Active Cape Town (Explore SA issue 28)

“A blind person, a paraplegic and a 70-year old grandmother have all done it.” What may sound like the opening to a bad bar joke, was in fact how Abseil Africa's Chris tried to motivate me to attempt the world's highest commercial abseil from just behind Table Mountain's upper cable-way station, on the Camps Bay side. Their slogan 'Dope on a rope' makes one wonder if this implies the 'high' of being suspended more than 1000m above ground zero, as you rappel 112m into pure vertical space, or if one has to be a dope to attempt such a feat.

On the morning of my appointment with Abseil Africa, the infamous 'Cape Doctor', as the south-easterly wind is known, blew in a thick cloud bank, forming the iconic tablecloth on the mountain. I put on my disappointed face, but internally breathed a sign of relief. I was on a quest to see what Cape Town has to offer the adventurer, but abseiling was pushing my boundaries a little. Capetonians are notoriously laid-back. In my experience, this may ring true with regards to attitudes and demeanour but they are most certainly not couch potatoes and most enjoy the Cape's outdoor activities, be they water, air or land based.

“Just relax” said Ivo my tandem paragliding pilot. “Run when I tell you and don't sit down until I say so – then you will be fine!” Before I had time to reconsider, a crash helmet was strapped to my head, I was clipped into the harness, and someone was setting out the chute behind us. In an instant,  we were whipped into the air, but my stomach stayed behind. Hundreds of metres above the ground, Ivo pulled on a toggle, turning us rapidly in a wide arc to get a view of the newly completed Cape Town Stadium. Soaring above the city and seafront suspended from a brightly hued canopy, was an exhilarating experience. Ironically, I felt on the brink of death, yet so alive simultaneously.  The experience was surreal, as if transported into the body of an eagle, surveying the land below. As we lifted and turned with the thermals, instead of being on the lookout for prey, I viewed the colourful dwellings of Bo Kaap  contrasting with the skyscrapers of the city centre, cruise ships in the harbour, Robben Island and a sailing regatta from the waterfront. Weather permitting, tandem paragliders fly from Lion's Head and Signal Hill.

If it wasn't for the sunshine and postcard view of Table Mountain, the white dunes of Atlantis could easily have been mistaken for snow-covered ski slopes. I arrived for my sand-boarding lesson, not quite knowing what to expect.  After been shown how to wax the board and strap on the foot holds, I gave it my best first attempt; promptly, and most unglamorously wiping out. My instructor assured me that everyone got it right, eventually. Several attempts later, I made a complete descent, standing up, beaming from ear to ear. It takes a while to get a feel of the board and how it moves on the sand, but once you get it right it is great fun. Several experienced riders were speeding down the higher dunes, and as I was leaving a birthday party of ten-year old boys arrived for an afternoon of fun, showing that the dunes cater for a wide range of adventurers. Be prepared to trek up the dunes, remembering for every     exciting downhill ride, is another slog back to the top. I wore my bruises proudly as badges of achievement; something else to tick off the bucket list.

As Kayaking is one of my all-time favourite activities, I looked forward to a trip from the Simonstown waterfront to Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African penguins. Arriving on a perfect autumn morning, I joined a group of ladies from Dubai, on an adventure-challenge holiday in Cape Town. Setting off from the harbour, we paddled past the imposing grey bulk of a navy frigate, towering above us, a sharp contrast to the colourful assortment of yachts and leisure boats bobbing alongside the docks. Heading out of the harbour, we turned towards Boulders Beach, sticking about 50m from the shore, past the swish seafront homes that lined the mountain side. Staying dry is not an option, and I realised why we were advised to only bring waterproof cameras along. I soon welcomed the douses of 14°C water as muscles that I had forgotten I had, got a great watery workout.

Our guide Jeff was both knowledgeable and entertaining. At times we were laughing at his anecdotes, and moments later sitting in silence, in awe of the surroundings. Paddling in the self-baling kayaks is easy albeit it tiring. You can however stop every so often to regain your strength and take in the view, deep-breathing the fresh air blown in from the ocean. You will be too absorbed in the experience to worry about aching arms and blistered thumbs. After paddling for an hour towards  the aptly named Boulders Beach, we spotted our first penguins sunning themselves on the glistening rocks. A curious seal broke the surface of the mercury-like water, weaving beneath and between our kayaks. As we paddled over the top of a kelp forest, Jeff explained the penguins' caution at entering the water here: They are easy prey to the small sharks that prowl, hidden by the kelp. In the shallower waters of the coves formed by the giant boulders, the penguins are more relaxed, active and entertaining. The sea is ever-changing. What you see on one day may be completely different to someone else's experience. Depending on the time of year, you may come close to a whale, here for the breeding season. On the day I paddled out, dolphins were partaking in a feeding frenzy on a passing shoal of fish; ocean birds attacking from above. We viewed cormorants, both kelp and hartlaub's gulls, terns as well as African penguins (previously known as jackass  penguins) on our trip. After a stop at a small beach to stretch our legs, we headed back to the harbour, with pleasantly aching arms and soaking clothes.

If you are not a resident of Cape Town, the Mother City's suburbs can be a little confusing. “Just look for the mountain,” well-meaning locals tell lost tourists. Perhaps the best way to orientate oneself and get a better perspective of the Cape, is from the air. I arrived at Civair's V&A Waterfront base, for a helicopter flip covering the two oceans. After a quick briefing on how the headsets work, we took off, heading towards the Atlantic Seaboard.  Tall apartment buildings line the seafront areas of Mouille Point, Green Point and Sea Point, flanked by the Signal Hill and Lion's Head on one side and the ocean on the other. Nearing Camps Bay, the architecture changes to sprawling villas, interspersed with blue swimming pools, each trying to outdo the other for position and view. The trendy beaches of Camps Bay, Clifton and Llundudno, form white arcs from the air, as we headed around towards the Twelve Apostles, on this dramatic side of Table Mountain. Above Hout Bay, fishing trawlers went about their business and Chapman's Peak Drive appeared as a scar on the mountain above a rugged coastline.

Cutting inland, over Constantia neck, the southern mountain slopes of the Constantia wine-lands were rust-coloured from the autumn vines. Our route took us towards False Bay, and the suburbs of Muizenberg, St James, with its rainbow beach bungalows, Kalk Bay and Simonstown. Above Muizenberg, just beyond the breakers, we spotted a great white shark. This was only a few kilometres from where I had been paddling that morning. In retrospect, I was  relieved that the kayaking came before my helicopter tour. I'm not sure that I would have been so willing to head out of the safety of the harbour, had I known what was out there. Heading back towards the heli-pad, I looked down at the traffic slowly snaking along the highways, and couldn't help but smirk a little. There is something quite indulgent and decadent about travelling by helicopter,  and everyone should experience it  at least once in a lifetime. Carbon footprint aside, this is the way to travel.

When visiting Cape Town, by all means, relax on a perfect beach or sample world-class wines, but also take time to experience the active side of Cape Town. Be inspired by this advise from Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

 

Side Bar information – contacts

Cape Town Tourism: www.capetown.travel

Abseil Africa: www.abseilafrica.co.za

Extreme Scene www.extremescene.co.za (sand-boarding, kayaking and a selection of adrenalin adventures)

Cape Town paragliding: www.paraglide.co.za

Civair: www.civair.co.za

Table Mountain National Park: www.tmnp.co.za

Aerial Cableway: www.tablemountain.net

 
Written for Explore SA issue 28 www.exploreonline.co.za