los veranos PV Zip line

[blue ash tourist]

I am posting a note reviewing our PV Los Veranos zip line experience. My DW and I are in our 50's. She is only 100# soaking wet. We went zipping the first week of November. The yellow taxi ride from the pier to the office cost $6 + tip and took 15 minutes. We arrived 10 minutes ahead of the 10:30 time listed on our ticket. However we learned the 10:30 time really means be at the office before the bus leaves at 11:00. The bus ride to the Los Veranos site was scenic and the driver was safe and pleasant. Once at the site there is an optional restroom stop and there are free lockers to store whatever you need to leave behind while zipping. Next we were equipped with a harness around our hips and waist to which a several pound pulley is attached on one side of the harness. The team of guides is introduced and a brief safety/demo talk is given. There then is a fairly lengthy walk up a hillside into which earthen steps have been made. At the top of the hill there is a narrow spiral staircase perhaps 20 to 25 feet up to the start platform for the first zipline. I went ahead of DW to be able to video her zipping into the end platform. From the top of the platform I saw her stop at the bottom of the stairs and let others go ahead of her, then she waved me on and told me she was not coming up the stairs. I didn't understand but she assured me she wanted me to go ahead and was not going to change her mind. So I did the zip lines and enjoyed them all the while concerned as to what the problem could have been. She met me at the end of the final line and told me that the walk up the hillside had tired her and that she was worried that with the significant weight of the pulley pulling her to the side, she would not be able to get up the spiral stairs without falling. She did not know that the pulley could be removed and someone else could have carried up the stairs for her.

I am writing this not in the hope of dissuading anyone from using this company as it was a wonderful experience but only to warn anyone who may be small or less than fully fit that the weight of the pulley may be an issue for you.

Upon returning home I wrote an email to Los Veranos with the details as above and made two suggestions so that others need not miss out on this experience for the same reason. 1) Tell us during the introduction that the pulley can be removed from the harness and carried by a guide or a friend if the weight is a problem or 2) Don't use the participants as pulley haulers at all and have the pulleys at the top of the staircase to be first used at the initial zipline. (Full disclosure, I did also suggest that they reduce the fee for DW from that of participant to that of observer) I have not received any reply after waiting a week.

[junglejane]

Thanks for posting. That information is good to know. Did you happen to notice many kids participating? I have been thinking about this for our family of four, including two daughters ages 7 and 11. The website says they take kids 6 and up, but based on what you saw do you think it would be fun and safe for a 7 year old? Did you happen to notice whether kids were doing the same lines as the adults?

 

Thanks again.

 

--Junglejane

[suziehmkr]

Thank you for the review & information. We have done this tour twice. I am sorry that your wife felt this way. However, if she would have simply asked someone, they would have figured out a way for her to do this. They only reason they put it on your hip is so you don't have to use a full hand to try to climb the stairs. I am sure that the staff probably thought she was afraid of heights, as this is often the case. Too bad she didn't speak up & ask questions, as she missed a wonderful experience. Although I didn't necessarily NEED it, my husband offered to carry my pulley several times for me. :)

 

Yes - plenty of kids go. When they are too small or light to make it all the way across, the staff will ride with them tandem. We saw several small kids on our last tour and they had a GREAT time.

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

Thanks for the info! I can't wait to go!!!!!!!!

[ronrythm]

Here's a link to some photos of the kids Tina (suziehmkr) is talking about. Look for the photo titled "A problem I don't have." I agree they were having a great time. http://ronrythm.com/Veranos.html

I will be back in PV in Jan and Veranos is on the short list of things to do.

Enjoy

Ron

p.s. Hi Tina, how's your Christmas trip looking? Tell Randi to save a slow horse for me the next week!

[Cozzette2]

ronrthym, thanks for the pictures, it sure gets me excited to do that on our cruise. I still have a few months to get my guts up.

When we were kids my dad built us a zipline in our backyard so it may actually feel like being home again, although I was more fearless and less breakable then.

Thanks for sharing with us:D Cozzette

[suziehmkr]

Ron!! Where have you been?

 

We aren't sailing until the week AFTER you now! hee hee I saved $1600 by moving it. It was a no-brainer. And since Stacey is still out of school at that time, she doesn't miss any days.

 

So - how have you been????