AZTEC is the nationally recognized governing body overseeing canopy walk/zip line tours in the Philippines.

AZTEC Vision Statement

Advocating 'Safety in Adventure' for cable-access adventure systems.

AZTEC Mission Statement

Promoting industry-compliant standards for canopy walk/zip line tour by 'adapting' US-based safety protocols as published by industry-leading organizations.

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Would You Ride This Zip Line?

The zip-line industry promotes adrenaline rushes on high cable treetop tours and speed zip lines. But there is another side to this adventure-based market in which the excitement of riding suspended on steel cables suspended high in the air or through a canopy of trees can turn into a serious accident should something go wrong.

Accidents Happen
The are several published press reports of serious accidents including deaths that have occured on zip lines. In 2006 a teenager was killed on a zipline in the US state of North Carolina. In 2007 a man was killed in Nevada. More recently, in 2008, a woman was killed in Honduras when a cable snapped and she fell to her death.

There are additional reports detailing a full list of accidents. Sadly, most accidents blame 'guide errors' as the principal cause. Examples include riders colliding into each other because the line wasn't cleared, riders accidentally released from the platform prior to being fully connected to the harness system or brakes failing and riders smashing into wooden structures.

Would you ride the zip line pictured at left?
The guy underneath the yellow helmet with the smiling face is riding a zipline that claims to be the most certified zipline in the United States. Most people would probably ride this without reservation, but it has a significant weakness. It completely lacks a backup or redundant safety system should one of the connection points or the single cable itself were to fail.

In comparison, the participant about to be launched in the picture at left (in the red helmet) is connected into a redundant system. If one of the cables or any of the multiple connection points were to fail, a backup system is in place thus preserving the safety of the rider.

Promoting Safety Before Speed and Distance
Commercial based zip lines in the Philippines is a growing industry. Safety in this newly emerging adventure-thrill industry begins with proper engineering of the infrastructure, appropriate safety equipment and competent staff.

The zipline industry is quick to use the mantra 'faster-longer-higher' but the industry must responsibly embrace 'safer' before it promotes speed and distance.

It is crucial that the zip line industry establish certain guidelines for the purpose of self-regulation because the cables and safety equipment are literally holding the participant's life. Therefore, there is a moral and ethical obligation on the part of all owner/operators that safety is of paramount concern.

AZTEC primarily serves owner/operators engaged in rope or cable access systems such as traverse lines, canopy walks, burma bridges and zip lines for the purpose of;

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