Ziplining by Full Moon: Our Once-a-Year Night Tour

Once a year we take the tour out at night. On Saturday 20 February 2027 we'll set off in daylight, watch the full moon rise over the Elgin Valley below us, and slide the rest of the way through the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve in the dark.

Same 13 elevated platforms, connected by 11 slides and a suspension bridge. Very different evening. The fynbos goes grey and silver, the gorge goes black, and the only things lighting up the cables are the moon and whatever you've decided to wear.

How the night runs

We start while it's still light, so the first slides look the way they do on a day tour: the valley laid out below, the 4x4 track behind you, the mountains going gold.

Then the timing does the work. On 20 February the moon comes up at about 7:15pm and the sun sets at about 7:30pm, so the moon rises before the sun has gone. Weather permitting, we'll be on the platforms watching it lift out of the valley as the light drains away. Over the ridgeline it shows a few minutes later than the almanac says.

After that it's moonlight, headlamps and the sound of the cable. Our guides will do their best to capture some fun "painting with light" photos as you slide through the night. Fairy lights and glow sticks leave streaks across the frame, which is half the reason we ask you to wear them.

The tour finishes the way every tour does, with the 1 km walk out of the gorge. At night you'll do it by headlamp, which is exactly why you need one. We aim to have everyone back at base at about 10:30pm.

What to bring and wear

• A headlamp. Fresh batteries, and a spare set if you have one.
• Something that glows. Battery fairy lights wrapped round a jacket, glow sticks, glow bracelets. The more the better for the photos.
• Warm layers. It's February, but the mountains cool down quickly once the sun's gone.
• Closed shoes with some grip for the walk out.

Dinner on the way through

You'll be on the cables over supper time, so eat before you get to us. Two places we'd send you on the drive into Elgin:

• Elgin Railway Market. Open until 4pm on a Saturday, so make it a late lunch and take your time.
• Peregrine Farm Stall on the N2 at Grabouw. Pick up one of their pies on the way through. The farm stall is open until 6pm on Saturdays, so don't leave it to the last minute.

We're about an hour's drive from Cape Town, on the R321 near Grabouw. Most people come over Sir Lowry's Pass on the N2. Leave enough time to eat and still be with us before 6pm.

Most of what people do in the Cape happens between breakfast and sundowners. A night in the mountains is a different way to see the same place, and the full moon is the one night of the month with enough light to do it properly.

A little extra after midnight

If you're still up after midnight, the moon passes through the outer edge of Earth's shadow that night. It's a penumbral eclipse, so don't expect a red moon. At most one side goes a little dull and smoky, at its deepest at about 1:15am. You'll be home by then, but it's worth a look from the garden on the way to bed.

Two years to the night

On our full moon tour of 20 February 2025, Felix got down on one knee on a platform and proposed to Estelle. She said yes. 20 February 2027 is the same date, two years on. We're not suggesting anything. We're only saying the platforms have a track record. You'll find their story, and the photo, in our post on where to celebrate near Cape Town.

Questions

What time should we arrive?

Before 6pm. The safety briefing happens before the tour leaves at 6pm, and once it's started we can't add anyone to the group.

How much is it?

R1,350 per person, which includes the R100 conservation levy.

What time will we be finished?

We aim to be back at base at about 10:30pm. Plan your drive home from there.

Do I really need a headlamp?

Yes. The walk out of the gorge at the end is about 1 km, uneven underfoot and uphill in places, and at that time of night it's dark. Bring one each.

What if the weather turns?

We watch the moonrise weather permitting, and cloud can hide it. If the wind and rain come in hard enough that you wouldn't enjoy it, we'll be in touch as early as we can.

Is there a lunar eclipse that night?

A penumbral one, deepest at about 1:15am on Sunday 21 February. It's subtle. See above.

Bring a headlamp, wear something that glows, and we'll see you before six.