Canopy tours – eco-friendly adventures

Canopy tours originatedin the rainforests of Costa Rica where biologists, wanting to study animal life in the upper canopy level of forests, deviseda system of cables and platforms that would allow them to explore an ecosystem that was previously inaccessible.

And like with any good idea, it wasn’tlong before this developedinto a thrilling eco-tourism activity that offerspeople an opportunity to enter and experience the upper realms of forests. Canopy tours also help raiseawareness of the plight and beauty of some of the world’s endangered indigenous forests.

Canopy tours are a growing trend in South Africa and are designed and created in accordance with strict civil engineering standards. Environmental impact studies are undertaken prior to construction to ensure that the canopy tours do not harm the surrounding forest ecology in any way. The first one in South Africa (as well as Africa) was builtat Tsitsikamma in 2001.

Karkloof

The Karkloof Canopy Tour, located in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in South Africa, was also built in a rural area where it has helped to uplift local communities by training locals to become guides; thereby providing a vital source of income and employment in that area.

This canopy tour has beenbuilt in a spectacular valley of the Karkloof Forest Reserve. It is a must-do activity for just about any adventurous person who doesn’t mind heights. My family and I, while holidaying in the area this summer, bookedour tour for the early morning on a sunny day – perfect conditions to see far and wide.

The tour kicked offwith a detailed safety briefing and was followed by a “kitting up” session where each person is equipped with full body harnesses, pulleys, and climbing equipment. The final step was a safety check of our equipment by our friendly guides. Then we jumped on the back of a 4×4 for a short trip to the top of the Karkloof valley.

Guides

Our guides were extremely knowledgeable about the surrounding vegetation as well as all the wildlife we could possibly see. They informed us that the first launch was the shortest one on the tour and would be a trial run. If we were uncomfortable, we could stop there and be returned to base camp on the 4x4.

From the very first launch platform, a new world unfoldedaround us as we ziplined along a steel cable to the first platform. I’ll admit I didn’t take in too many sights on my first zipline as I was too busy familiarisingmyself with controlling my speed and coming to a stop. Learning to stop is the most difficult part of the adventure! But with a lead guide as well as a safety guide accompanying us we were always in safe hands as long as we followed their directives.

The platforms on the tour are built high up in the forest canopy and each one offers different views of the forest. My favourite by far was the line taking us past a 20m waterfall and depositing us on a platform close to it. From there we could satisfy our thirst directly from the clear, sparkling waters of the nearby stream.

After each zip line our guides gaveus time to catch our breaths, take in the scenery, take loads of photos and spend a bit of time relaxing on the platforms while they explained the forest ecology. The bird life wasincredible.

The forest is also home to a variety of mammals, and our guides explained the loud calls we could hear were that of tree-swinging Samango monkeys. Unfortunately, we only heardthem and didn’t get to see them even in the distance.

One of the platforms really testedmy fear of heights as it involveda bit of abseiling down about 20m. It was my least favourite part of the tour. But I feltsafe enough to do it as my safety guide was calm and encouraging. I welcomed the extended break at the end of the drop, where we were offeredrefreshments and a longer break to take in the sites and rest our by-now aching arms.

The Karkloof Canopy Tour consists of 12 platforms and 10 zip-line slides, the longest and best of which is 200m! Our tour took just over two hours. It was a safe, fun adventure for our entire family. In an increasingly busy tech-driven world, it was wonderful for us city slickers to spend quality time outdoors, communing with nature in a new and wonderful way. This was a fun aerial adventure through one of the most pristine wilderness areas our country has to offer. We’re definitely going back for another opportunity to spot the elusive Samango monkeys.