Abseil off Table Mountain - one of the best Cape Town adventure activities!

Abseiling off Table Mountain is a must! It's an epic and unforgettable experience - one of the best adventure activities in Cape Town!

"Do it ... don't do it ... do it ... don't ..."

Hell yes, DO IT!

Here are seven reasons to go abseiling off Table Mountain, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World...

Reason # One: the abseil is on Table Mountain

Going up the landmark Table Mountain is considered the top must-do activity in Cape Town.

While you're up there enjoying the views, you can get your heart rate up by doing this stunning abseil. Visiting one of the natural wonders of the world is amazing, but abseiling off the cliffs that crown Table Mountain makes the experience all the more unforgettable.

Cape Town is South Africa's second most popular destination (after Kruger Park) and Table Mountain is its most-visited highlight. This flat-topped mountain towers 1085 metres (some 3560 feet) above the city centre attracting constant attention and a never-ending stream of visiting tourists and locals. 

Why not add a healthy helping of adrenalin to the experience of being on top of one of the world's most famous icons? 

Reason # Two: the views are breath-catching

The panoramic views from the top of Table Mountain are enough to write home about, but the views from the abseil... even better.

Dangling from the sheer cliff you have Camp's Bay, the Atlantic Seaboard and the wide blue ocean below, with the Twelve Apostles rising up at your side. The abseil gives you fantastic close-up views of the mountainside and lower slopes of Table Mountain too.

For a fair section of the descent, there is a deep overhang, which leaves you hanging free to survey the superb landscape while suspended in mid-air! 

Reason # Three: the adrenalin rush!

Unless you're a seasoned, hardcore adventurer (the extreme Bear Grylls type) the abseil off Table Mountain is guaranteed to get your pulse racing.

The abseil has a one-up on other adventures, like shark cage diving, because the thrill doesn't depend on chance encounters and factors beyond human control. It also beats the tamer adventure activities, like cycling in Cape Point or walking in the city, purely in terms of exhilaration.

I went abseiling with Abseil Africa on a Monday morning and the buzz propelled me through the rest of the week ;)

Reason # Four: abseiling is pretty easy

No special skills are required. No experience is needed. You hardly have to use your brain at all, so you can just enjoy the ride. Before you go down the guides show you the ropes and then they walk you through the whole process.

You don't have to be strong, never mind fit. Even if you have zero co-ordination you can get this abseil right. And if you don't, the guides practically lower you down anyway. 

"Clients are attached to two ropes. The belay line (which the guide controls) and the main line (which the client controls). So if the client was to let go during a state of pure ecstasy and excitement the guide always has hold of them." - Kevin Sheehan, Abseil Africa

Abseiling off Table Mountain is so easy that you can be under 10 or over 80 and still go over the edge. The only restriction is weight. You can't be too light (less than 40 kg) or too heavy (more than 150 kg). 

Reason # Five: it's a quickie

Abseiling off Table Mountain is an ideal activity for those with limited time on hand. 

If you're in town on a whirlwind tour, a quick abseil could probably be slotted into your schedule quite easily - set aside at least two and a half hours. The mountain abseil is conveniently located a few minutes from the heart of Cape Town city and the V&A Waterfront.

The whole abseil takes about 45 minutes from the preparations and the abseil down the rock-face to the pretty walk back to the top. Unlike activities such as wine tasting in the Cape Winelands, shark cage diving in Gansbaai and hiking in Cape Point, going abseiling doesn't involve a lot of driving and take the whole day. 

You can also hike up the mountain in a few hours (one, if you are super fit), which still means the abseil can be done as a half-day activity, at a little push. 

Reason # Six: one of the cheaper adventure activities in Cape Town

Many a budget traveller tries to squeeze in as many adventure activities as possible when in the Cape. It often comes down to choosing only a handful of excursions to keep within budget, which is another reason the abseil off Table Mountain scores favourably.

The abseil itself costs about R1000 and the cable car ride costs: 

• Adults - R300 to R360 return (during peak season) and R200 one way
• Children (aged 4 to 17) - R150 to R180 return and R100 one way

If you're a South African citizen there are various special rates, including a free ride on your birthday. You can buy cable car tickets online beforehand and check out the times and weather conditions on the Cableway website.

Alternatively, you can do a hike and abseil combo with Abseil Africa for R1790 per person. 

Reason # Seven: it's an ideal combination activity

Abseiling off Table Mountain combines well with several other activities, over and above whisking up Table Mountain on the cable car.

