For high-speed fun with awesome views, take a zipline tour with Mineral Mountain Ziplines at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort!
Mineral Mountain Ziplines is the perfect place to try ziplining for the first time. Progressively longer ziplines let you get used to the feeling of flying across the canyon so you can try tricks by the time you reach the longest lines. We LOVED ziplining at Fairmont Hot Springs and can’t wait to go again!
Partnership Disclosure: Mineral Mountain Ziplines generously hosted us for review purposes, but all words and opinions are my own.
Our Experience Ziplining with Mineral Mountain Ziplines
It’s a sunny morning at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, perfect for ziplining. We walk over to Mineral Mountain Ziplines (next door) where Leyla and Lucas get us outfitted for the tour and let us know what to expect. With six progressively longer and higher ziplines, the shorter ones will provide a warmup for the longest line which is half a kilometre long and 60 metres high! Our guides promise we will be doing tricks by the end of the tour. We’ve never ziplined before, unless you count those little ones at playgrounds, so the stoke is high.
As we drive to the staging area, Lucas points out the Fairmont Range (part of the Canadian Rockies) and Purcell Mountains, and shares some of the zipline course’s history. Built in 2017, it fits right in with the landscape. From Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, a few kilometres away, you can’t even see the ziplines on the mountainside! From the ziplines, however, we will have awesome views of Fairmont Creek and the Columbia Valley. Lucas, who hails from Ontario, calls this “the best summer job ever” and it’s not hard to see why (hello, ziplines and hot springs!).
When we arrive at the first zipline, Lucas shows us what to do, then zips across to the other side to catch us. Leyla stays behind to secure us to the line and see us off, one by one. Stepping off the platform isn’t as scary as it looks because the cable supports you; to my relief, there’s no dropping feeling. After the first zipline, everyone is still good to go with big smiles on their faces. After the second zipline, Leyla tells us “It’s a big commitment, just like marriage. There’s no turning back now!” We laugh, and it’s even funnier when we hear that fellow tour guests, Amy and Scott, are newly engaged!
By the time we get to the fourth zipline, we’re old pros and ready to learn tricks. Leyla demonstrates how to go upside down, do a cannonball, and a torpedo (you are secured by the harness so you don’t need to hold on to anything). The latter two moves will make you go faster! My kids nail it on the first try; I don’t quite go upside down, but have fun messing around.
Next is the speed line where you can get up to 80 kilometres per hour. As we fly over the canyon, we whoop for joy and alternate between cannonballs and torpedoes. On the last and longest zipline, Leyla jokes, “You have your phone, Karen, so you can watch Netflix while you go across.” While you could start a show – it takes about 40 seconds to travel almost 500 metres – I recommend enjoying the view. Look for the hoodoos across the valley!
All in all, the zipline tour exceeded our expectations, and we loved how enthusiastic and informative our guides were. If you’re visiting the Columbia Valley this summer, book a super fun zipline tour with Mineral Mountain Ziplines! See a video from our tour:
Know Before You Go
- Reservations are recommended for this popular tour.
- The Zipline Tour is 1.5-2 hours long and suitable for adventure-seekers who weigh 50-265 pounds (22.7-120.2 kg).
- Group sizes vary from 2-10 people, so masks are recommended for the 10-minute van ride to the staging area.
- Closed-toed shoes are a must so you don’t lose your footwear! You’ll also want good shoes for the short interpretive walk between ziplines and back to the resort.
- There are no washrooms on the course, so use the facilities before you get in the van.
- The tour is fully-guided and all equipment is provided. Leave backpacks and water bottles in your vehicle/hotel room. Water will be provided at the halfway point.
- If you’d like to capture video or photos, I recommend keeping your cell phone in a chest pocket or mounting a GoPro on your helmet.
Where to Stay
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort (Expedia affiliate link), home to Canada’s largest natural mineral hot springs, has a range of lodging options from cozy rooms and condos to cabins. See how to spend a fun weekend there in our story Family Fun at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.
For More Information
For more information, or to book your zipline tour now, visit Mineral Mountain Ziplines. Zipline tours run from May long weekend until mid-September, weather permitting.
