Karkloof Canopy Tour
The Karkloof Canopy Tour is a unique eco-experience that takes people on
a 3-hr adventure through the magnificent Karkloof indigenous forest.
The Karkloof
Canopy Tour is a unique eco-experience that takes people on a 3-hr adventure
through the magnificent Karkloof indigenous forest.
They call this an eco-experience. But a Karkloof Canopy Tour on the Midlands
Meander in KwaZulu Natal is more than that. This is adventure. This is adrenalin.
This is like your first time on a red or a black ski slope. You're thinking, "This
is too fast. This is too dangerous. I'm gonna die".
So what's the skinny? Using state of the art climbing and safety equipment,
they suspend you on a pulley attached to a steel cable 30 metres above the
Karkloof indigenous forest floor. And then it's "Goodnight Vienna".
What and where is the Karkloof Forest? The Karkloof Forest is in the KwaZulu
Natal Midlands. It is pristine. And when you see the size of the trees, you'll
know. They're old. It is also home to the Karkloof Blue butterfly, which
inhabits a few hundred square metres of the forest. And it's found nowhere
else in the world.
And Karkloof Canopy Tours? Well they're the psychopaths that make a living
out of jumping your adrenalin level to the point where it's practically squirting
out your ears.
Sure it's a big rush. But don't think these guys aren't serious about safety.
The kit is "state of the art". The whole thing's been designed with the strictest
civil engineering standards in mind. You begin with a safety briefing. Your
harness and gear are checked and double-checked by the lead guide. And then
you're off!
"Off" means you've managed to screw up your courage, closed your eyes, muttered
a prayer, and leapt off the first of seven platforms - high up in the trees.
Catch your breath, calm your heart rate. You've got eight slides, the longest
of which is 170 metres long as you whiz and zigzag, down the pristine indigenous
Karkloof forest valley.
By the way, did I mention that they call this an "eco-experience"? You did
notice the 20-metre waterfall you zoomed over, the river you screamed your
way across, the beauty of the forest, the extremely rare bird-life, the Samago
monkeys? You did notice these things, didn't you?
Spend a few minutes relaxing on the platforms while your guides enthusiastically
explain the ecology of the forest - pointing out different trees and the
magnificent giant ferns way below.
The bird life is incredible. This includes
the opportunity of spotting Emerald Cuckoos, Knysna Loeries, a wide variety
of raptors and if you are lucky, the elusive Narina Trogon or endangered
Cape Parrots. The forest is also home to a variety of mammals, but it is
the loud calls and fearsome tree swinging of the Samago monkeys that you
will remember best. The Karkloof Canopy Tour® consists of
seven platforms and eight 'foefi' slides, the longest of which is over 170m!
A tour lasts approximately three hours, is suitable for most people between
the ages of seven and seventy and includes a delicious Midlands meal served
once your group is safely back on ground.
Karkloof Canopy Tours is a member of the Midlands Meander Association which
regulates and markets the Midlands Meander - the largest "arts and crafts
ramble" in South Africa. It's not only "arts and crafts", as you've probably
gathered. It's jam-packed with a variety of accommodation establishments
and things to see and do. The symbol of Midlands Meander in KwaZulu Natal
is the Karkloof Blue butterfly. Bear it in mind, the next time you're travelling
to South Africa.
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