After years of planning, and a delay due to that pesky pandemic, the world’s longest zipline is finally getting ready to open near Cape Town.
Set amid the wheatfields of the Overberg near the farming town of Caledon, just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town, the K3 SA Forest Adventures Caledon zipline will see adventurous types flying along a three-kilometre cable, whizzing from a mountain summit to the lower landing stage alongside the N2 freeway!
With the ride topping out at precisely 3.2-kilometres, K3 will comfortably beat out the current holder of the ‘world’s longest’ title. That is held by the Jais Flight in the Arabian emirate of Ras al Khaimah, currently the longest zipline in the world stretching to a mere 2.83-kilometres.
For Clinton Lerm, owner of SA Forest Adventures – which operates four other ziplines across the Cape – and the man behind the K3, it’s the final steps in a long process.
‘I spent two years searching for suitable sites all over South Africa. The location had to be both logistically practical and easily accessible,’ explains Lerm. ‘One day, I drove past the mountain from where the [K3] zipline starts and saw towers on top, indicating that a road had already been built to the summit.
‘I later rode up the mountain with a farmer and immediately knew this was the perfect spot for the world's longest zipline. But I had to do thorough calculations and consider factors like wind direction - it's not just about spanning a cable for ziplining,’ adds Lerm.
Long years of planning and adjusting finally led to the last week of May this year, with a guide cable installed by helicopter and the bulk of the equipment moved into place. This will be followed by the installation of the main cable, tensioning and testing.
‘The zipline industry has evolved significantly in recent years. I was one of the authors who, after 10 years, accepted the white paper for the installation and safety of ziplines in South Africa,’ says Lerm. ‘All our ziplines comply with this legislation, ensuring safety is always our top priority. Even though we can inspect our own ziplines, we also bring in external third-party inspectors to ensure they meet all safety requirements.
And when will K3 finally be open to the public? With the final tweaks being made there’s no firm date yet, but expect the first riders to fly down K3 within the next month, if the capricious Cape winter weather plays along. Keep an eye on the K3 Facebook page for regular updates.
Once K3 is up and running, and has stolen the crown from Jais Flight, Lerm is not about to rest on his laurels, with plans already afoot for a five-kilometre zipline.
‘We will start phase two in about a year or two,’ says Lerm. ‘We want to remain the longest zipline in the world.’
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