Free Zipline offers Games'ers a new view of Vancouver

William Jans shows why ZipTrek Eco Tours's free zipline ride over Robson Square is worth the lineup

Sure, there's the thrill of watching Canada's best athletes compete against some of the stiffest competition in the world, but the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games offer more than just spectator sports. For those looking for a new angle on the city, who have the taste for adventure and an extra afternoon to spare, ZipTrek Eco Tours has just the adrenaline rush for you.

Throughout the Games, the local tour company is offering free zipline rides over Robson Square. The only price: five to six hours of your life, as in that's how long you'll be standing in line for this 20-second ride above Vancouver. [Update: Reports as of March 15, 2010, confirm that lines have reduced considerably, with wait times around 45 minutes to two hours.]

But apparently the experience is 100 percent worth it, as the throngs of Vancouver residents and Olympics and Paraolympics visitors lining up daily to zip down the line will attest.

We asked our man-on-the-scene local photographer and world traveller William Jans to ride out the line and take a jump off the 170-metre platform to let us know whether its worth the six-hour commitment. His answer: Absolutely. Watch the video and see for yourself.