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ORIGINAL CANOPY TOUR
BELIZE CENTRAL AMERICA The beauty of the hidden valley takes your breath away when it hits you from the darkness. The post card like scene grows as you approach the end of the rock cathedral. We estimate that this circular valley was a sink hole that has been relatively unchanged for 1.2 million years. You aren’t, however the first visitors to this spot as you will see evidence of pre Columbian habitation in the form of pottery which rests where we found it. We’re too low to start the tour so we do a quick lap of the valley and exit through another cave where Mayan inhabitants had what we would call a storage locker. Some of the artifacts we found inside have been placed at the opening so you can see them without assuming any risk. Locks and alarms weren’t invented 800 years ago so the next best thing was to make it dangerous to access the hiding places. Luckily we have modern climbing equipment. The big eye trail begins at the other side of “Cave Too”. This will take you around the outside of the hidden valley wall past several other small caves and up about 120 feet to … “The Big Eye” which is a stone arch entrance to a plateau that gives you access to a trail that takes you to the top of the hidden valley wall. Get it? J you will! A small hike up over “the eye” takes you to the first platform where you might see 5 separate valleys created by this rock formation, that is, you can see them through the dense vegetation. Even though you are shrouded in trees you still know you are high. This will be confirmed as you are attached to the patented dual rail safety traverse and fly away from the platforms you breach the canopy layer you see exactly how high and where you are. If you remember to do so, you will see three of the four valleys to the sides and ahead of you. Your airspeed can reach as high as 60 miles an hour as you approach the first landing and as you get there you will probably realize that tunnel vision has prevented you from looking around and actually seeing the valleys but that’s ok because you have your next chance coming up. At this point you are 130 feet directly above “Cave Too”, but you’ll never see it for the layers of forest canopy below you. Your second throw will be across the valley you just flew down. This is the longest one on the tour and is 429 feet away. This takes you to a ridge that is virtually inaccessible to inexperienced climbers. We got you here by using the patented access system invented by Darren Hreniuk who, with his team, designed and built the system you are now experiencing which is the industry standard for safety. “Ridge too high” named when while in the design phase when Darren wanted to land on the top of it, and subsequently determined... Well… The “Ridge Trail” starts here and takes to Cliff Access Deck”. The trail is short as you don’t need to walk very far on a trail like this to see everything. The density of the forest cover there is such that every species of plant can be encountered here in a short distance. “Cliff Access Deck” is where you go to “White Wall” which is a calcium based crystal wall about 300 feet high. Standing on this walkway, for some, is more intimidating that the flying part. Here you can’t see either the top or the bottom of the wall… you’re just out there… the altimeter says you’re 15 stories high but technically you have a ledge 5 stories below you. You are now above the main canopy of the valley floor and you can see a number of interesting rock formations that just don’t look natural. They look like a movie set and this is what inspired the name of the next platform. “Raiders” is the largest and most complex series of platforms and connecting walkways under the sun and is named in honor of the person who designed the set of opening sequence of the movie nicknamed thus. Both are classic and any attempt to describe either in words wouldn’t do justice. It’s on of those “you gotta see it” things. From here you arrive at a tree that is on the edge of a high wall ledge a suspended trail from here takes you along the face of the cliff where roots from the top grow out of the walls and past you looking for the ground. Here you are under an overhang which you will appreciate if some weather blows in as you are in a RAINFOREST, remember. At the end of this catwalk is your first rappel. From this height you can’t really see the aforementioned rock formations so we will lower you from here so you can pay attention to the beauty as it appears. You arrive at the “Valley Cross” deck which is still higher than you thought you were at the last platform above you.(Make sense?) From here you will cross the “hidden valley” and arrive through “Hi Ho” chimney that connects you to the cave you first came in on. From here you maneuver across a sheer drop to another catwalk where you will rappel to a lower platform under which you passed on your way in. (Look who’s giggling now!) The last leg of the journey in the suspended walkway around the crystal
waterfall a photo opportunity if ever there was one). You then pass over
a series of intricate overhangs and cave openings below and your journey
ends as you descend the staircase to the dock. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Belice: http://www.chukkacaribbean.com/ Email for cruise inquiries: cruise@chukkacaribbean.com Email for general inquiries: ltaylor@chukkacaribbean.com Phone: 011-501-223-4438 |
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