Views from the forest canopy, Colombia
- Gerard McGarrigle
- Apr 28, 2017
- 6 min read
Montenegro, not the country in Europe but the municipality within Quindío Colombia. The direct translation meaning 'black mountain' was named so because of the forest that once existed there, the colour and density of the trees gave it a much darker appearance and was visible from other parts of the region as it rose above the surrounding guadua forests. Nowadays its home to vast coffee and plantain plantations, even the Parque del Cafe is situated here. Amongst all the coffee and plantain exists an activity very different from the norm. It's called 'Canopy Los Caracolies' and it entails ziplining along the forest canopy offering an experience that is both exhilarating and enjoyable.
Caracolies are the name of the trees that the canopy platforms are fixed securely to. They are majestic looking trees, with a tall single trunk that reaches high above the surrounding guadua forests and plantations. On the estate some of these trees are said to be over 250 years old too, impressive. The name however is strange, caracol means snail in English but I don't believe it has any relationship towards snails, in fact I believe they are the same trees another municipality was named after. 'Caracolí', located in the department of Antioquia. Originally used to help construct ranches, its timber was highly valued by early settlers and as such even a town was named after them.
Upon arriving at 'Canopy Los Caracolies', we were greeted by a little blue bird determined to pick a fight with his reflection in the side mirror of our car. Supposedly this is a daily routine for this little guy, the owner's car being the victim of numerous attacks a day! Thankfully his size isn't enough to do any damage but it was fun watching him get agitated each time he saw his reflection in the mirror.
Next we met with the warm and friendly Doña Yolanda, co-founder, who gave us a quick overview of what the next hour+ would entail and introduced us to their friendly and accommodating guides. Their German Shepherd, whose name I can't remember, also greeted us with a wagging tail and a soft ball in his mouth ready to play fetch.
Prior to beginning we were asked if we had any health issues the team should be aware of and then asked to sign a disclaimer, pretty standard stuff really. Before making any accents we were appointed personal protective gear, a helmet, harness and gloves. The guides helped strap us in and made sure our equipment was secure and fit for purpose. The first ascend is right on the property's front yard, there are ropes fixed to the stairs that climb towards the platform and the guides ensure your harness is attached securely so at no point are you in danger of falling from the stairs or platform itself. At each stage, the guide is who performs the detachment and attachment of the safety harness, from the safety line to the zipline itself. I personally found this very assuring that the guide had our safety as a priority.
At the top of the first platform the guides explain how to position yourself during the zipline decent. Left hand in one position and right hand in another. Your right hand is used to slow down when necessary, its very simple actually, you simply push down on the cable, never grab the cable itself, only push down. The gloves appointed are designed to take the friction and heat generated without any discomfort to your hand and they work exactly as you would expect. Its worth noting here that your left hand is positioned on the zipline attachment and your right hand is used to slow down behind the zipline attachment and never in front of the attachment for obvious safety reasons.
Now, i'm used to doing activities that gives you an adrenaline rush. I've skydived from 13,000ft and bungee Jumped the Nevis in New Zealand. journeyed in underground caves, lit up by glow worms, Paraglided in Brazil, swam in shark infested waters in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and so on. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this activity but I will say this, seeing the guide disappear through the canopy and hearing the 'whizz' of her descent on the zipline made me a little anxious. It had been more than just a number of years since I had done anything like this, usually I was either drunk or hungover. Mostly it was a combination of both! but as i'm getting a little older, married life and a young daughter have slowed me down and the comfort of bed and waking up without a hangover feels much more appealing than anything that engages my adrenal glands. But once I stepped off the platform and put my faith in the hands of the zipline it was a feeling of exhilaration and I couldn't help myself from smiling. My initial reaction was to focus my eyes on where the zipline ends but you can't see the finish line! You whizz past foliage from the 'Caracolies' leaves before flying over a forest of guadua bamboo until finally descending into a plantation of plantain where your guide welcomes your landing with a warm smile.
You've just travelled hundreds of metres in mere seconds and your brain and eyes struggle to take it all in initially but as you continue the course you begin to relax and soak in the ambience of the forest and the views that surround you. The chirping of birds, the sunlight bouncing off the forest floor and plant-life, butterflies float past displaying wonderful patterns and colours, it feels magical at times.
As the course progresses you'll experience ziplining from canopy platform to canopy platform and from canopy platform to ground level. Its a thrilling experience that becomes more comfortable as you continue through the course, allowing you to appreciate the views below as you sail over them. The ziplines are angled to allow great speeds at the start but help you slow down near the finish too, my advice is not to break too early, i'm far from being a heavyweight but if you are ignore that advice! On one occasion I thought I was coming in too fast and I put pressure on the line to break too soon and probably too hard too which in the end, had me pulling myself to the platform manually for about a metre or so. When it occurred to me that I wasn't going to make the platform and I would need to take manual action to finish the task, I could suddenly hear the zipline whirring again, well I wasn't moving so that could only mean one thing, someone else was approaching my way!! We all had a good laugh as I scurried to the platform as fast as my hands could get me there though. Thinking on it, perhaps it was my imagination that I could hear the zipline whirring as the guides would continually radio each other when the line was ready to use for the following person. I must commend them for the procedures they take regarding safety, at no point, even when I was dangling above the forest floor, did I feel at risk or in danger at any point. We were always securely fixed to safety lines and securely attached to the Zipline. Near the end of the course it felt like second nature to be zipping around the canopy.
At certain points of the course you can see the horizon in the distance and as you draw your eyes closer you'll notice coffee and plantain plantations surrounded by guadua forests. At this point I was very comfortable with the experience and I could really appreciate the views that would unfold in front of me and below me, flying over fields of coffee trees while anticipating and preparing yourself to crash through the guadua bamboo as you approach their arching stalks and wide spreading branches. But perceptions can be deceiving as the lines are designed to pull you close to the forest but never close enough to cause a serious accident with the flora as you whizz past and over it. Nonetheless, as you approach you can't help but feel you are going to collide this time, but it never happens. The closest I came was my footwear slapping off a plantain leaf, the noise was impressive though!
On our final descent to the forest floor we were greeted by Don Jorge, founder of 'Canopy los Caracolies', an ex-mountaineer, retired chief of the official fire brigade of Armenia and former member of the international rescue brigade. It's clear to see how his experience with mountaineering and rescue has had its influence on safety here. As I say, it feels like it's been designed with safety taking priority but without it imposing on the fun or experience itself.
If you are considering this experience then I highly recommend it. It really was a fun afternoon and something I will definitely do again. Great fun for all ages. I would also like to express my gratitude to Jorge and Yolanda for their hospitality, the cool glass of fresh juice was exactly what we needed before we departed. We had a good laugh to ourselves too as we approached our car, the little blue bird had moved onto Jorge's car, attacking its side mirror. A creature of routine it appears!
It should be noted that If you suffer from a heart condition or have any medical or health ailment that may come under stress due to this activity, then it is best advised to avoid participating as the owner's have the right to refuse, at their discretion, access for your health and safety.
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