JUMPING OFF SIGNAL HILL: PARAGLIDING IN CAPE TOWN
Some of our friends who live in or have visited Cape Town informed us that a fond memory they held was the time they decided to paraglide off of Lions Head. We decided to take them up on their recommendation and went with Tandem Paraglidefor our jump.
This extreme sport is one of our favourites due to the exhilarating thrill of literally running off of a mountain and slowly beginning to fly. Depending on the weather you will either jump off of Lions Head (the more popular option) or Signal Hill.
Lions Head Vs Signal Hill
At first we were initially disappointed when we heard the weather permitting would not allow us to jump off Lions Head. I mean that is why we came, we wanted to share stories of paragliding off of Lions Head not its little brother, Signal Hill.
At a later date we ended up climbing Lions Head (which we highly recommend you do by the way) and we saw the jump station there and personally felt that they were both the same height, however your initial flight would instead provide views of Clifton Beach, but both still landing at Sea Point.
Ideally you would want to jump from Lions Head (can offer longer flight time), but it's not the end of the world if you don't as the majority of your flight time will be flying about the same place. Lion's Head also includes a hike up to the jump pad, whereas Signal Hill you can drive.
An Adventure Worth Re-Doing
A few years prior to this trip we did our first paraglide in Queenstown, New Zealand and just months before our arrival in Cape Town we did it once again in Utah, USA. So why would we even consider doing this activity again?
There's just something about running off of a mountain and slowly making your way down to the bottom whilst taking in the incredible views below that you simply can't get enough of. Even though it is an adventure sport it is oddly calming as the wind takes you away. It's certainly the highlight part of sky diving and certainly an activity we would always re-do if we had the chance.
What to Expect
Your flight will be about 10 minutes in length (based on average time of the 4 jumpers including us two). They claim flights of up to 30 minutes, but ours was not even close to that time.
The risk of paragliding is minimal, but certainly not risk free.
You can take your own personal GoPro/Camera/iPhone/Selfie Stick or spend an additional R250 ($21AUD) for your pilot to take photographs and video footage.
You will find out on the day wether you are flying from Lions Head or Signal Hill. Also a heads up, if the conditions aren't good you will not be flying that day.
As with most paraglide's you can opt in for a smooth slow flight (Jess's choice) or the adventurous fast option with deep turns (Stephen's choice).
If you have yet to paraglide or you think you may skip it due to previously experiencing it somewhere else we certainly suggest that you rethink your decision as you will never get the same views twice.
Book a tandem paraglide in Cape Town for R1,150 or about $99AUD per person.
What is an adventure sport you would do again and again whilst travelling?
Many thanks to Tandem Paraglide and Cape Town Tourism for hosting us for our flight. As always, all opinions are our own.