I'm kinda partial to mine, too, but I still wouldn't go on this. No safety line = no go for me. Besides the lack of a backup plan, it also tells me that there are likely minimal safety features in every area of the design, so even minor problems can mean the worst possible outcomes.
Ex Zipwire instructor here, I used to throw people off high stuff for a living for just over a decade in various places around Europe.
While I can't see the rig up close in the video, or know much about the safety standards in Laos, there is a high probability that there is a redundancy (safety rope) attached to the harness of the rider as well as the main line.
The trolley should also have a solid metal top, meaning that if the rollers somehow failed, there would be an added layer of safety built in to the trolley to prevent you immediately plummeting to the ground.
The cables also have redundancies at either end in case of an anchor failure.
By law in the EU, cables and kit have to be inspected internally very regularly and cables require external inspection every three years, the criteria for classifying a cable as "unsafe" is also super high, it only takes a few broken strands to get a cable decommissioned, well before it's gets near its actual breaking point.
While no system will ever be 100% safe, there's more backups built into these things than people realise. There's always a rescue plan in place too. My training involved everything from trapped body parts and stuck riders all the way to unconcious casualties.
The biggest danger on zipwires is members of the public ignoring the safety instructions. When we tell you to remove jewelry and tie your hair back, there's a very good reason for it.
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u/Warzenschwein112 Mar 04 '25
Yes, but I would not put my hand up there, because I like my fingers.