| Do you have a list of restaurants in the area? |
| Yes, please click here for a list. We do not arrange lunches anymore, but you are welcome to contact anyone on the list, or join the River Pub at our ending venue. |
| Do you arrange accommodation? |
That is unfortunately not our area of expertise, but please visit the following sites:
Unwind - www.unwind.co.za
SA Venues - www.savenues.com
BNB Breaks - www.bnbbreaks.com |
| Can I pay in cash on the day? |
We currently only accept EFT payments (electronic transfer), and do not accept any cash on the day of the adventure.
(Credit Card payments will be available soon...) |
| What is abseiling? |
| Abseiling is the controlled descend (going down) a natural or man-made structure (cliff-face / building / dam wall), making use of ropes, harnesses and specialized descending devices. In commercial abseiling you will always be attached to a safety rope, controlled by a trained guide, so this is probably the safest way ever to overcome your fear of heights! |
| Where do you abseil from? |
| We have various options, from 8m for children to over 100m for true adrenaline junkies! We can generally abseil from anywhere where it is safe and legal. |
| What if the ropes break? |
| At Outsidedge we only make use of equipment approved for the sport of abseiling / climbing. We make use of 'kern mantel' ropes (with a core made up of lots of thinner ropes, and outer sheath). In 'kern mantel' construction, each and every strand of rope is continuous from one end to the other, in other words there are no joined threads (i.e. no weak spots). The ropes all have the applicable international ratings, and has a minimum breaking strength of at least 20 kN (a rope rated at 20 kN can withstand 20 000 N (Newton) of force, or 2 tons. So to answer the question, unless you weigh more than 2 tons, chances of the rope breaking are zero. We also log all rope use and replace them well within the required and prescribed time-frame (as with all our gear) |
| When is a good time of the year to abseil? |
| Anytime, in summer we try to start early, and in winter a little later. |
| If we are a group of 10 would we be by ourselves or will we have other people joining us? |
| Corporate / organized groups of 12 and more are booked exclusively during the week, and sometimes even smaller groups by special arrangement. On weekends, however, we run commercial public abseils, and can therefore not guarantee that you will be by yourself. |
| What if I'm afraid of heights? |
| Great! That means you are normal! Abseiling is probably the safest way possible to overcome this natural fear, as there are no unknowns (all action is controlled and properly backed up), and you proceed at your own speed. In this also lies the value of abseiling, it leaves you with a great feeling of accomplishment, from which so many metaphors can be drawn for the challenges we face in everyday life. |
| What if it rains on the day of the activity? |
| Then we abseil in the rain... Unless the conditions are dangerous, the rainfall particularly heavy, or there is lightning, we continue to abseil - actually it really is great fun to abseil in a light drizzle (your guide will make a judgment call with regards to your safety). We normally abseil in the mornings, and commonly have 'afternoon' thunderstorms. |
| What is the duration of the average abseil? |
| Depending on the fear & physical ability levels of the clients, we generally abseil 12 people per hour. Keep in mind that someone that takes a while to step-of-the-edge might take a little longer, but is makes it so much more rewarding (for both us and the client!) |
| Can I abseil more than once? |
| Yes please! Doing it a second time is normally more fun, as you now trust the gear and guide and can start to appreciate the experience and breathtaking views. Sometimes, with larger groups doing combination activities like rafting too, there might not be enough time to do it twice. (and remember you must walk back up to the top again to enable you to abseil down again...) |
| What is the height of your abseil? |
| Depending on the specific experience you choose, anything from 8 m to over a 100m for the true adrenalin junkie. |
| How fit do I need to be? |
| For some abseils more than others, please refer to the rating on the activity description. We generally try to make the approach as easily accessible as possible, with a 5-10 minute walk at the beginning, and a similar time to get back to your vehicle at the end. (so even the almost couch potato can get 'out there'!) |
| Do you have a weight limit for the abseil? |
| We generally limit abseilers to 120kg, because of harness sizes. If, however, you weigh more than that but are physically fit and able, please contact us - we will try our best to make a plan! |
| What kind of gear do you use? |
| Only gear approved for abseiling, with the relevant international ratings. |
| What gear do you supply us with? |
| You will also be equipped with a helmet, harness and the appropriate descending device. |
| What age groups do you take? |
| Generally children of 8 and older are welcome to join *except in extreme abseiling |
