Abseil in Bulawayo

Bulawayo may not be one of the worlds adrenalin capitals BUT, the City does have its fair share of activities for any thrill seeker.

I had the chance to abseil in Matopos about 50kms south of the City.
We set off (Two teenagers and one adult...I'm somewhere in between) at about 8am and got there in 30mins to find tea and coffee waiting for us.

Our instructor (Alistair Burton) who is an ex British Royal Marine gives all of us a brief on the activity and safety precautions with guidelines. He adds humour to the presentation while maintaining the seriousness of listening to his instructions during the abseil.

Inquisitive Jabu

The day starts with a 2/3m abseil just so the inexperienced can get the hang of it and continues to a longer abseil. Jabu (a beautiful black lab...I think) tags along, he's the faithful friend that shows no fear on the rock and gives courage to the rest of us who ARE secured with industrial strength rope. He's easy to befriend makes for a good example to anyone going to abseil. Just have a good time!

Thumbs up from Alistair

The abseil is perfect for anyone who can listen to instructions and is out for a day of exciting activity. Alistair is great with children and his encouraging attitude makes you even more keen to harness and leap. He'll show you how the ropes are secured and calm anyone with any fears.

Once those two have been successfully conqeured (complete with a mini jump for starters like me) we set off to the highest abseil on the rock outcrop.

The view itself is worth the climb. Once up there you get incredible veiws of the landscape and of the lodge (The Farm House) so carry your camera.

Abseiling down here is definetly a thrill if you're not keen on sky diving or bunjee jumping as you're sure of the safety and you're in control of how fast you descend.

For the seasoned abseiler, the rock face provides you with a perfect jump with enough straight surfaces to ensure you jump when you feel ready.

If you'll be abseiling, make sure you dress appropriately. Shorts and T-shirt with good hiking boots/trainers make everything easier. I had gone on the trip hoping only to take a look but with the encouraging and assuring instructers, I yeilded and took to the rope.

So even if you're not sure if you're capable, go have a look. By the time you're looking at the scenery you will probably be itching to get harnessed and anyway....its a way more fun way of getting down than climbing.

Its good fun for the entire family and you have the opportunity to trek around the reserve with the beaten tracks and order lunch or snacks when you get back. The abseil is USD$25 per person (at time of edit).

The links below offer more information on the Game Reserve, Lodge and other activities on offer.

www.graniteridgezim.com
http://www.graniteridgezim.com/activities.html
http://www.graniteridgezim.com/contacts.html