Abseiling is a relatively new stand-alone sport. It used to be the sole domain of descending mountain climbers, but immediate thrill seekers, who don’t have the patience to climb mountains before rappelling down, have taken it to any sheer drop they can find. They have even been known to tackle tall buildings if no cliff faces are in the vicinity.
A typical abseiling expedition takes a full day, including training and travel time. You can make a weekend of it by combining abseiling with other adventure activities such as hiking, cycling and river rafting.
If you didn’t know, abseiling is the process of descending a cliff face or mountain using a system of pulleys and ropes. The adrenalin rush that such a controlled descent provides is the primary attraction, but abseiling also provides an opportunity to see the world from a different vantage point and experience nature as you’ve never seen it before.
Your first time hanging over the edge of a cliff can be somewhat nerve wracking and you may not particularly feel like admiring the view, but once the bug has bitten you’ll find that you quickly overcome your fear and appreciate the exhilaration of the experience. The important thing to remember, however, is that no matter how experienced you think you are, you should never go abseiling without a qualified guide.
Guides usually provide all the requisite equipment and are on hand to ensure that you are properly strapped and harnessed in, that all knots are tied tightly and that all equipment has been correctly assembled. Your guide will also be able to give you key tips on how to approach certain descents and show you how to refine your technique.
In terms of equipment, you will need a helmet that fits properly. If it’s too big it will obscure your view and won’t provide adequate protection in the event of a fall. If it’s too small its level of protection will also be diminished. Gloves are necessary to protect your hands from rope burns and scrapes against the rock. Sturdy shoes will provide firm footholds. Kneepads are recommended but are not essential.
If you’re inured to abseiling, or you simply find the idea boring, you can try rapp jumping. Rapp jumping is similar to abseiling as a concept, but differs in execution. Whereas abseiling involves descending backwards, i.e. you face the rock, rapp jumpers go forwards, i.e. they face the wide open. In rapp jumping, ropes are attached to your back instead of your front and you run down the rock or cliff face.
Rapp jumping was created by the Australian defence force about 14 years ago and since then has been adopted by thrill seekers the world over. It’s still relatively new in South Africa and, as such, is only available in a few specialised sites in the northern Drakensberg, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. The craze in Joburg and Pretoria is for rapp jumpers to run down buildings, with the Parktonian Hotel in Braamfontein and the Sanlam Sentrum building Pretoria providing the most excitement.
Both abseiling and rapp jumping are becoming increasingly popular as teambuilding events, especially as they can be arranged by specialist event organisers who devise packages that allow corporate professionals to feel like Indiana Jones for a weekend.
Photo from here.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
