Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 (”four by four”) is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously. These specialized all-terrain vehicles are used on unpaved, and often even unmarked roads. This includes driving on sand, gravel, mud, snow, rocks and other natural terrain where a normal vehicle will not be able to drive. These vehicles are designed specifically to be driven on difficult terrain and can easily creep up 35o – 40o steep slopes and in some cases even up to 45o slopes. This is with the help of traction control (such as, locking differential, limited slip differential, four-wheel drive, or airing down).

Abseiling     

What goes up, must come down! Abseiling, also known by some as rappelling, abbing, roping down or seiling is used for different purposes. Descending from a mountain face after climbing to the top, descending from an ice climb, rescue procedures, high ropes rigging and of course as a recreational activity. Abseiling is generally done backwards – you facing the wall, but can also be done with your body horizontal to the wall as you face directly down as you literally walk down the wall. Safety is extremely important in this activity so ensure you are fully qualified to perform the activity or do it with a qualified guide.

Adventure Racing
Adventure racing has the same concept as a triathlon but draws from many different extreme sports: climbing, whitewater kayaking and mountain biking for example. Races take teams up and down mountains, through swamps and down rivers, taking a massive toll on the team members, both physically and mentally. Adventure races can take a few days to complete, depending on the distance, or you can do an adventure sprint which should take a few hours.

Aggressive Inline skating
Like skateboarding, “street” inline skaters seek to jump over and grind across just about any obstacle imaginable. In “vert” skating skater’s feet are free to move independently and create a number of moves and maneuvers. Smart skaters, whether skating for fitness or trick skating, have all found that wearing proper projection gear works well when needed.

Archery

Thinking about Robin Hood and shooting apples off someone’s head? Archery is about more than just aiming and shooting - it teaches control, patience, strenght, endurance and focus among other things.

The aim is to reach a target (aiming for the center) with an arrow by using a bow from a specific distance. The International Archery Federation recognize the following disciplines - outdoor archery, indoor archery, field archery, ski archery, 3D archery, run archery, flight archery and clout archery. There are different types of bows, including crossbows, longbows, shortbows, recurvebows, flatbows, and compound-bows.

Bmxing
During the late Seventies and early Eighties, BMXing became the fastest-growing youth-sport in the world. From trail riding which includes some jumps, to flatland riding, where riders stand and step over and around their bike frames while the bike is moving, to vert and street riders who do tricks on half-pipes, hand rails and ledges, it is clear that this is an exciting but mentally and physically challenging sport.

 Bouldering is a variation on the more known sport of rock-climbing. Routes are short and none of the traditional ropes or safety equipment is used. The focus is more on practicing or testing technique, and is a great method of strength training as overhangs can form part of the route (which means you look like spiderman!). A spotter/s is present for added safety; not to catch the climber in case of a fall, but to break their fall and ensure the climber lands safely. A crash mat or crash pad is also used for a softer landing, especially if the landing area is rocky.

 Camping

Camping may be referred to colloquially as roughing it. It is a recreational outdoor activity where campers get away from the city to enjoy the natural environment. Camping generally involves the use of a tent, which is set up in the campsite, and can be as basic, hard-core or as leisurely as you want to make it. Anything from a patch of dirt to a level, paved pad with ablution blocks and electricity is available. Camping is often done with activities such as hiking, fishing, kayaking, and rock-climbing. It is an affordable, and easy form of accommodation and shelter from the elements.

Canyoning / Kloofing
It takes place in a relatively high risk area such as a river gorge,  and involves following a mountain stream down its course by floating, jumping of short cliffs, or swimming. Some trails may include an abseil, scrambling, climbing, and of course a few high jumps! Getting wet is an integral part of kloofing, so it is more fun to do it in summer. A wide variety of canyoning routes are found throughout the world, and canyoning is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.

Caving

Wet, dark, and dangerous if you don’t stay level-minded. Cavers are generally as interested in the historical and geological make up of caves they trek as they are the thrill of traveling down into the damp darkness. Caving requires most of the same technical skill that outdoor climbers use in the daylight, having to be able to abseil into the depths below, or climb back up. Because of the damage caused by cavers (either intentionally or unintentionally), cavers are prohibited in many caves to protect the areas from further deterioration.

Extreme Motocross
The machinery and technology of modern bikes has produced unparalleled opportunities to push the limits. The only limitation of what can be ridden and how is defined by who’s riding it. Obstacles include weaving through a series of turns and over jumps, ranging from fairly easy to difficult and technically challenging. The jumps are designed to challenge a rider’s ability to the fullest, and in many cases, they have extreme hang time providing opportunities to perform stylish trick maneuvers.