• Red Bus City Tour - take the Hop-on, Hop-Off City Sightseeing Tour: a circular tour in a bright red, open-topped, double-decker bus. The route departs from the Two Oceans Aquarium every 15 minutes, doing a sightseeing loop. Stops include the Clock Tower, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Long Street, St George's Cathedral, the South African Museum, the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, the South African Jewish Museum, the District Six Museum, the Castle of Good Hope, the Table Mountain Cableway (this is where you hop off to reach the abseil), Camps Bay and five other points.

• Visiting the V&A Waterfront - be entertained, eat out and shop to your heart's content at the world-class Victoria & Alfred Waterfront on the fringes of the city centre. Located on the harbour, the Waterfront is minutes away from Table Mountain, so you can easily combine retail therapy with outdoor adventure.

• City walking tours - explore the city on foot before heading up Table Mountain for the epic abseil, taking in the cultural and historical highlights. You can join one of the two Cape Town Free Walking Tours - the Bo-Kaap Tour or the Historical City Tour (both one and a half hours long and both free). See the rave reviews of Cape Town Free Walking Tours on TripAdvisor. 

• Township tours - experience local township culture, gaining insight into the past and present realities of life in South Africa. Sivewe Township Tours is one of the top tour companies in Cape Town and well-loved by TripAdvisor reviewers. After immersing yourself in vibrant township culture, the abseil is a perfect way to get an overview of Cape Town from above and admire nature.

• Partying on Long Street - kick-start your system with a flood of adrenalin before hitting the town - a good way to set the tone and boost your energy levels for an adventure-filled night of pub crawling and dancing in the clubs of Cape Town.

These are just some of the options, other activities that combine well with the abseil on Table Mountain include sea kayaking with Kaskazi Kayaks in Three Anchor Bay and paragliding off Lion's Head with Fly Cape Town Paragliding.

Not to be forgotten, the already mentioned combo of hiking up Table Mountain and rewarding yourself with the breezy abseil and a cold beer at the cafe. If you have a bit more cash and want to try an unusual walking route there are great hiking operators, like Hike Table Mountain, offering affordable guided hikes up Table Mountain and Lion's Head.

A Bit About Abseil Africa

Abseil Africa is lowering people down one of the world's highest commercial abseils, every day between 10 am and 3 pm.  

Started in 1995, by Trevor Ball, Abseil Africa is the only operator running abseiling trips on Table Mountain, with a SANParks issued permit. Their team consists of three permanent staff members, based in the office, and 12 freelance guides working in the field.

The Abseil Africa team can cater for up to three people abseiling down the rock face at one time when the group is large. Usually, you go down two at a time, which makes it an ideal activity for the adventurous lovebirds.

When it comes to the maximum weight restriction, you can arrange to go abseiling with them if you are over the limit (pre-arrangement required). In terms of the age limits, kids under 10 years can also do the abseil, if they are at least 40kg's heavy. On the other end of the spectrum, the oldest person that they have taken abseiling was 84 years old! 

Basically, as long as you are relatively fit and healthy you can do the abseil off Table Mountain. No excuses.

They also do a full-day Kamikaze Kanyon Trip which sounds radical.

Operations and Logistics Manager at Abseil Africa, Kevin Sheehan, says the Table Mountain Abseil is definitely his favourite:

"The view is amazing and the fact that you are so high is fantastic. If you are an adrenalin junky you can descend at speed for the ultimate rush; or if you want to enjoy the spectacular views you can move at a slow pace - I was definitely doing more of the slow-to-not-moving pace, my first time."

Look into Abseil Africa on TripAdvisor or check out the Abseil Africa Facebook Page.

The Abseil off Table Mountain in under 4 minutes...

Obviously, my clip is not the handiwork of a professional videographer, but you get a general idea ;)

My Abseiling Tip: Take water down with you - ask the guys from Abseil Africa to clip one of their handy red bags to your harness and take your own hydrating drink down with you for the gentle, but hot walk back up.

Don't be part of the constant cloud of curious people hovering on the fringes of the clifftop wondering whether to take on the abseil. 

This is seriously the best thing that you can do on Table Mountain, so just cough up the R1000, even if it means walking up the mountain to save on the cable car ride. 

You won't regret it!

Get yourself to Cape Town to experience abseiling off Table Mountain yourself! Browse our calendar listing of upcoming Cape Tour departures here.

[updated Jan 2020]