Abseiling

Only recently has abseiling become an activity in its own right. Historically, it wass just the method climbers use to get off a mountain (or special services forces use to descend deserted buildings into enemy territory in adventure movies) but it's a fun pastime that adventurers are taking up for its own sake and there are a number of abseiling options on offer in South Africa.

You could hang out high over Cape Town and abseiling from Table Mountain. The actual abseil is only about 100m high, but you are a kilometre above the city. Also with fantastic views, you can do a combination abseiling/kloofing trip on the Storms River Gorge, where you get to jump into deep pools and abseil down a waterfall.

There are three abseil routes on the spectacular western head at Knysna - including a really high, very exposed site hanging right out over the crashing waves.

There is a wonderful trip on the Storms River, which involves a 100m abseil into the gorge, a tubing trip down the river, a short walk out of the gorge and then a cycle back to the village.

You can abseil down buildings in Durban and Johannesburg, or even rapp jump if you like. Rapp jumping is abseiling with the ropes attached to your back instead of your tummy, so you go down facing the ground - a tad more extreme.

Below we provide a list of abseiling companies. You can also search our database for listings of abseiling and other adventure activities countrywide!

Contacts
Abseil Africa (27 21 424-4760, 27 21 424-1580, abseil@iafrica.com) offers a very scenic abseil off the top of Table Mountain and a kloofing/abseiling trip on the Steenbras River.

Intrapid Adventures (27 21 461-4918, 27 82 536-8842, raftsa@iafrica.com) offer abseiling out near Greyton, not far from Cape Town.

Over the Top (27 33 347-3850, 27 82 829-7959, dlarson@mweb.co.za) does an interesting abseil over the Howick Falls in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Pure Rush Industries (27 82 605-1150, purerush@global.co.za) are an urban adventure company who offer rapp jumping off buildings in Johannesburg.

Rock and Rope Adventures (27 13 257-0363, gusberg@caseynet.co.za) are based at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe in Mpumalanga. This is a very popular sport climbing spot, but you can also do a fun abseil if you like.

Seal Adventures (27 44 382-6329, 27 83 654-8755, seals@mweb.co.za) operate the three abseils off the western of the Knysna Heads.

Stormsriver Adventures (27 42 281-1836, adventure@gardenroute.co.za) operate a wonderful, somewhat strenuous trip called the Stormsriver Challenge - abseiling, tubing and mountain biking.