Gunstock opening 9,000-foot-long ZipTour attraction on Saturday

GILFORD — After six months of construction and much anticipation, Gunstock Mountain Resort will open the longest ziplines in the Continental U.S. on Saturday, November 5th.

The ZipTour attraction will include five different ziplines and cover almost 9,000 feet. “It is awesome”, said Greg Goddard, general manager at the resort. “We were out on it today with the final inspection and certification and the ride is incredible, the construction took about six months but was well worth it, as two of the ziplines on the tour will be the longest in the Continental U.S. and the 4th and 6th longest in the world.”

Gunstock’s ZipTour will run year round and the views over the ski area, looking over Lake Winnipesaukee are awe inspiring. Participants will start this weekend in the Adventure Center where they will check in, sign releases, and be fitted with harnesses. They will then head to a demo zip line to practice with the braking mechanism. After that it’s off to the 451 foot long training zip line.

“This process gets everyone more comfortable with the equipment, as it is unique to zipline experiences” says Pat McGonagle, Gunstock Adventure Center manager. From there its off to the Panorama lift and to the top for the Summit Span. This 251 foot zipline gives you the real experience of the speed potential even though its just 251 feet. The unique ability to engage a brake allows you to travel at up to a 25-percent grade. From there you take the catwalk to the Recoil Span. This is the longest zipline in the Continental U.S. and you travel 3,981 feet on one span.

At Gunstock’s ZipTour you are not alone because the lines have been installed in tandem, so you ride down or race the person next to you. The Recoil span at one point is 155 feet off the ground over the ski trails and then cruises to the backside of Pistol coming as close as 15 feet off the ground. “It’s a truly unique experience” says Bill Quigley, director of Marketing and Sales. “I did the summit for the first time today, and can’t wait to get back up there”

You get to the last span by a quick walk across the trail at the top of the Pistol Lift and then take a 3,809 foot zipline to the base while crossing the Terrain Park, parking lot and pond at the base before landing on a huge deck. The entire tour for a group of 12 will be somewhere over 2 hours and is priced at just $65. Due to the limited number of people that can go per hour reservations are recommended. For information head to www.gunstock.com or call 603-737-4388 to make reservations.