Our first activity on my first holiday without Harry or my family and it just so happened to be one that terrified me. Despite that ziplining in the mountains of Split is an experience that you shouldn’t miss.

A brief introduction to ziplining

In case you’re unsure of what exactly ziplining entails I’m going to quickly explain. Generally ziplining takes place outside which I feel is a great perk because in between the wires, and as you’re flying through the air, you can enjoy the views.

You will receive a harness that will help to secure you to a cable which is strung between two points. Once secured and informed on the safety procedures you will fly across this cable to the lower point.

What to expect from Zipline Split

The 3-hour experience takes place on Mount Kozjak with stunning views both inland and out to sea. There are 6 ziplines in total, varying in length as well as a suspension bridge that you will cross after the final zipline.

Upon arriving at the base, you will be given a harness and potentially a rucksack to carry any valuables, such as your phone. After this, you will be driven up to the starting point where you will begin the hike to the first cable.

At the start of the first zipline you will be given a speech about safety and how to use the equipment correctly. If you are still nervous you will be offered to travel with an instructor.

Common concerns about ziplining

Everyone will have concerns about ziplining their first time, especially if like me you are prone to thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong. Hopefully, some of the answers I have given here will help to ease some of your concerns.

How to stop

Stopping was actually really easy; they tend to have a break feature as we did for Zipline Split where you have to pull the back of the clamp on the wire down as it will cause friction that will slow you down. The other option for breaking involves no effort from you as there will be a feature to automatically slow you down as you reach the end.

Forgetting one of the instructions

If like me, you are really nervous when they are explaining how to go down the zipline there is the worry that you will forget what the instructions are or miss the signs telling you to slow down. Luckily, there is generally a bumper so that even if you are going too fast the worst will be a jolt as you fly to the end. The only thing you will need to remember is not to place your hands in front of the clamp on the wire.

Turning mid air

This was something I hadn’t even considered when thinking about what could happen while I travelled across the zipline it is something that happened. While it happening made me panic, I realise that that was probably the worst thing that I could do. If this happens, remain calm and remind yourself that it won’t make too much difference, also it shouldn’t happen unless the wind is too strong.

For example, the only time this happened to me was when the wind was so strong that we had to travel down with an instructor, and he ensured that it didn’t happen.

Falling from the height

This was probably the greatest concern I had, and while I completely understand if it is one of the fears you have. There isn’t a way to avoid this worry, however it is highly unlikely that this is something that will happen. To operate the safety standards for places like this have to be incredibly high. This is why it is important to research the company you are using so that this risk is as low as possible.

What to wear

It can be tricky to decide what to wear when going ziplining, especially when it’s a warmer climate than you’re used to.

The advice we were originally given was to wear tighter, warm clothing, as if it’s too loose could get caught. So, I’d gone in ¾ length trousers and a zip up hoodie while my friend had some trousers and a cardigan. However, I’d taken my hoodie off before we were even heading up to the first zipline.

My advice would be to dress comfortably and appropriately for the weather conditions. I would have been comfortable with just my vest top.

Transport

We decided to get a taxi to the meeting spot, or base, because we weren’t sure how far we were from the pickup point. However, for a little bit extra there is the opportunity to get a lift to and from Split. Had we known that we would have had enough time to make it to the pickup location that morning, this would have probably been the better option.

If this is an option that you would like to take advantage of make sure to book in advance as there are limited seats on a first come first served basis.

You can also drive yourself if you so wish, but personally having seen the narrow, twisting rounds I wouldn’t want to do so.

Best weather conditions

If weather conditions aren’t suitable there is the possibility that the experience will be cancelled. This tends to only happen if there’s lightning or high winds. In fact, we were the last group that went up that day as the winds were too strong for those in the afternoon.

While Zipline Split do operate in all weathers, I believe the best conditions would be a clear, warm day with a slight breeze. This way you will be able to enjoy both the sights and the experience.

Our Experience

We arrived at the meeting point early and were waiting a little while for the instructors and the rest of the group to arrive. The views from there are lovely as well, so we were quite content to wait, even if my nerves were pretty high given the activity that we were about to do.

I will admit on the hike up and through out the safety talk I was so nervous and questioning all of the decisions that had led up to this point. Even after my friend had gone down with the instructor I was wondering if I could back out, I knew realistically I never would be the thought did cross my mind. But by the time I’d got to the end of the final zipline I would have done it a second time.

The views were spectacular, especially at the look out point that we stopped at halfway down for a small break. This is where we got to take group pictures, chat about the experience so far and learn a bit more about Split.

That leads into another perk of the experience, actually. It was great to listen to all of the information that the instructors were giving us about the local area as we travelled across the lines. On the ride back to Split they even taught us how to say a few words in Croatian!

Conclusion

Zipline Split is a great experience, with beautiful views, that is perfect for a sunny, warm day. You will learn a lot about the area that you are staying as well as maybe conquer some of your fears.

We really enjoyed our experience at Zipline Split and would definitely recommend it. If you enjoy adventure sports and great views this is definitely something you should arrange. It is definitely an exhilarating experience that you will not forget!

Have you ever been ziplining? Is it something you enjoyed? How worried were you before the first descent?