Zambezi Swing

Lauren's 25th birthday was Friday, so we had a good excuse to go for an adrenaline-pumping, heart-pounding adventure swinging over the Zambezi Gorge. We got up early and went by The Haven to check on baby Sarah before heading to Livingstone. We made a quick stop in town for Lauren's annual Birthday Doughnut (she only eats doughnuts on her birthday) and then went on the Batoka Gorge.

Abseiling, or rappelling as we call it in the US, was the first challenge. We were harnessed into our gear, fastened to a line, and slowly lowered over the edge of the abyss--gorge, that is. This one was fun and not too scary, so we were ready for more.

We had a 20-minute or so hike back up to the top where we did the Fox Run. For this high wire activity, we were put into a harness and hooked to a zip line over the gorge. A quick running start and a giant leap sends you flying Superman-style into the air. I loved this, as you can tell from the picture on the left! It was exhilarating to look down and see the Zambezi flowing in the distance as you fly straight at the rocky crag on the opposite side of the gorge. We each got to do this twice.

The final test of stupidity or bravery, however you choose to look at it, was the Gorge Swing. Lauren and I decided to do this one in tandem, so our harnesses were clipped together. Then we were led up to the edge of the platform. We were going over backwards, so we backed up until our heels hung over the edge. Our guide didn't give us time to think too long about what we were doing as he fired off the instructions: bend your knees, tuck your head down, and LEAN BACK! Then there were about three seconds of pure free fall (and intense screaming) until the rope extended all the way and we began to swing back and forth across the gorge. At that point our screams turned into raucous laughter--probably from the joy of still being alive and still having the use of our limbs. All I could think about at that point was how many times I have lectured my students about the dangers of peer pressure by saying, "If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?" Well, we did it and lived to tell about it!

David jumped by himself (see photo) and Lauren had enough guts for a second solo jump as well. We all agreed that we'd had an awesome experience that will give us stories to tell for many months! You can read more about the gorge swing at www.thezambeziswing.com.