Cape Canopy Tour, the brainchild of entrepreneur, Ryan Larkman, is situated in a World Heritage Site within Cape Nature’s Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve. Only an hour’s drive from Cape Town in the scenic Elgin Valley, this adventure activity welcomes more than 20 000 visitors per year!
Essentially, think of a zipline or canopy tour as a twenty-first century foefie slide. However, it is faster, safer, longer and a lot scarier than the old wire-across-the-river-and-jump-before-you-hit-the-pole type of fun!
What, you may ask, is the difference between a canopy tour and a zipline? Well, on the basics they are very similar. There is a long steel cable that slopes from one end to the other and the adventurer, using a well-oiled pulley, rides the length of the wire while attached to the pulley by a harness. Yip, upper body strength is no longer required.
Also, in both cases, a huge amount of attention is given to safety and to the location of the cabling. The scenery in every one of the canopy tours and ziplines featured in our article is beautiful.
The big differentiator is that canopy tours are part of an international association that focus on environmental sustainability. This does not mean that other zipline operators are not environmentally aware, in fact far from it, but canopy tour operators have a very strict code of conduct that they follow.
What to expect with the Cape Canopy Tour
Number of Routes: 11 | Longest Route: 320m | Highest Route: 115m
Max Speed: ±60km/h | Duration: 4.5 hours
While most Zipline and Canopy Tour activities comprise of anything from 4 to 8 slides, Cape Canopy Tour boasts with 11 thrilling slides connecting 13 elevated platforms constructed on the cliffs of fynbos covered mountain slopes. As you soar like an eagle above the Riviersonderend Gorge, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the magnificent plant and wildlife species surrounding you and explore this previously inaccessible ecosystem.
One of the most breath-taking moments of the tour must be the unique suspension bridge between a narrow sandstone ravine high above a spectacular double waterfall. The longest slide is 320m long and is guaranteed to get your blood pumping.
Enjoy the experience with friends and family
Cape Canopy Tour provides a four to five-hour fun-filled experience for the whole family. The slides are suitable for anyone between the ages of five and 75, while younger children are taken tandem with one of the guides.
Groups are kept small with a maximum of nine individuals allowed per time slot. Two trained guides accompany each group and provide information about the endemic fynbos and geology of this unique World Heritage Site.
Included in the fully guided nature tour is a 4×4 trip through the nature reserve, refreshments on one of the cliff-side platforms, a complementary personalised video of the tour for each adventurer, and a delectable light lunch afterwards at the Sunbird Café. Rain gear is provided in the event of wet weather.
Cape Canopy Tour is a Cape Nature Tourism Partner and has created over 65 new jobs, uplifting the community by training residents as guides. Their goal is to ensure utmost safety and an unforgettable experience for their adventurers while protecting the planet and surrounding ecology is one of their top priorities.
This adventure activity is also ideal for team-building, birthday parties, school groups, hiking groups, bachelor – and bachelorette parties. What are you waiting for? To book your Tarzan-trip, call 021 3000 501 or visit www.capecanopytour.co.za.
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