Zipping towards the Isle of Man at a speed of more than 100mph, for a few exhilarating seconds it felt that this was the only form of travel.

The view from what was once the world’s largest slate quarry was breathtaking - the mountains of Snowdonia behind and around us, the Menai Strait and Anglesey to the left, Puffin Island in front and in the distance, way out across the Irish Sea, the hazy outline of home.

We were at Bethesda in North Wales at the invitation of Zip World to try out the world’s fastest - and Europe’s longest - zipwire.

Our early bravado had worn off a little by the time we had arrived, rather clammy-handed, in the dramatic and austerely grey surroundings of Penrhyn Quarry to check in at the reception centre of Zip World Velocity.

On the walk from the car park we heard a scream and a noise that sounded like an RAF jet - then looking up, saw an intrepid rocket man and woman blasting down the side-by-side twin cables of the Big Zipper.

This was going to be scary - and a lot of fun!

Waiting for our slot, we had time to go up onto the viewing platform to watch more red jumpsuited thrill-seekers whizzing down the wire.

Then it was time to get ready for our own leap into the unknown.

Following a short safety talk, and measurement taken of our weight, we slipped into our red jumpsuits and harnesses and were led out across the shattered slate to the first of the two zipwires at Velocity.

Designed to build your confidence before you take on its bigger and much faster brother, the Little Zipper is still certainly not for the faint-hearted. From 72ft up, you’re whizzed down the 550m line at a not so leisurely speed of 35mph.

Heroically, we volunteered to go first. Clipped onto our respective wires, with feet pushed back and hands tucked behind, we were soon dangling Superman-style head-first at the top of the drop. Then with a ’three-two-one’ we were off, swooping down the line with the elegance, we would like to think, of an eagle. There was barely a chance to revel in the euphoria of it all before it was time to prepare for landfall, the braking mechanism catching us like a bird in a net.

Exhilarated and justifiably proud of our achievement, we then boarded a rickety red lorry that took us on a bumpy 20-minute journey up to the launch pad for the Big Zipper.

From here the views were dramatic across the cobalt blue quarry lake.

We posed for a photo by the sign giving the statistics of our big challenge - top speed of 118mph, 0-60mph in under 10 seconds on a 1,555m long wire, with a drop of 220m.

By now, of course, we were veterans to the rocket man experience, nonchalantly taking it all in our stride - until we saw a daredevil on the line below veer to the right at an alarming angle.

’Why’s it doing that?’ asked one of our party. Everything was fine, we were assured, it was just if you look to the side you can end up travelling down the wire at an angle. The solution? Just look the other way.

Then it was our turn to be clipped onto the wire. It looked a long way down. ’Three-two-one!’ and we were off, plunging at a remarkably steep angle and with a speed that quite literally took your breath away. Over the dazzling blue lake we soared, zipping past spectators on the viewing platform.

We were told to look out for a wind sock near the start of the Little Zipper. If a man was holding his arms out at the bottom of the wire we were to do the same to slow our descent.

The angle and rate of descent eased and we sailed gracefully into the base station, arms outstretched, the braking system catching us with a satisfying click and bringing us gently to a halt.

We returned to the reception centre like heroes, rocketmen and women who had conquered the skies and lived to tell the tale.

Even better, as part of the entrance price, a video of your exploits is sent to your email - so you can relive your heroics over and over again.

An experience definitely not to be missed.

* For details and bookings go to https://www.zipworld.co.uk/