Zip Lining with mount Adventure Program!

Anna Hsia

The Mount has celebrated the grand reopening of its zipline! The zipline was originally part of the Mount Adventure program which featured activities like hikes, canoeing trips, rock climbing, caving, whitewater rafting and ziplining.

The goal of the Adventure program was to encourage students to spend more time outside. Unfortunately, the school terminated the Adventure program during COVID-19 because they “wanted to use the funding elsewhere,” explained Carter Kinnear (C’26) who is an Adventures Leader. Recently there has been a big push for student involvement here on campus, especially with keeping people here on the weekends. “Dr. Joyce has been really helpful with getting the zipline back up and running,” Kinnear noted. 

Many students are excited about having a zipline on campus and see it adding much value to campus life. Alysha John (C’28) thinks it will positively impact student engagement. She states, "I think that the zip line will help students stay on campus because this is something a lot of students may want to do and it’s something we can do and enjoy.” The process of getting the zipline up and running again has been a long and complex process.

“All the equipment had to be reinspected, also as of two months ago, you have to register every zipline with the state of Maryland, so it had to be registered, inspected, and then we had to get people certified as instructors.” Kinnear explained.

Getting these things done is vital for making sure the ziplines meet all safety standards. For student Nicole Campos Villaran (C’26), the zipline’s return is huge! “I was so excited when I found out The Mount had a zipline but when I figured out it had been shut down for a couple of years now, I was upset and wondered when it would reopen. But when I got the email that the zipline finally reopened, I had to tell my friends! I can't wait to go there soon!” she said excitedly.

As of right now, only the zipline will be open but the program is trying to bring back camping and other activities slowly. Stop by when you have the chance and experience the zipline! It is located by the PNC Sports Complex near the pond. The exact hours are still being finalized, but it is expected to be available at least once a week for the rest of the year.