The first big stop on my vacation was Wahoo Ziplines. These guys are located in Sevierville, TN (you can't tell where Sevierville and Pigeon Forge actually become different towns). Wahoo is owned and operated by Sterling Springs Resort, and after an "off the beaten path" journey to their home, I arrived at their facility. While here, you sort of feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. It's a very quiet and peaceful area with the sounds of nature (and zip lines) all around. The facility is nice, they have some great cabins (I did not stay here) with good vistas, and the draw of the resort is of course, their seven zip lines.
After checking in, I was off to meet my guides and get geared up. I was placed in a "full body" harness system which is basically a chest/shoulder harness and a regular seat harness combo (there are several names for this type of system). The standard equipment includes a harness, helmet, leather gloves, carabiners and standard pulley system. Here at Wahoo, you hold onto your tethers instead of one hand on the pulley system. Their pulleys do not have a hand rail to hold on to. The only problem with this method, is that it takes a bit more time to learn proper control (keeping yourself in a proper direction).
Our guides for the day were Brad, Pablo and Matt. These guys were great and enjoyed cracking a joke every now and then. You can tell they enjoy the lines and their jobs. Brad was mostly the instructor and "sender". His job was to instruct us on what to expect on the lines as we approached them, and then ensure that we were properly hooked up to the line before zipping. Pablo was the primary "catcher" which means that he is there to assist you in slowing down at the receiving platform, and to disconnect you from the line. Matt was in training for this job as well, he assisted in some of the catching and disconnecting of the participants.
Wahoo has seven ziplines including one "dual" line. This is basically two lines parallel to one another and two folks can "race" one another across the line. This is the last line that you will complete. The first line is a great starter line, its fast and just the right length. The second one has a bit of a surprise in that you run and jump a bit, then are greeted by the feeling of a sudden drop that you can feel in your stomach (compare the feeling to the one you get when you go over a short hill in a fast moving vehicle). It was a lot of fun. On another line, you are allowed to go upside down. Yes, you heard me right, upside down! Keep in mind that at Wahoo, you are wearing a full body harness (upper and lower), so doing this maneuver is "safe". I won't go into too much more detail about the other lines but they are all fun and unique, and fast.
Wahoo Ziplines has partnered with a photography company called MyAdventurePhoto. These guys take about six shots of you as you jump off on the first zip line. On site at the end of your adventure, you can get all the photos on a CD-ROM for around 25.00. I went ahead and purchased mine, but if you are not satisfied, you are not obligated to buy anything. Also, Wahoo has a snack place as well and they do sell t-shirts inside as well (yes, I got a t-shirt).
