Flight Over the Dolomites at 80 km/h

Imagine finding yourself at 1,600 meters above sea level, hooked up to a high-tech pulley, with the Dolomites stretching out below you in all their majesty. In a few seconds, you will begin your descent towards San Vigilio di Marebbe, traveling 3.2 kilometers suspended in the void at a speed that will reach 80 km/h. At the most critical point, 100 meters of empty air will separate you from the ground below. It is one of those experiences that you don’t just talk about – you live it, you feel it in your bones, and afterward, you are never quite the same. The Zipline Adrenaline X-Treme Adventures is not just an adrenaline-pumping activity: it is a completely different way of seeing the Dolomitic territory, transforming the landscape where camper travelers normally move into a perspective that few will have the courage (or the madness) to try.

From Camper to Thrill: The Journey to the Starting Point

The recommended stop for reaching the Zipline is the Ritterkeller Area Camper Stellplatz, located in the center of San Vigilio di Marebbe. From the parking area, you will reach the official check-in at Str. Catarina Lanz, 24 on foot: about a 5-10 minute quiet walk through the small village. You will walk along peaceful streets surrounded by traditional wooden houses, shops, and the typical landscape of Val Badia, already starting to breathe the mountain air that distinguishes this corner of South Tyrol.

Once you arrive at the operational center, the Adrenaline X-Treme Adventures staff will take care of everything. Easy access, no significant architectural barriers. This is where the first check-in takes place, where you provide personal data and sign the safety form. It is not formal – the instructors are kind and helpful, they ask about any fears you may have and immediately put you at ease.

From here the real journey begins. The staff will accompany you by jeep to the departure station located between the uphill station of the Piz de Plaies cable car and the valley station of the Cianross cable car. The jeep ride already allows you to appreciate the surrounding panorama, climbing towards the starting altitude. It is not an alpine ascent – the jeep follows well-known tracks, and the trip takes a few minutes. It is during this transfer that you will feel the adrenaline start to rise.

Once you arrive at the starting station, the real safety briefing begins. The instructors – qualified and competent people – will explain every detail: how to stay hooked to the pulley, which posture to maintain during the descent, and how to brake if necessary (spoiler: the pulley is self-braking, you will hardly have to do anything). They equip you with the harness, checking every hook, every strap. Safety is the mantra of this experience – it is not a joke, and they know it.

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Zipline Adrenaline X-Treme Adventures

Zipline Adrenaline X-Treme Adventures

The Moment of Take-off: When the Heart Stops Beating

You are on the starting platform. The landscape before you is infinite – Dolomitic peaks, snow-capped summits (the spectacle is breathtaking even in summer), and green valleys stretching to the horizon. You breathe deeply. The instructor makes the final check, smiles encouragingly, and says the fateful words: “Ready? Go!”

And then it happens. The first instant is almost a shock – there is no gradual start. Once you leave the platform support, you immediately begin to fly. That is not an exaggeration: it truly is flying. The feeling is one of take-off, as if your body is lifting from the ground. The wind hits your face at a speed that initially seems monstrous. The sound of the pulley sliding along the cable, the whistling of the air – everything together creates a sensory experience you have never had before.

The first few seconds are a whirlwind. The speed increases rapidly. Looking down – the ground rushing beneath you, the mountains seeming to open up – is simultaneously terrifying and magnificent. Many instinctively scream: it is not genuine fear, it is liberation. It is the body discharging adrenaline through sound. After the first 30-40 seconds – the time for your mind to assimilate what is happening – the maximum speed is reached and stabilized. At around 70-80 km/h, the pulley maintains a constant speed.

This is where the real experience begins. Once the initial shock is overcome, you can finally enjoy the view. The descent follows a zig-zag path through the valley, with 10 total stages. It is not a straight line – the route changes direction several times, forcing you to turn gently, increasing the sensation of movement and grip on the terrain. Each change of direction is a small challenge, a small moment of concentration where your body feels the lateral acceleration.

The point of maximum intensity is the intermediate stretch, where you reach the maximum height of 100 meters above the ground. At that specific point – and you will feel it when you arrive – the air opens completely below you. This is the moment when you can truly say you are flying: nothing between you and the void except the steel cable. It is an almost meditative experience in its terror – so intense that the fear disappears and only pure wonder remains.

The Dolomitic Landscape from the Sky: A New Perspective

As you descend, the Dolomites reveal themselves from a perspective that 99% of visitors will never have. The roads you know from your camper appear as thin white lines. The forests have textures and depth that you don’t perceive from the ground. The mountain ridges, the gorges, the slopes – everything takes on new meaning when you are suspended 100 meters above the landscape.

In summer, the dominant green is blinding. The alpine meadows, the trees of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, the wooded areas of Val Badia – everything is visible from your unique vantage point. If you decide to pause (mentally) to observe during the descent, you will see geological details of the mountains that you would never have noticed from below: the rock stratifications, the natural channels carved by water, the shape molded by prehistoric glaciers.

The sound is fascinating: the wind whistling past your ears, the slight noise of the pulley running on the cable, your own accelerated breathing, the shouts of freedom escaping your throat. There is no music, no distractions – just you, the void, and the landscape. It is a paradoxical sensory cleansing: an experience on the verge of sensory overload that still manages to be profoundly immersive.

The Final Descent and Arrival

After about 10-15 minutes from the start of the descent (time is a blur – it might seem like 5 minutes or 30 minutes), the final phase begins. The arrival station of the Cianross cable car appears and approaches. The speed does not decrease drastically – the pulley continues at its pace, but the ground beneath you begins to feel less dizzying as you get closer to the ground. Last 50 meters, last 30, last 10…

And then your legs brush the ground. You are still flying, but you are almost on the ground. The instructor waiting for you on the ground guides you gently, and with a final movement, your feet press firmly onto the landing platform. The pulley stops. The flight is over.

For a few seconds, your body doesn’t quite believe what just happened. Your legs might shake slightly – it’s adrenaline dissolving, it’s the body returning to reality. But the first instinct? To laugh. To shout. To look at whoever was with you at the same moment and recognize in their eyes the same combination of panic, freedom, and wonder you just experienced. Many people on their first flight immediately yell: “Let’s do it again!”

The staff helps you out of the harness with professionalism and friendliness. They congratulate you, and the tone of their voices clearly says they have seen this same reaction thousands of times – and they never tire of seeing it.

Practical Information for Your Experience

Physical and Age Requirements:

Minimum age: 5-6 years old with minimum weight restrictions
Minimum weight: 35-40 kg
Maximum weight: 130 kg
No prior experience required
Not suitable for people with severe vertigo or heart problems (consultation with a doctor is recommended)

Opening Hours and Season: