and make sure you have plenty of sunblock on. After all, you’ll be outside for quite some time!

Seasonal weather can be unpredictable, so we might need to close the Park under certain conditions. But don’t worry—we have a flexible cancellation policy if the weather does spoil the party. You can choose to postpone your climb and “bank” the payment for a later day.

14. Empty Your Pockets

Make sure you empty your pockets and secure any belongings so nothing falls off as you fly through the air. Store belongings in secure zip-up pockets—losing or breaking your valuables is never a pleasant experience. Trust us: we’ve seen it way too many times for our liking!

15. Embrace It and Have Fun!

Lastly, we’ll leave you with one of the best and most important tips for ziplining: enjoy yourself. The experience will fly by, but do your best to take it all in. You’ll have so much adrenaline pumping from the thrills, but don’t forget to have fun. Embrace any first-time nerves you have, and be proud that you have the guts to give it a try.

We believe there’s an adventurous dare-devil lurking inside all of us!

Try Our Ziplines for Yourself

So are you ready to visit The Adventure Park for a day of zipline fun? We can’t wait to get you started! We’ll teach you how to zipline like a pro in no time.

We hope our ziplining tips for beginners helped clear a few things—or at least settled any pre-climb nerves you might have. Simply listen to our instructions, and put your trust in us—you’ll be having a blast before you know it. And to learn more check out our ultimate checklist for preparing for our Parks.

Find the nearest Park to you and book an adventure today! You can also save some money if you’re planning a special family occasion of 10 or more guests.

Alternatively, you can grab one of our “Adventure Anytime” Season Passes. These membership packages give you unlimited climbing for a whopping 365 days.

Ready to try our courses out for yourself? Visit any of our Park locations and book your adventure today! 

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