The thrill of Asia's longest zipline: 'I felt like Superman' 

“It is the longest in Asia at the moment,” declares engineer Ravi Michael P. Victorio, pointing to the 840-meter cable zipline high above ZipZone Dahilayan Adventure Park in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, during my visit in May.   The zipline’s launch point is at 4,700 feet above sea level, with a 100-meter elevation drop that lets riders reach speeds ranging from 60 to 100 kilometers per hour as they zoom over the lush greenery and enjoy breathtaking views of the mountains.   The zipline is dual—meaning it has two cables so that two riders can enjoy the experience simultaneously. For safety reasons, only those who are physically and mentally fit are allowed to ride the zipline, and only those between 4’4” and 6’3” in height. “We are very much concerned with the security of our customers,” says Victorio, who is ZipZone’s flights operation manager.   Although the equipment is designed and fabricated locally, the harnesses were bought from the United States. “My father-in-law visited several ecotourism facilities not only in the Philippines but also in other countries,” said Victorio, referring to engineer Elpidio M. Paras, the owner and chief executive officer of Dahilayan Adventure Park.   It was Paras who brought the zipline to Bukinon. “I saw this kind of tourist attraction when I traveled in the United States and Europe so I brought the idea here,” he said. Although there was already a zipline established in nearby Cagayan de Oro City at the Macahambus gorge, he said it was short and not dual.   “Being an engineer myself, I designed the ziplines and other facilities in our park,” says Victorio. There are three dual ziplines—one 320 meters long, the other only 150 meters long. These two shorter lines (above) are meant to get customers into the action and help them lose their fear of the adventure. The shorter ziplines were built in 2008. The longest was opened to the public in 2009. Last year, the park drew some 100,000 foreign and local tourists. “The number of visitors exceeded our expectations,” Paras said.   All rides will cost you P600. But if you want to avail only of the 150-meter and 320-meter rides, the price is lower: P350. “But most people who visit here come for the longest zipline,” says Victorio.   One of them was Armando A. Mortejo, who was feeling the pressure of a master’s degree thesis when he decided to try all the ziplines.   “All my stress vanished,” Mortejo said after riding the longest one. “I never thought flying would really be this fun. I felt like I was Superman flying on top of the trees.”   You never fly alone. Since it is a two-rider cable zipline, you always have a companion. In the movie 'Forever and a Day,' actors Sam Milby and KC Concepcion went together.