The Gorge Zipline — Attraction in Columbus

If I could give this excursion 10 stars or more, I would. One of the main reasons would be our guides. Without them, it would not have been as amazing as it was. These young ladies, Airalee and Emma, were absolute ROCK STARS. The physical strength and stamina they have to have to perform this really hard job is bewildering! Plus, let me just say that they were absolute professionals who were not only fun and engaging, they made us feel super safe and secure throughout our entire adventure. And what an adventure it was!!

I booked the zipline attraction online. The package came with rappelling and a suspension bridge. I booked this without mentioning it to my husband. Partly to surprise him and partly so he wouldn’t talk me out of it, lol.

When he saw what we’re going to be doing later in the week he said, “are you sure we are up for that?” I said, “I guess we are going to find out!”

On the drive over, we both were a bit quiet. Perhaps we each were thinking, ‘Can I do this?’

We both admitted about halfway through the course, that we were too stubborn not try it and if we started it, we were gonna finish it!

Personally, I loved the whole thing. And I know that he did too. It was a challenge for my husband and I. It tested our limits. And it raised our confidence in what Grandpa and Mamaw can still do!

I will say, although I have a very adventurous spirit, I am afraid of heights. I’m not one to throw myself off a ledge, bungee jump or jump out of an airplane. I once was fully paralyzed on an indoor ropes course and had to be helped off a platform. I also cringe when my husband gets too close to the edge of a cliff while we are hiking. BUT, by the end of this day, I was confidently rappelling and climbing up onto the block to be hooked up to take on the next zipline. If I could explain how it happened, I would. But I can’t. Perhaps it was the magic of the amazing forest that you’re surrounded by, or the small, supportive group we found ourselves surrounded by or the strength of the voices of our guides telling me to take my time “just one more step, you got got this”.

My 62-year-old husband and I (a 59-year-old with severe ankle and wrist osteoarthritis) were paired with another couple in their early 40s, a 30-something couple and his father. We felt we were in this together with the young ladies leading the way!

When selecting a tour company to zipline with, I could tell, from their marketing efforts and reviews that this company has their act together. It’s not some fly-by-night, nail a wire to a tree and off you go kind of outfit. The Gorge has the best equipment and double checks even triple checks that your helmets and gear is secure at multiple points along the trail.

Their auto-braking on their zips protect you from so many dangerous situations- as we now understand when one of our group mates shared his horror story from an international experience with a different zipline excursion company.

The Gorge definitely has nailed down their safety training, their customer engagement. From the “Dad jokes” the guides told to the identification of the trees or mushrooms and even providing information, when asked, about the land that the course resided upon. All of this made for a well-rounded, fun, all-age appropriate and interesting experience.

By the end of our challenge I think we all felt tired yet accomplished. Hungry, yet fulfilled.

If you visit Rutherford County North Carolina or anywhere near Lake Lure, Tryon, Columbus, Hendersonville, Rutherfordton, or even Asheville - you need to set aside about 4 hours to sail through the trees at The Gorge. You will not be...

These 4 stars go to our guides Jon (no H) and Josh (with an H) LOL. These two guys kept our group of 9 engaged and upbeat. From the beginning at orientation right through the ride back up the Gorge. The zip lines were all fantastic! The rappelling lines were also very fun and easier than we had imagined. The suspension bridge was another great diversion from just zip lining. Sharing silly jokes was just that, Silly and it made otherwise stale moments funny (at least I thought so)

Onto the negative side of the coin. When my wife set the day up on line. She was sent a link to access her receipt and an internal link that was supposed to give Google maps directions to the venue. Having never been there we just clicked the link and drove the 2 hours to an entirely different venue! So needless to say, we were less than happy.

My wife called, and managed to get a spot for the last group going out at 3pm. According to my wife, there's strict rules about canceling your reservation. If that be the case, I highly suggest a web manager go in and make sure all the internal links are what they're supposed to be!

On the plus side, the young ladies at the counter and answering the phones were professional, knowledgeable and very accommodating.

The venue is very well maintained. The equipment is free of defects and cleaned. The site itself is extremely clean and free of dirt, dust and spider webs. The restrooms are clean and fresh. There's even complimentary hot coffee and tea for while you're waiting. Use bug spray prior to going out on the course!

I can see a potential when it's truly packed. For the wait times to be longer to head out to your tour. There's little to nothing that can fix that. Possibly space the group times out a little more? The van ride back up the Gorge was comfortable and air conditioned. The 17 hair pin turns were handled professionally and skillfully. My reason for the 4 stars and not 5....Charging $40 for the pictures. The taking and uploading of 90 digital pictures is not garnering that sum of money. I'd suggest lowering the cost to $20 and leave it at that. If you agree to follow and like the Gorge Facebook page. You'll get a $10 refund to your card. I just feel the charge is exorbitant.

The hiking is not at all much. A few hundred yards in total. Most of your time is spent, as it should be, zip lining!

Again we truly enjoyed the experience and will certainly return in the near future.

Thank you again to Jon and Josh for your expertise and professionalism.

Vinny and...

I live in Goldsboro NC and while visiting my sister and brother-in-law, We decided to go visit the "Billy Graham Memorial Library" in Charlotte, NC. We went there Friday 30 August and on the way we saw a sign advertising "The Gorge". On our way back we booked for the following day. I would give this experience 10 out of 10. This is coming from 3 military Veterans. I have been in and out of 56 countries and my sister and Warren probably more. We have had so many memorable experiences between the 3 of us. This was memorable and meaningful. We were blessed with such a beautiful day. We arrived early even for military time. Our zipline tour was to commence at 0900 and we arrived about 0815. The gentleman manning the desk told Warren we were welcome to come on in have a cup of coffee, use the restroom, and hang out until our tour should begin. We were immediately struck by the beautiful architecture of their "Offices, training center, gear room..." It was a gorgeous building taking nothing away from its natural surroundings. Our Guides were awesome. Emma is high energy and with her you are not only getting an exceptional tour guide but also a comedienne. She was ultra positive and wickedly funny the entire tour. Alicia, a beautiful young lady is very professional and seemingly a bit more aloof. No nonsense, efficient and not only good at her job but great. She is very humble, and I later discovered that She had many reasons to stay home that day and call out from her job, but she chose to be with us and maintain a brave facade. I doubt many even noticed. I did because that was my job for 24 years as a Navy Chief. I was blown away. Emma assured me that Alicia was the friendliest and most outgoing of the guides at the Gorge; but was indeed having a day that would find an average individual at home and not at work. I developed a deep sense of respect for these young ladies for the manner in which they cared for one another and worked together. I genuinely hope their leadership recognizes the "GOLD" they have in their teammates. I would hire these ladies away in a minute if I had anything comparable to the beauty that is their daily office. Take this tour. You will not be disappointed. I am certain to go back. Alicia, Emma... You both make a difference!!! Thank you for a very...