Breaks Support
A wide angled phograph with greenery to the left but a young boy on the right smiling directly at the camera, wearing a white helmet and holding onto the padding of the Zipwire rope system.

Zipwire

Zip through the skies at Calvert Exmoor! Feel the wind in your hair, the weightlessness of your body and let the giggles escape, as you take on our exhilarating Zipwire...

Zipwire

 

What is a Zipwire?

Also known as ziplines, zipwires are an exhilarating aerial ride where participants glide along a suspended cable, propelled by gravity! You may have seen various types of zipwires, including some where you simply hold onto a handle above your head (and yes, sometimes drop into water!), or others involving a full harness where you’d be lying or sitting down to enjoy the ride.

Zipwire at Calvert Exmoor

At Calvert Exmoor, our zipwire takes place next to the top of the outside climbing wall. It’s often an add-on activity that guests can do after another rope-based activity (time dependent). You’ll be attached into our safety system through the use of a harness and once all the suitable checks have been done by an instructor and you’re feeling ready, you’ll begin your breath-taking descent! We have specialist equipment that ensures everyone can take part in this activity.

Zipwire in action

Your Zipwire session

Click on each step for more information on what you can expect from a zipwire session with us…
A room with a red door and green floor. There are helmets on shelves and ropes hanging on hooks on the wall, a wheelchair in the centre at the back and in the foreground, there is a selection of harnesses on the floor laid out ready for guests to put them on.

1: Get ready

A room with a red door and green floor. There are helmets on shelves and ropes hanging on hooks on the wall, a wheelchair in the centre at the back and in the foreground, there is a selection of harnesses on the floor laid out ready for guests to put them on.

1: Get ready

  • You will meet your instructor at your allocated meeting point
  • Your meeting point will be given to you on arrival at the centre in advance of your activity sessions
  • Your instructor will take you to the equipment room to help you kit up with harnesses, helmets and any other specialised accessories needed for the session
A girl in a pink sweatshirt smiles and looks towards the camera as two men in red helmets are attaching ropes and carabiners to her harness, with a Zipwire above them all.

2: Learn how

A girl in a pink sweatshirt smiles and looks towards the camera as two men in red helmets are attaching ropes and carabiners to her harness, with a Zipwire above them all.

2: Learn how

  • Your instructor will give you all a safety briefing before the activity starts and tell you how the system works
  • Feel free to tell your instructor if you have any worries or concerns and they’ll be able to talk you through these
A girl sitting suspended on the Zipwire and moving away from the platform that's behind her, where a member of staff has just released her from the red rope that lets her zoom down the wire. There are other group members in the background watching and clapping.

3: Have a go

A girl sitting suspended on the Zipwire and moving away from the platform that's behind her, where a member of staff has just released her from the red rope that lets her zoom down the wire. There are other group members in the background watching and clapping.

3: Have a go

  • During the session, you’ll each have a turn on the zipwire – if you’re not on it, you can cheer on your group members!
  • Our instructors have the ability to change the speed of the zipwire, so make sure you let them know if you’d like to go slower or faster
  • Every time you reach the bottom, your legend of an instructor will run down, grab the rope beneath you and drag you all the way back up to the top before either going down again or safely removing you from the zipwire system
A group of guests are in the equipment store room wearing helmets and harnesses and facing each other. In the background there are shelves with equipment on.

4: Finish up

A group of guests are in the equipment store room wearing helmets and harnesses and facing each other. In the background there are shelves with equipment on.

4: Finish up

  • At the end of your session, once you’re all finished, your instructor will remove any equipment still attached to you and will take you to the equipment storage, where you’ll return your helmets and harnesses, before heading back to the centre.

Zipwire equipment

Whether you want to get an idea of what our kit looks like, or see some of our specialised gear that helps make our sessions more accessible, have a look below…
An empty set up for Zipwire activity, including some black steps for guests to climb higher and be attached to the yellow hanging rope and red safety rope.

Zipwire loading area

An empty set up for Zipwire activity, including some black steps for guests to climb higher and be attached to the yellow hanging rope and red safety rope.

Zipwire loading area

  • This is the Zipwire loading platform, where you’ll be attached into the safety system and may use the black steps to make this easier
A selection of seven different harnesses laying out on the floor at the bottom of the indoor climbing wall.

Harnesses

A selection of seven different harnesses laying out on the floor at the bottom of the indoor climbing wall.

Harnesses

  • Harnesses come in all shapes and sizes – these ones are called “sit” harnesses and are commonly used for rope-based activities like climbing
  • This picture shows harnesses on the floor ready to put your feet into the smaller circles and then pull up and over your waist, like a pair of trousers
  • Our instructors will help you to choose the right harness for you and show you how to put it on correctly
Guest Natalie is in her supportive sling attached into the Zipwire system, smiling at the camera and ready to go

Zipwire Kite Harness

Guest Natalie is in her supportive sling attached into the Zipwire system, smiling at the camera and ready to go

Zipwire Kite Harness

  • This is a Kite Harness. It’s an adaptive harness that allows users to have full body support
  • It is particularly popular for our wheelchair user guests as its super comfortable and gives you support where you need it
  • We also have a head support which we can add into the system if you so require it
A man wearing glasses is standing facing the camera and smiling, wearing a harness that goes around his chest, shoulders, waist and legs.

Chest harness

A man wearing glasses is standing facing the camera and smiling, wearing a harness that goes around his chest, shoulders, waist and legs.

Chest harness

  • Much like a “sit” harness is pulled on like a pair of trousers, the chest harness is put on like a jacket
  • This harness engages around the top half of the body and attaches onto the “sit” harness, which creates a full-body support system
  • This is typically used for those who are
    • larger-bodied
    • smaller-bodied
    • lack core strength
    • would simply like to feel more supported
Three shelves with three green helmets on the top shelf, three red helmets on the central shelf and four blue helmets on the bottom shelf.

Helmets

Three shelves with three green helmets on the top shelf, three red helmets on the central shelf and four blue helmets on the bottom shelf.

Helmets

  • In all of our rope-based activities, you must wear a helmet!
  • We have helmets of all sizes
A silver metal mobile hoist in front of the climbing wall with a black T section with hooks on.

Mobile hoists

A silver metal mobile hoist in front of the climbing wall with a black T section with hooks on.

Mobile hoists

  • These hoists can be used to transfer a wheelchair user from their own chair into the appropriate harnesses and safety systems

FAQs

Yes! We leave no one out and no matter what, we do everything we can to make sure you can enjoy the experience of zipwire in a way that suits you and keeps you safe.

At Calvert Exmoor, it’s what you CAN do that counts. Our instructors use the term ‘challenge by choice’, which ensures that while you’re taking part and given challenges along the way, you ultimately always have the agency and control over your own limitations. Our staff are there to keep you safe but also build your confidence, even if this means accomplishing a simpler version of the activity.

Every instructor has:

  • extensive in-house training including observation hours logged prior to running a session independently
  • Either:
    • a Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) qualification including an abseil module by British Mountaineering Council
    • OR
    • a Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) qualification by British Mountaineering Council

Our Zipwire takes place by the top of our outdoor climbing wall. This is only a 2 minute walk away from the main centre.

Our accreditations