A mid-air adrenalin rush

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: Maya Patel has just posted her travelogue on a social networking site. She’s willing to bet all those adventures her colleagues had been bragging about would pale in comparison to what she braved. Her setting: a rainforest in Langkawi. Her mission: combating earth’s gravity 40 metres above the ground while moving on cables. And while in flight, warding off leeches and other insects. Actually, forget colleagues — Tarzan Bundolo, are you listening? Welcome to the world of air trekking or canopy tour. Bungee jumping might need to retire.

Patel’s euphoria is evident in her descriptions. Sample this: “Believe me, you don’t have to worry about the crawling snakes and roaring tigers in the jungle. Here, the fun unfurled in the air itself. Keep only one point in mind. You will always remain inexperienced to this sport, and thus remain open to problems. Trust your biceps and move,” says the designer head of Mumbai-based Aver Software Technologies Limited.

So listen in — air trekking is the latest fad on the adventure sport block. Many travel freaks have tried their hand at it globally. And, it is an interesting way for nature lovers to discover natural landscapes ranging from dense tropical rainforests to low-land mountain vegetation. A simple concept of moving from one tree to another (like good old Tarzan does) to discover the rainforest canopy, air trekking involves abseiling (the process of descending on a fixed rope), climbing, jungle trekking and gliding high above the ground on a cable system. This trekking enables people of all ages to expand their comfort zones step by step in terms of what and how much adventure they want. “First timers should imagine it like walking on Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh, but a very narrow Laxman Jhula, with only one person walking at a time. Air trekking gives you the feeling you are walking on top of tall trees,” explains Patel.