Family Adventure Travel Zip Line Tours @ecoadv306

Not long ago my family spent time vacationing together at Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan where we spent quality family time together. These days with the use of electronics it’s hard to motivate the teens to want to drop the smartphones and enjoy their childhood surroundings, until we had the amazing experience from the lovely folks at Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd. Conquering some fears on our family adventure travel getaway and feeling the serene scenery were only a couple of reasons we left with smiles ear to ear.

Located in the centre block of Cypress Hills, just a short walk from the Resort at Cypress Hills where we were staying,  we made our way a few minutes early to sign wavers ahead of our day of adventure and fun. Naturally the more involved adventures activities are for older ages but there were a few mini-activities for the little ones to enjoy; Baby Girl was just as excited as the older girls upon arrival.

Being that I have a slight fear of heights, the decision was made that Hubs would take Miss Priss and Squeakers on the Zip Line Canopy Tour adventure while I followed along below with the littles. Later we switched off so I could go on the Tree-Top Adventure Park with the teens while he took the littles back to the resort for a rest. Mid-adventure park, I realized the zip adventure would have been a blast and regretted watching from below. Take it from me, if you’re considering zip-lining but have a fear, just do it; you won’t regret it.

Adventure Safety

Before any adventure begins, the guides are very specific about the safety of participants. You don’t go anywhere without the guides ensuring everyone is safely fitted and secure in their gear; it’s their business to ensure your safety and that made me feel 100% secure when it came to my family and when I went out of my comfort zone on the Tree-Top Adventure park later in the day.

Adventure for Little Ones

Baby Girl was squealing at the sight of the mini-zip. Hanging just above the ground a small safety bucket style swing awaits tethered to a cable between trees. As the teen girls were spending time practicing their ninja skills, I mean rock-climbing skills, Hubs and I spent time with the littles listening to screams of joy because one must scream if you are 4 years old; it just makes sense when you are having fun. Smirk. When we first entered the park, Baby Girl tried out the Slack-Line and although she needed help balancing, I can’t say the teens sense of balance was much more advanced. I encourage you to watch the video at the bottom, a video tour of what the park has to offer, there are some crazy slack-lining skills included!

Rock Climbing

I was slightly surprised that Baby Girl wanted to try the 32 foot Rock Climbing Wall. Squeaks also has a fear of heights but there was no way she’d let Baby Girl show her up on the rock wall. Of course Baby Girl didn’t climb very high but Squeakers didn’t know that and instead ended up competing with Miss Priss for the first to the top.

The Treetop Drop

The Treetop Drop takes place 45 feet in the air on a platform built for two. Dun, dun; dun. This is something I was happy to stay with feet planted on the ground as a spectator, because I’m a big chicken. For adventurous types, like Miss Priss and Hubs, or for those pushing the limits of their comfort zone ready to conquer fears, like Squeakers, this is certain to get your heart pumping. The adventure begins upon your climb up the 45 foot pole to the platform, secured only by a tether and large staples for your footing. The next challenge is to climb up and onto the platform before you gaze down 45 feet to the ground. Thanks to a buddy who can cheer you on from the same platform and the use of high-tech safety tethering equipment, you are sure to feel the rush of a free-fall with the safety of a soft landing.

Squeakers took a little more encouragement to keep climbing to the top and once she made it there she was a little frozen, mentioning later that she couldn’t bring herself to jump off so instead she leaned into the fall. We were all so proud of her for challenging herself and pushing the boundaries of her fears.

Zip Line Canopy Tour

• 80 foot sky bridge.
• Six different zip lines.
• 40 feet above the forest floor.

As I mentioned above, I really regret not taking Hubs place on this tour. I followed along in the forest with the littles as Hubs, Miss Priss and Squeakers set off on a series of zip line challenges, taking them climbing from different heights of platforms between zips, one with an 80 foot bridge between two zip challenges.  I could tell Squeakers was nervous as she clung to the pole on some of the smaller platforms between zips but the guides were fantastic, notably friendly and funny which kept them laughing along the way.

I could see confidence building with each zip challenge completed. Miss Priss had a turn here showing off her fearless skills with the running man, zip-style. Later during the final zip, she adventurously finished the zip challenge upside down.

Keeping Busy

In between the picture taking along our trails of the zip line canopy tour, the kids enjoyed watching the show in the treetops and in between it was hard not to notice the absolute  beauty of the forest around us. Baby Girl was collecting as many pine cones as her pockets would hold while Baby Ro became the rock whisperer. So many shiny rocks! Snicker.

Image provided by Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd.

Treetop Adventure Park

I had spent time with the teen girls at the Treetop Adventure Park, similar to an acrobatic challenge course of cables, ropes and other skill challenges among the sky, only tethered to cables as you walk about. Two guides watched and encouraged us as we went through the course, one on the course awaiting our decent and the other on the ground watching to make sure of safety throughout. Being that I was the picture taker, there is no proof I did this challenge because I couldn’t pack a camera. I admit I was a bit fearful but I pushed through the course before dropping by use of one of the safety lines to solid ground with Squeakers while Miss Priss challenged herself atop the highest level course. That thrill-seeker makes me nervous. This adventure is definitely for those physically able and looking for a heart-pumping challenge to their adventure.

Overall the family had an amazing adventure together, as you can see in the last picture their smiles say it all. I love that one of the main rules of Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd. is that a smile is mandatory. The staff are friendly, encouraging and make you feel comfortable as you go through the challenges. Hubs had previously been on a zip line canopy tour in Mexico so I asked him to compare; with no hesitation he stated Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd. Zip Line Canopy Tour was much better. He felt the thrill at each zip challenge and the friendly and humorous staff made the experience even better.

If you are in the Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan area, I highly recommend one of the Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd. adventure challenges. You can easy spend the day enjoying quality time together as a family, smartphones easily forgotten.

Follow Along

To see other pictures of our family experience at Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd or my review on The Resort at Cypress Hills, follow me along on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and follow Eco-Adventures Ltd. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To find out more information about the area, go to the Cypress Hills Destination website and follow along #TimetoExplore on Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Find Your Happy Dance

Disclosure: I was provided a day at Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. A couple images were provided from Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures Ltd. website for purpose of this review, all others are copyright This Lil Piglet.