Zoar Outdoors Adds Ziplining to Adventure Resort

Zipline Over Deerfield River in Charlemont, Massachusetts

Jul 7, 2009

Zoar Outdoors, an outdoor adventure resort east of Berkshire County and south of the Vermont border, has opened a year-round zipline facility in western Massachusetts.

Zoar's Canopy Park adds aerial adventure to an already impressive list of activities. The company began as a river outfitter 20 years ago; today, in addition to white-water rafting, kayaking, and canoeing, it offers rock climbing, fly-fishing, hiking, and now, ziplining.

Zoar Outdoor resort is headquartered in a historic homestead near the Deerfield River. Moses Rice, the first settler in Charlemont, built the homestead in 1748. Charlemont is a town in northwestern Massachusetts about two and a half hours west of Boston, and four hours north and a little east of New York. Zoar Outdoor's facilities include a commercial kitchen and a completely equipped outfitting shop. Camping in is available tent-sites or cabin-tents (the latter come complete with bunks and cooking facilities). For those who prefer cushier indoor comforts, the Hawk Mountain Lodge offers traditional New England B&B comforts..

Zoar's Deerfield Valley Canopy Tour

Zoar's ziplining course is a three-hour tour through the forest canopy (from registration to finish) including nine zip lines, two sky bridges, and three rappels.

It starts with a practice zipline down by the base, which gives novices a chance to get familiar with the equipment, including braking (done on this course by pulling down on the cable; thick leather gloves are worn to absorb the friction), and safety procedures such as how to clip in and what to do if a zipliner runs out of momentum before he reaches the next platform. (Answer: stuck zippers are told to turn around and pull themselves backwards, arm over arm.)

Once "passed" on the training run, zipliners travel via four-by-four vehicle 500 feet up the ridge, where the course begins with a quick little hike to the first platform. The first zip is a sort of "bunny hill" run; short and slow. But after that, the runs get bigger and faster, with views over the Deerfield River Valley.

Ziplining Practicalities at Zoar Outdoor ResortBasic zipliing procedures apply: No dangling jewelry, no loose long hair, wear comfortable clothing (but not too baggy and loose), and closed shoes. Zoar's zipline tour has a minimum age of 10 and children and teens under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The minimum weight is 70 pounds; the maximum is 250 pounds. Zoar will not allow pregnant women to zip.

Zoar runs its zipline tours rain or shine (although not in excessively high winds or lightning), so customers who have reserved in advance should plan to show up. Berkshire weather is variable, and if it's raining one minute, it may be sunny the next. If at all possible, tours go on as scheduled. Bring rain gear.

Zoar's Canopy Tours also run through the winter (the other Berkshire aerial parks don't operate in winter because they take place on ski areas.) Be warned: ziplining involves a fair amount of "standing around time" to wait for other zipliners to take their turns. So bring plenty of warm clothes (layers are always best, starting with long underwear.) And wear a close fitting ski hat or balaclava that can fit under the helmet.

The copyright of the article Zoar Outdoors Adds Ziplining to Adventure Resort in Adventure Travel is owned by Karen Berger. Permission to republish Zoar Outdoors Adds Ziplining to Adventure Resort in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.