Why ziplining is a must-do activity in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates is an extraordinary destination. The country is world-known for affording some spectacular offerings for residents and tourists alike. Dubai boasts the tallest building in the world and many other ‘firsts’ in the Guinness Book of Records. Ras Al Khaimah also has its own fair share of impressive offerings, and one of them is situated in an impressive mountain range that dates back 70 million years.

Jais Flight is the world’s longest zipline which traverses 2.83 kilometres through cloud-piercing pinnacles, jaw-dropping ravines, spectacular gorges and over switchback roads. The Jebel Jais mountains are proudly fierce as they stand 1,934 metres over ancient date wadis, the Arabian Gulf and the pretty mountain and fishing villages that pepper the horizon. There is nothing like flying as a bird over these ancient Cretaceous landscapes.

Instagram-worthy

The Jais Flight gives you some extraordinary opportunities to fill your Instagram feed with some impressive images of the ancient history and nature around you. You’ll be fitted with a special superman-style horizontal harness that streamlines you for extra speed. The entire flight takes no more than three rip-roaring minutes from 1,680 metres above sea level to the 9-tonne glass-bottomed platform that resembles a hovering bird of prey. From the glass platform, you’ll launch onto a shorter 1 kilometre zipline that effortlessly lands you back at the foot of the mountains.

Face your fears

You are probably familiar with the aphorism “Do one thing every day that scares you.”. This dictum is often wrongly attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. She actually quoted something far more insightful, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face”. The same can be said for confronting your dreads on the Jais Flight. Facing your fears and doing the things you think you cannot do will leave you open to extraordinary experiences, help you grow, and allow magic to happen. Allow the Jais Flight guides to encourage you to challenge yourself and broaden your horizons. The ziplining is exhilarating, fun and there are many safeguards in place to ensure complete safety.

Flying obsession

Man has had an obsession with flight since the beginning of time. Leonardo Da Vinci, the world’s favourite Renaissance visionary, was excited about the possibility of humans soaring through the open skies like birds. In 1487 he fashioned his two-winged flying machine from pine and raw silk; the pilot would lie face-down in the centre of the machine where he would spin cranks with his hands and feet. Orville and Wilbur Wright were pioneers of aviation and, in 1903, achieved the world’s first powered flight. Today, it’s commonplace to see Red Bull base jumpers launching themselves off towers, mountains and volcanoes in nothing other than a birdman suit or Maja Kuczyńska flying like a hummingbird. Did you know that the UAE is set to have the first drone taxis? There is something within our DNA that makes us want to experience the dreamlike feeling of flight. The Jais Flight gives you the feeling of flying like the world’s fastest bird, the hunting falcon.

Open to all

Ziplining isn’t a sport that requires Olympian-standard fitness. The team will fit you with a special horizontal harness that supports your body’s balance and gives you a sense of weightlessness. As long as you meet the safety criteria and are at least 122cm or four feet in height, and weigh between 40 and 130kg or 6.30 and 20.43 stones, you are fit to fly! Are you ready to soar through the clean mountain air up to 150 kilometres per hour?

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