Cape Town - If you’ve ever longed for a bird’s-eye view of the spectacular forests on the Table Mountain range, your chance has arrived – but you had better have nerves of steel and an appetite for adrenalin.
A new zipline adventure tour is set to open on the property of Silvermist Mountain Lodge and Wine Estate in Hout Bay on Saturday, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
The seven ziplines span a distance of 2.3km and offer a thrilling experience of the Table Mountain range’s southern reaches.
SA Forest Adventures has set up three other zipline experiences across the Western Cape, but this is its most daring yet.
Company owner Clinton Lerm is the sort of guy who enjoys whitewater rafting and jumping off waterfalls.
When he got bored with his company’s other extreme offerings, he began working on this project – a R1.2-million investment that took two-and-a-half months to build.
“The first time I did it, I was quite astounded by what we’ve done.”
Arriving at the Silvermist estate, a guide will take zipliners in a Land Rover up into the mountains, where the roads are so rough that normal vehicles can’t gain access.
“We’ve got 10 local guides that we’ve put through first aid and training.
“They live in the greater Hout Bay area, and they’ve never had jobs before.”
You start off on the shortest zipline first – a pulse-raising 270m flight at a height of 52m above the ground.
But that’s baby steps compared with the longest slide, which is 500m long and takes you zooming above a gaping gulley.
“As you go over it, it feels like the canyon is just swallowing you up,” Lerm said.
The zipline will open officially on Saturday. It costs R480 per person and takes around two hours to complete. No children under eight are allowed, and it’s not recommended for those with a fear of heights.
Book at www.saforestadventures.co.za
Cape Argus