The Highest Bungee Jump in the World – A Long Way Down…

South Africa has the highest commercial bungee jump in the world – Bloukrans Bridge on the Garden Route.  It is registered with Guinness World Records (216 meters /  708 feet).

 I talked to BG about me doing the jump.  I did not want her to do it – I may be dumb but I’m not stupid…Unfortunately she was very supportive of me taking the plunge (and to answer your question, yes, we have a great marriage, and no, she has nothing to gain from a “mishap”!).

 The days ticked by until I realized today was the day – we were within range of Bloukrans and would not be back for some time.  I wrestled with the thought of jumping off a bridge (with a bungee cord attached, of course!) and steered the car towards Bloukrans.

BG and I looked silently at the imposing structure.  One of the brochures said it was “safe”.  I took them at their word and decided to go for it…

Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa

 The crew strapped me in a full body safety harness and led our group down a rocky path to the bridge structure.  The “watch out for snakes” sign did not make matters any better but there was no turning back (at least for me – you can back out at any time).

 We travelled along a mesh cage walkway – I did not want to look at the canyon floor far below…Soon we arrived at the jump point.

 The crew did not seem be worried about anything.  They were very professional and asked me lots of questions (are you ok?  Do you have any heart conditions?  Are your ready?).  I hoped they were not asking these questions because I was 30 years older than the average jumper in our group…A travel tip:  you can jump off the bridge for free (bungee cord included!) if you are 65 or older – the ultimate senior citizens discount!

 I listened to the jump master intently as he explained what he was doing.  The full body harness was actually a back up system (good to hear!).  The bungee cord consisted of two separate lines – one was attached to the foot brace and the other to the body harness.  I watched every move as the crew tightened the foot brace and attached the cord.

 I “hopped” over to the bridge edge – you can’t walk with the harness attached.  They told me to put my feet over the edge – ok, here it is! 

 I remember someone saying to “look to the mountains” – that way you are not looking down (and believe me, it was down).  The view was magnificient – mountains in the distance, the steep canyon walls framing the river – but I was not there for the view…

 Then I heard “five, four, three  – BUNGEEEEEE!  I dove off the edge…I was not looking at the mountains anymore – now I saw the canyon bottom rushing up to me, the wind blowing stronger and stronger in my face, my body turning in free fall, falling in space for seven seconds that seemed frozen in time…

 Then I felt the cord as it smoothly caught my feet.  There was no “jerk” (hey, no comments about the author!) but rather a firm “catch” that caused my body to twist.  I watched the canyon walls rotate around and looked down at the tree tops…they sure seemed close! 

 Suddenly I heard the most amazing thing – the rushing wind stopped,  I “bottomed out” near the canyon floor, and there was silence…I could hear water bubbling over the rocky stream, just like I was sitting next to it.  The birds were singing (hey, why are you hanging out here?).  The wind rustled through the tree tops. 

 But it was short lived…the bungee cord came back to life and vaulted me back in the sky…my body twisted and turned as I cycled up and back down again.  I truly felt like I was flying aerobatics – diving and turning and banking hard – it was a rush (literally!). 

 I continued to “fly” for quite some time until the party ended…I hung suspended for what seemed only a few moments until I heard a voice from above (thank heavens it was not God!).  The crewman called to me (he was lowered from the bridge) and quickly attached a cord to my safety belt.  The winch pulled us steadily as he positioned my body “head first”.

 BG was watching the whole episode from an observation point.  I waved at her to let her know I was ok.  Boy, was I ok – I felt fantastic!

 We made it back to the bridge and I took some time to “take it all in”.  The scenery was spectacular, the people friendly, and I was pumped about the “flight”. 

 To be honest, I took the plunge just to say I did it.  But after flying like Superman for a few short moments I got “hooked” – and would love to do it again!

 Click  here  to watch a short video of my adventure.   And most importantly, check it out yourself when you go to South Africa!

What do you think?  Click on the title above to make a comment  (The Highest Bungee Jump in the World-A Long Way Down)…

 Raymond Pechacek lives in the U.S. and is married to a wonderful South African lady (BG!). He writes about the people, customs, wildlife, and places of South Africa, runs a consulting firm to help companies improve their global trade processes, and imports products into the U.S. - with an emphasis on supporting South Africa!

September 3, 2009  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: .First Time Here? Some Good Posts To Read, Adventure!, BUNGEE!, Things You Must Do

One Response

  1. About South Africa » Where Else But South Africa? - October 7, 2009

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