So, what do you arrange for a thrill-seeking girl's 18th-birthday treat? That's an easy one... you dress her up in red overalls, stick her in a harness and chuck her off the side of a mountain 
The venue for the day was Zip World near Bethesda. Here's the web-page blurb:
"Zip World has the longest zip line in Europe and is NOW OPEN at Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda – “The Nearest Thing to Flying”!!
The Zip World site contains two specially constructed and spectacular zip lines, the first will take you down to the bottom of the quarry where you will pick up your specialised vehicle for a magnificent quarry tour, before zip lining back for a mile to the start.
You will be reaching speeds of up to 100 mph and you will be travelling 500ft above the mountain lake so be ready for a ride of a lifetime!"
Me and Chris took the quarry tour and stayed away from anything dangerous, Anna did the tour and the Little Zipper, Ella got the full works. I'll let the pics and captions tell the story. Don't forget to max the volume when playing the movie.
Folk on the Little Zipper
Little Zipper end-zone
Suiting-up
Suited and booted
Waiting for the safety lecture
Concentrating hard on not looking nervous
Up at the Little Zipper end-zone we could see the Big Zipper launch area
Zooming in on the Big Zipper launch area
The RAF provided a fly-by
Ella and Anna wired-up at the Little Zipper launch-pad
On the move
Approaching the fastest bit
Ella approaching the bungee-brake
Anna hitting the bungee-brake
Just hanging around
Happy Ella
Happy Anna
So alike and yet so different
Ella looking apprehensive up at the Big Zipper launch area
Still trying to keep it together
The launch pad. The end-zone is the light patch on the spoil-mound the other side of the quarry.
Penrhyn Quarry from the Big Zipper launch area
Busy at the top - a Beeb crew were there filming Davina Wave of CBBC's DNN fame
Anna playing it cool.
Every time I see this pic it reminds me of this.
Click here to see the video in fullscreen HD on Vimeo
After the truck-ride back down to meet Ella the omnivores in our party filled up with excellent cholesterol-burgers from the van down at the site office. Sadly, the party's veggie had to go without.
Verdict: Top day out. Highly recommended. Great burger-van.
