Surrounded by the ocean on three sides, with mountains that rise to more than 3000 meters and rivers that vary from mountain torrents to slow meandering serpentines across deserts, Southern Africa is an ideal adventure destination. Itineraries can be arranged providing you with a different adventure activity each day or alternatively focusing on a particular activity. Some of these activities include: hiking, skydiving, paragliding, abseiling, deep sea fishing, Great White Shark diving, canyoning, mountain biking, scuba diving, surfing, kite surfing, sailing, 4×4 trails, horse riding, river rafting and sea kayaking.
Here are a couple of Adventures to get your exploratory taste buds going.
Rim of Africa Original Mountain Passage
The Rim of Africa follows a natural line along the mountain ridges of the Western Cape. It is Africa’s first long-distance hiking initiative based on the likes of the Appalachian and Continental Divide Trails in the USA, the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the more recent Sendero de Chile in South America.
The Rim of Africa stretches from the greater Cederberg wilderness area on the Cape’s West Coast to the Outeniqua Mountains in the Garden Route, traversing more than 650km of mountain paths. The route takes in the Cederberg, Skurweberg, Hexrivier, Keeromberg, Langeberg and the Outeniqua representing a flagship hiking product of international significance, attracting hikers from around the world.
These 12 day, facilitated walks are the best way to experience the Rim of Africa. Complete all 4 Stages and you will have done the entire trail in a total of 48 days. Each October the Rim of Africa hosts numerous section walks, you can choose to walk a single 12 day stage or link as many stages as are currently available. In 2010 we are walking both Stage 1 and Stage 2 consecutively, offering the possibility of 24 days of extended mountain time during the best walking season in our mountains.
The entire 48 day route is broken up into the following stages:
Stage 1: Pakhuis Pass to Kouebokkeveld
Stage 2: Kouebokkeveld to Hex River
Stage 3: Hex River Valley to Langeberg
Stage 4: Langeberg to Outeniqua
Stage Duration: 12 Days
Dates: Stage 1 (4 -15 October), Stage 2 (5-16 October 2010)
Rates: R8500 per person fully inclusive
Includes: expert guides, transfers, all meals, tents, equipment
Excludes: transport ex-Cape Town / Joburg
Activity Rating: Strenuous ie. hiking and trekking over steeper or more rugged terrain or where paths are quite vague and often for several days in a row.
Orange River Gorge Rafting Expedition
The largest and longest river in South Africa, the Orange, at over 2000km is quite special to explore. And there is no better way than on a rafting trip. Gravity Adventures offers a unique 4 day journey through this rugged desert terrain. Days are spent navigating the warm water rapids and pools of this mighty river and nights camping under the clear starry skies with wholesome alfresco meals cooked on an open fire.
Starting near Pofadder in the Northern Cape, this section of the river offers a variety of conditions, from flat water to flowing channels, lots of exciting small rapids and a few big ones to get the adrenalin flowing. You will be using inflatable two person boats that are easy to paddle and steer. Plus there are big stable rafts for less confident paddlers. You will cover just over 30kms during the whole trip, so there is ample time to relax, read your book or explore the camp surroundings. The 4 day trip also includes abseiling for those keen to give it a try.
Each trip is run as a fully self-contained expedition - we carry everything we need with us and take everything back out again at the end. We make our way downriver, choosing a different campsite each night. All you need to provide is your personal gear and drinks of your choice. All meals are included, as are qualified guides, basic tented accommodation on river, boating and safety equipment and abseiling.
On the evening before your trip begins, you will be welcomed to the Gravity base camp by your guides. Relax and enjoy the view over orchards and vineyards down to the river. You can also choose to have sundowners on a dramatic koppie overlooking the magical desertscape. You’ll enjoy a light supper under the starry night sky around the campfire. Next morning, after a hearty breakfast, it’s time to get going for four days of relaxation and excitement! The first day’s paddling consists mainly of flowing channels and flat water.
Day 2 brings bigger rapids and an evening walk to view the amazing Ritchie Falls. Day 3 is full of excitement with a challenging portage around the Falls, abseiling and ‘42 man hole’, ‘Big Bunny’ and ‘Dolly Parton’ rapids. As you leave the gorge on day 4, things mellow out once again and the last section is just gentle drifting. The group will be met at the take-out after lunch and transported back to base camp to enjoy a final meal around the campfire.
Rates: R 2895 per person fully inclusive
Includes: include qualified guides, all equipment, snacks, meals for the duration of the trip & accommodation (where applicable) and permit fees
Excludes: transport ex-Cape Town / Joburg
