Located in the hilly heart of St. Elizabeth, one of the 14
parishes in Jamaica, near the South Coast is Y.S. Falls. Whether you just want to relax on the lounge chairs at the
natural, smooth pebble-bottom pool and listen to the falls or scream through
the canopy on the five ziplines, this is a beautiful spot for all to enjoy. I
was fortunate enough to zipline and drop into the falls via the rope swing.
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| That helmet is sexy. |
The first couple of ziplines are great for first time
zipliners – like myself. It helps you get comfortable working the breaks and
knowing the signals from the guides. The third zipline is by far the
highlight of the tree top trip. You start close to the top of the falls and glide
over the top for the perfect aerial picture of Y.S. Falls. You're flying! It’s pretty
accelerating and definitely gets your hear pumping. I'm hooked.
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| Trying to slow down |
I was also able to swing from a rope into the falls.
The guides make you wear protective gloves and life vest. You climb out onto a very stable wood platform secured to a tree and the
guide hands you the rope. He counts you down and off you go! Luckily, the man
also tells you when to let go as if you drop in the wrong spot you probably have an uncomfortable landing. The water hole is about 16 feet deep.
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| Looking at my guide to tell me when to let go |
The day we jumped the falls were overflowing onto the banks from lots of
rain (June through November is the rainy season in Jamaica). So the water wasn't clear blue like it is most of the time but it didn't feel muddy like it looks. In fact because the water level was so high, I almost didn't jump. I've had a few not-so-fun river rafting accidents and a life jacket does not soothe my nerves or provide me much assurance. Honestly, I was darn scared
but I can't pass up an opportunity to do something remotely thrilling. So I jumped...four times. Now that's facing fear.
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