The bungee jump from Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa is a nightmare for the faint-hearted. One that makes Indian bungee jumps feel like baby steps, says Sandeep Singh
The only thing differentiating me from the others waiting to jump off the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa was the colour of my hair. The silver among my black was a dead giveaway for my age but I matched each one of the twenty-somethings in excitement, anticipation, recklessness and yes, even fear.
Bungee jumping at the world’s highest commercial bungee point does require a certain amount of recklessness — I mean who in their right mind would want to free fall from a height of 216 mIJ And pay $85 to be allowed to do itIJ
After having done a baby bungee in Rishikesh a couple of years ago, I was hooked. That jump was from a height of 83 m and was over before the experience could really sink in. So when we were planning our South Africa holiday, I made sure that I had booked my jump online. Soni, my wife, had jumped at Rishikesh and though I tried my best to convince her to bungee at Bloukrans as well, she steadfastly refused. But hoping that she would change her mind once we got there, I booked her as a “walker”. The company allows those who are faint of heart to walk to the jump point and if they can build up the guts, they can upgrade from “walker” to “jumper” and bungeeee!
We had started our South African holiday in Cape Town and then hired a car and driven through the wine country in Stellenbosch and Paarl. The bungee was for our last day in South Africa and we had spent a memorable night at one of the most quaint boutique hotels we have visited. This was at Knysna, a lagoon town with a beautiful forest. The hotel, The Turbine, is part of the local history of the lumber town having been a power generating station. Now it is a boutique hotel that has been built around the old factories, retaining the huge machinery and tall chimneys.
The drive from Knysna to the bungee point, Bloukrans Bridge, is less than an hour. And we were told that the entire bungee — registering, weighing in, walking to the jump point and then the actual jump - would not take more than an hour.
I must confess that the excitement and the anticipation of the record-making jump I was about to undertake had me on the edge of my seat while driving up. We drove over the Bloukrans Bridge and then turned back from the highway that took us to the edge of the ravine. This is where the offices were. We walked to the lookout point after registering and tried to figure out how we would reach the jump point. Just then we heard a scream and saw some happy jumper plunge down the bridge, letting the world know that he was having the time of his life. I could feel the adrenaline starting to pump as I knew that my turn was just a few minutes away.
Our bungee guide then came and gave us the safety drill, weighed us in — Soni refused to be weighed, saying that she was not jumping and got a white paper bracelet to indicate that. The weighing in is critical because your weight dictates the strength of the cord you are tied to for the jump.
Even as we were trying to figure out how we would reach the jump point, we were marched down towards the absolute edge of the ravine. Then it all became clear. Under the bridge — which had traffic moving non-stop — was a walkway made of wire. It looked like one of those chicken coops and even the bottom was just wire mesh. I have to say that this walk was scarier than the actual jump. Soni refused to look down — just putting foot in front of foot and praying. Single file, we walked seemingly on air till we reached the jump point. The sense of relief on hitting concrete was immense — evident in everyone’s expression.
It was chilly and with a strong wind blowing, it felt cold. To liven up things, lively loud music was put on. It did bring smiles on our faces but the inner palpitations were evident. We were lined up for our jumps according to weight categories. I was fourth in the list which meant that I was among the lighter ones in the group. The first of the sacrificial goats was soon marched up. He was explained the drill by the guides and jumped soon after. I could talk to him before my turn came up. He was breathless but ecstatic in his narrative, at the end of which he swore never to do it again.
I was next. They checked the weight written on the back of my hand and chose the bungee cord accordingly. I was made to sit down in the holding pen to enable the staff to tie the well cushioned brace to my ankles. This would then be attached to the bungee cord. As the guide explained to me, a backup hook was also attached to my harness, thus ensuring foolproof safety. With my ankle braces on, I hobbled to the launch point supported by two guides on either flank. As I approached the edge of the launch pad, my guide pointed to the camera in front and requested a smile.
As I smiled, the countdown of 3-2-1 began. I remembered my dives from the 10 m diving platform and took a nice push off the edge to form a nice swallow position as I began my speedy gravitational descent down the 216 m of gorge in front of me. I had resolved to keep my eyes open and enjoy the view on the way down — which I did. The look of everything around you streaking by and the bottom of the gorge rushing towards you was exhilarating to say the least and frightening on the end of the spectrum. Though I am not scared of diving off heights, I had not anticipated the duration of this free fall that I was experiencing. As I crossed the 75 m mark, I was now unsure of how long it would last. It was evident from my video that my hands, which were elegantly spread out till that time, began to flap in an effort to regain my orientation and alignment as I hurtled down. The slow down soon started and equally adrenaline pumping was the rapid ascent. The first bob up and down was again an experience which words cannot describe. I saw the gorge again go up and down in a different perspective.
There I was at the end of the three vertical oscillations — hanging upside down about 50 m above the gorge at the bottom of which flowed a thread-like rivulet. This was the only down side of the whole experience. One is not really comfortable hanging upside down. I must admit though I had enough time to admire the heights around me and the depths below me. It gave me a sense of achievement being in the middle of a space that very few have been before. Here I was, feeling tiny amidst the towering walls of the gorge around me, wanting to be hauled up at the earliest. My rescuer came soon enough. He was winched down and immediately hooked me on to his line and released the bungee cord. It also resulted in me regaining my normal orientation. As we were pulled up, we posed for the photographer. I guess it gave him great joy in capturing my triumphant expression at having just been through the highest bungee jump in the world.
I was released from the leg cuffs as I reached the holding pen once again — back to where the whole thing had started. Soni hugged me as if I had just come back from the warfront. She was equally excited about it as I was. Nothing better than have the photographer record this memorable moment for us. The rest of the gang clapped as I joined in. The uninitiated ones asked me about my experience. The others compared their feelings with mine. All felt differently about the same experience. I realised the uniqueness of each one of us and the resultant variety, colour and vibrancy that results from this conglomeration of different people.
Copyright: Exotica, the wellness and lifestyle magazine from The Pioneer Group, available in all rooms ofselect five-star hotel chains across the country