Task 4: Go zip wiring

Curiously, bearing in mind I'm scared of heights, zip wiring was one of the first challenges I thought of when compiling my list of sixty.  This, I felt, was what Tiggers might like best.  I've no idea why and, as the day approached, it seemed bonkers.  As I read the various websites, I realised it wasn't simply going to be one quick zip through the trees but a whole series of them, lasting over an hour.  Although it should be safe enough, there were a few alarming accounts of wires breaking and people being stuck on tiny platforms for hours, with no obvious means of escape.  

By the time the day dawned, I was feeling pretty scared, though at the same time determined to make the most of it.  I thought I might as well go the whole hog, so I - rather than Peter - did the two hour (120km) drive from Cape Town to Hermanus, where the South African Forest Adventures was based.  Having had to get up at 6.15am to be sure of getting there in time, I was really looking forward to a coffee when we arrived - an hour early - but none was on offer.  Instead, having been told I'd be doing it on my own - with the requisite two guides, one to go ahead to the next platform and the other to see me off safely - two tall youngish South Africans turned up and suddenly we were off.  First stop was getting kitted out in the safety harness and helmet:

Next came the safety briefing and instructions.  Advice which stuck in my mind was that in the event of the wire breaking and our falling, we should aim to land headfirst.  That way the helmet might protect us but if not, at least the end would be quick and preferable to breaking lots of bones.  Assuming all was going well, we should definitely not hold onto the wire as the t-bar handle would slice off our fingers.  For us, the high five at the end with the guides would be only a high two.  I do like the gritty SA sense of humour.

Then it was on to the practice session on a short section of wire, a few feet off the ground:

I managed to land on the wooden step at the end, without cannoning into the tree trunk or getting stuck halfway across.  I was sorely tempted to say that was fine, I'd now done zip wiring and they could keep the money, and I'd give the rest of it a miss.  After all, I hadn't banked on having to land precisely on very small platforms high up in the forest, with nothing except my own use of the t-bar rubber braking mechanism to stop me crashing into a tree.  On the other hand that would be wimpish and there was no way I was going to give up so soon.

So, off we went in the Land Rover, to the jumping off point:

Or so I thought.  In fact it could only take us partway and the rest was a steep scramble up rocks and scree.  The guide realised I was struggling (in my defence, the harness was quite heavy, but I was also finding it difficult with not much sense of balance and sheer drops in places) and kindly gave me a hand.  Both the guides were great fun and very helpful.  Then it was time to tackle the first section.  That blue-helmeted blob is me, trying to remember that this is what Tiggers really like best:

By the time I'd done a few of the sections, my knees had stopped shaking and I was thinking it was nowhere near as bad as going down the giant Orbital slide in the Olympic Park.  A bit further on and I was thoroughly enjoying whizzing through the trees, going really fast:

It was disconcerting to be told that for our final stop, we'd be landing on top of a shipping container - with an ominously large safety net the other side - but it gave me quite a buzz flying onto the little wooden steps and then hopping down to the container roof.  Jubilation all round at the end, as we celebrated a safe return.

It's not something I would choose to do again because of the heights involved, but I'm really glad I did it and I loved the feeling of freedom and speed.