Indoor Climbing
Initially used as a method of climbing training in European and other colder countries where outdoor climbing isn’t possible during winter months. It is now a recognized form of climbing and provides the opportunity to climbers to practice, climb, and enjoy themselves no matter what the weather conditions. The basic equipment required includes; climbing shoes, harness, helmet, climbing rope, quickdraws, belay device, karabiners, slings, and a chalkbag. Indoor climbing includes toproping, lead climbing, and bouldering caves.

Land Yachting
Land sailing began hundreds of years ago in China when it was discovered that the power of the wind could be harnessed to make tasks like plowing and moving objects easier – but now it is a fun sport! Modern land yachts are capable of reaching speeds up to 160 km/h. Landsailing can be practiced on a broad range of surfaces such as dry lake beds, pans, abandoned airfields, or even the beach.

Mountain Boarding
Until the mountainboard the only way to travel downhill at speed on a mountain road, over rocks, or gravel was on a mountain bike. The mountainboard was developed that allowed aspects of skateboards or snowboards to be used on terrain where neither can be practiced. Call it skateboarding on steroids!

Mountain biking
Mountain bikes have opened up an entire range of remote wilderness and landscapes for recreational riding. Different disciplines exist: cross country racing (an Olympic medal sport where competitors race against  each other and the clock for best overall finished over technical terrain); downhill racing (riding against the clock for best descent through a closed and gated course – speeds often exceed 97 km/h); dual slalom (rider against rider on a closed gated course that requires riders to execute a number of tight turns); and observed trails (completing a course consisting of obstacles and hazards)

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing uses your own power to ascend a mountain or cliff face. There are different types of climbing styles: toproping (good for beginners – the rope is at all times attached to anchors at the top of the route); sport/lead climbing (quickdraws and the rope are clipped into bolts along the route as you climb to keep you safe); traditional climbing (cams, hexes and nuts are placed into cracks along the route, which is connected to the rope); bouldering (more focused on technique – very short climbing areas without the use of rope). Climbing is classified as an extreme sport, but it is very safe as long as you keep to the safety rules. There are various degrees of difficulty to suit every climber’s ability.

Sand Boarding / Dune Boarding
Similar to snowboarding, the only difference is that the snow is replaced with sand. Sand dunes, old unused quarry sites and large enough beach dunes are great locations for sand boarding.

Skateboarding
A hugely creative sport and without doubt one of the most technically difficult sports to master. Ramp skateboarding takes place on transitions, the basic idea is to roll backwards and forwards in the U-shaped pipe using your legs to pump and maintain speed. Street skating takes place on the streets and all you need is a board, a curb and your imagination. Skate parks can take almost any form depending on what they are made out of , whether they are indoors or outdoors, designed by skaters or BMXers.

Snow Skiing / Extreme Skiing
Skiing is generally considered as a relaxing recreational activity that tests your personal ability, courage and stamina. By use of skiis, you ascend a steep mountain slope and by use of different tecniques safely reach the bottom of the slope – only to go back up and do it all over again! Skiing has become a more extreme sport for those seeking greater challenge. “Going big” means skiing the steepest terrain, dropping off large cliffs, and flying through the air.

Snowboarding
This sport stems from the general style of skiing and was only accepted by the skiing community in the mid-Nineties. Instead of having two skiis (one on each foot), snowboards were designed to have both feet on one board – similar to surfing or skateboarding. Tricks used by skateboarders were, and still are, being applied by snowboarders as it is easier to maneuvre by only skiing on a single board. Heliboarding is an even more extreme form where the skier starts from a helicopter just above the slope high up on the mountain where it is difficult to reach by any other means.

Street Luge
Leather suits, gloves, helmets, and specially modified shoes are prequisites for street lugers. Generally they don’t have specially constructed tracks for their use, but they do find steep and winding roads to speed down at up to 115km/h. Lugers lie on their back on their boards which are like skateboards but have wider axles, and the decks are replaced by stiffer metal and composite-frame systems that allow the luge to be made longer and track better than a skateboard.

More land activity descriptions to come soon:
Bakkie Skiing
Caravaning
Carriage Tours
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Cycle Tours
Expeditioning
Hiking
Ice Climbing
Mountain Rescue
Mountain running
Mountaineering
Paintball
Quadbiking & Quad Bike Safaris
Shooting
Trekking
Wagon Trails
Zorbing
Trail Biking