Jamaica Bobsled Coaster

The wife and I were on a cruise last week and one of the ports was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Just prior to the cruise we found out that they had built a Mountain Coaster (similar to the one at WISP ski resort in Maryland). We got the chance to ride it a few times. For those that don't know this type of coaster, its not an alpine slid, but an actual steel roller coaster with indivdual cars and a lift hill pulled by cable.

This coaster ran through a very thick rain forest, that really made the ride a lot more interesting. It can reach speeds of up to about 40 to 45 mph. You can control the speed, each car has a hand brake, and you can go at what speed you feel comfortable with, we of course let it fly full speed!

If you you tube Bobsled Jamaica and or Mystic Mountain (where its located) you will find some cool video of it. If you ever find yourself in Ocho Rios, make sure you check this out, you have to take about a 15 min ride up a ski lift to get up to the top of Mystic Mountain and then back down again. The rain forest is so thick you would not even know a coaster was there.

That sounds like a cool ride for your track record.

I doubt that I will ever try it though. IMO Jamaica is the arm pit of the Caribbean. We did feel safe when we were there.

DaveStroem said:
That sounds like a cool ride for your track record.

I doubt that I will ever try it though. IMO Jamaica is the arm pit of the Caribbean. We did feel safe when we were there.

We have been there twice, was ok both times. Belize seemed a bit dangerous in certian places to us.

Oy... my wife and I were in Ocho Rios on a cruise stop in 2005 (not an originally planned stop, thanks to Hurricane Wilma). There was a mini-riot at the dock entrance. Licensed and unlicensed cab drivers, peddlers, drug dealers... all scrambling to grab tourists getting off the boat. I was 20 feet out of the gate before I was offered weed. I mean, great hospitality and all, but still... pushy.

I would've enjoyed the bobsled coaster had it been there four years ago. Better than paying $15 to sit on a private beach and get offered weed and hair-braiding every 30 seconds. But, you know... different strokes for different folks.

Danny Biggerstaff CoAsTeRDaN said:

It can reach speeds of up to about 40 to 45 mph. You can control the speed, each car has a hand brake, and you can go at what speed you feel comfortable with, we of course let it fly full speed!

The ride at Mystic Mountain in Jamaica is a Weigand Alpine Coaster. All Weigand Alpine Coasters use a centrifugal brake to limit the top speed to 40 kph which converts to 24.86 mph. It might feel fast, but 45 mph is a bit of a stretch.

Jeffrey Seifert said:

The ride at Mystic Mountain in Jamaica is a Weigand Alpine Coaster. All Weigand Alpine Coasters use a centrifugal brake to limit the top speed to 40 kph which converts to 24.86 mph. It might feel fast, but 45 mph is a bit of a stretch.

Well, I was going on what the ride employees were telling me. I personally can't tell a difference in 25 and 45 while on something like that, either way it was a blast. We have been on two of these Weigand coasters and this one was a bit shorter in length than the one at WISP in MD, but I think this one was faster and a better ride.

All I have to say is, "Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!"

Oslor, that sounds very much like our experience. We were just walking to the shops by the end of the dock and were approached at least 20 times in the 2 block walk. We even had people trying to get us to take a cab back to the ship that was less then 200 yards away.

That ride plus some of the local "greens"....

Oh yeah!

I've been on two Alpine coasters here in the US (Colorado and Maryland). This one looks vastly superior with all of its drops and and dense foliage.