| What is the minimum amount of people for a booking? |
| 2 |
| What is the maximum amount of people for a booking? |
| The only limitation is time, but for bigger organized groups we can set up a second system, allowing us to abseil 2 clients next to each other. On weekends we try and limit public bookings to 20, it is more personal and manageable that way. |
| Can we book our group exclusively? |
| Corporate / organized groups of 12 and more are booked exclusively during the week, and sometimes even smaller groups by special arrangement. On weekends, however, we run commercial public adventures, limited to 20 people per adventure, so we cannot guarantee that you will be by yourself. |
| Where do we start? |
| Depending on the experience you choose, you will find detailed directions on the activity description page, or we will mail them to you. |
| What river is the rafting done on? |
| The rafting is done on the Crocodile River (Gauteng). We start and end before the Hartebeestpoort Dam. |
| Are there crocodiles in the river? |
| No, definitely not... |
| What level rapids are we going to experience? |
| Level 1 and 2, and occasionally with good rains level 3 |
| When is a good time of the year when water temperature is most enjoyable without it being too hot? |
| Our peak rafting season runs from September - April, although we do run trips in August & May. With good rains, we may also be able to extend the rafting into June & July. Because the rafting generally takes place in the morning, all of the above summer-months are quite pleasant to raft in. |
| If we are a group of 10 would we be by ourselves or will we have other people joining us? |
| Corporate / organized groups of 12 and more are booked exclusively during the week, and sometimes even smaller groups by special arrangement. On weekends, however, we run commercial public trips, limited to 20 people (10 rafts) per trip, so we cannot guarantee that you will be by yourself. |
| Is the water still at a comfortable level in winter? |
| Yes, for smaller groups and those that does not mind the colder temperatures. We also start later in the morning (11:00am as opposed to 09:00am) to compensate for lower temperatures. |
| Do you have wetsuits for hire? |
| Unfortunately not, and you really don't need them except maybe if you are rafting in June & July. |
| What if I can't swim? |
| We really prefer that our clients have at least the ability to move in water with a life jacket on. Even though you will be wearing a life jacket, the difference between being able to swim and not, is the difference between falling out of your raft and laughing about it, and going into a flat panic. |
| What if it rains on the day of the activity? |
| Then we paddle in the rain... Unless the conditions are dangerous, the rainfall particularly heavy, or there is lightning, we continue to raft - actually it really is great to paddle in light rain (you will get wet anyway!). |
| What is the duration of the half-day trip? |
| Depending on the paddling ability of the clients, an average trip normally takes between 2.5 - 3.5 hours, including transport to the starting point and your thorough safety briefing. |
| What is the duration of the full day trip take? |
| Depending on the paddling ability of the clients, an average trip normally takes between 7.5 - 8.5 hours, including transport to the starting point and your thorough safety briefing, as well as a good rest & lunch midway. |
| What is the distance of the half-day trip? |
| 4.5 km |
| What is the distance of the full-day trip? |
| 16 - 20km, depending on the specific needs of the group |
| How fit do I need to be? |
| For the half day trip you need to be average, for the full day trip we really recommend that you've rafted before and do some form of exercise. |
| What kind of boats do you use? |
| We make use of ARK (African River Craft) two person inflatable rafts |
| How many people per raft? |
| 2 |
| What gear do you supply us with? |
| Apart from your raft, you will also be equipped with a helmet, life-jacket and paddle. Your camera and car keys will be stored in a dry bag that we will supply. |
| What age groups do you take? |
| River Rafting Half Day - 10 and older |
| What is the minimum amount of people for a booking? |
| River Rafting Half Day - 4 (if you're only 2 we will group you with 2 others) |
| What is the maximum amount of people for a booking? |
| River Rafting Half Day - 20 (unless a corporate group requesting more) |
| Can we book our group exclusively? |
| Corporate / organized groups of 12 and more are booked exclusively during the week, and sometimes even smaller groups by special arrangement. On weekends, however, we run commercial public trips, limited to 20 people (10 rafts) per trip, so we cannot guarantee that you will be by yourself. |
| Where do we start? |
| We start at the ending venue in Broederstroom, from where we will transport you to the starting point. This way you end again at your vehicles. Detailed directions are available under the Activity Descriptions on the website. |
| Where do we end? |
| Back where you parked your vehicles, see previous question. |