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What in the World Is Kloofing?
Don't let the funky name fool you. This extreme sport is no joke.
Related: Adventure
Screenshot of kloofing in South Africa's Suicide Gorge. (john montanari via Youtube)
Kloofing: The word sounds so absurd and even whimsical that you might wonder if it's something out of a Dr. Seuss book. It certainly doesn't sound like a legitimate sport. But don't let the funky name fool you, because kloofing is no joke.
Kloof is the word for canyon in the South African language of Afrikaans. Kloofing is essentially extreme canyoneering. Adrenaline junkies follow a mountain stream to the base of a canyon, sliding down waterfalls, scaling rocky cliffs and diving into icy pools along the way. It's not for the faint of heart. Once you get started, the only way out is to keep descending the canyon.
Suicide Gorge is a popular kloof in the Western Cape of South Africa. The descent is 10 miles long, replete with jumps averaging about 25 feet. The biggest leap is a monster 46 feet. Here's a video of a group attacking the rugged gorge:
(via The Adventure Blog)
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