Zip away

“The cable can carry a car,” adventure buff Barry Canton enthused. 

He wasn’t referring to a multi-channel television but rather to an inclined cable, a sturdy rope of metal where a pulley is attached for traverse purposes – this set-up is collectively called a zip line. Sure, I weigh less than a mini cooper and so the confidence was way up there.

That statement was unsolicited, honestly, which was an effective exhortation that led to prolonged screams of horror and bliss (mostly). That eased my worries and so with harness attached to my thighs and a helmet to protect my head, the crew proceeded to launch upon my nod. ‘Twas my first zip line experience in Cebu’s newest zip line adventure – K33 A Green Adventure in Ga-as, Balamban.

In other countries, zip-lines are designed as means of transportation while here in the Philippines; it’s all the rave, well, as entertaining as it gets. 

K33 is definitely designed as the latter. Owned and operated by a father-son tandem, Oscar and Barry Canton, K33 is the newest addition to Cebu’s list of adventure destinations having been operational since Easter Sunday. It’s quite new yet a bunch of thrill-seekers have dared to be whisked away in less than one minute into the air with karabiners securely fastened on the ropes.

The facility is nestled in a watershed area, in a timberland, 33 kilometers east of the Transcentral Highway, hence the name. It’s roughly an hour’s drive from the metro. Expect to see greens all over with crisp cool breeze as you zip through the cable wires. But before you roll, you must pass through a quick health check just to make sure you have no neck injuries, heart problems, hypertension, among other risk factors that might put a rider’s life in danger. Daredevils are weighed using a weighing scale to make sure he’s below 250 pounds, the maximum weight allowed. (They say, the heavier you weigh, the faster your speed is.) Simple security checks, really, for safety precautions. Then you sign a waiver.

The crew, who are trained by an outdoor adventure organizer, composed of mountaineers, kayakers, cavers, etc., Jump-off Point, assigned at the main ledge (point A) called Panaguto, double checks if the harness is properly clasped and the protective gear is comfortably attached. A self-confessed acrophobic, it sure was a major decision to conceal to the prodding of two of my pals who went before me. The K33 set-up, by the way, has two parallel cable wires that can accommodate two riders at one time. So, being a coward myself, I went with a partner who was equally terrified herself …and it was sort of comforting, really.

So, after shaking off terror, so then is the much-awaited zip of 300.33 meters adrenaline rush! I screamed like a psycho, hung in the air, hanging on for dear life until I reached Tamsi (point B). It was a release and it felt great! But the thrill didn’t stop there as we had to traverse the 220 meter zipline to cap the whole thing – it was not absolutely prolonging an agony but rather an icing on the cake. The speed is quite slower this time that we had the chance to appreciate the backdrop set before us — the valley and the Balamban mountain range…absolutely no more crazy screams this time but we screamed “wows” instead. After a few sec, we made a safe and smooth stop in point C named Siloy, thus my baptism ended.

We had to climb up a few steps to reach the viewing deck cum café, which was made of bamboo, that serves healthy options such as refreshments (juices, shakes, drinking water) and sandwiches, corn on the cob and cookies. Barry recommends his mom’s specialty, the Chicken a la King that comes in three small servings. The Cantons advocate that we must be in the pink of health by observing a right diet.   

Another advocacy they strongly promote in K33 is reforestation hence the tagline A Green Adventure. Since the property occupies a large piece of land at 1,000 square meters, the owners wish to encourage visitors to do their share in saving the environment through tree planting. Notice that the launch and landing points are named after endemic and endangered birds to purposely sound the alarm of urgency. More so, their mascot/logo is a rare passerine bird called the panaguto (Cebu flowerpecker). A portion of the property is designated as camping area for school kids who are later advised to plant trees within the vicinity. Also, soon enough, every rider can take part in this endeavor through the one ride, one tree grant where a rider is able to plant a tree through K33. It’s something to look forward to. Your P200 fee doesn’t go to waste as you ride with a purpose.

Pay them a visit and release your inhibitions for P160 promo mark that lasts until end of April. They’re open from 8AM to 6PM but during “ber” months they close at P5PM. Zip away!

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