If you are looking for the perfect anchors, or you want to meet up with local slackliners, you’ll want to visit some of Cape Town’s most popular slacklining spots. The Mother City’s abundance of tall trees and expansive lawns make it perfect for beginner to intermediate-length parklines.
Our natural spaces in the city are impressively clean and we encourage you to leave no trace.
When you’re ready to slackline in South Africa, either connect with the local slackliners mentioned in our post, or visit any of the parks mentioned below to set up your own line.
What makes slacklining popular in Cape Town?
Simply put, slacklining is fun! Slacklining was first documented in the Californian climbing community in the 1980s as an activity to do during rest days. It is likely slacklining arrived in Cape Town in the early 2000s thanks to the international climbing community. As a rule of thumb, where there are climbers, there are slacklines.
Cape Town’s Mediterranean climate and large public parks are a big plus to any visiting slackliner. On a clear sky day, we recommend you visit Table Mountain if you have yet to do so. After your visit to the top, you can unwind in De Waal park with your own line or keep an eye out for friendly slackliners you can join.
Thanks to dedicated groups in Johannesburg and Cape Town, slacklining continues to grow in South Africa. The gatherings take place beneath tall trees that provide great anchors and help to create shaded areas for relaxing near the lines.
Where can you slackline in Cape Town?
There are no permanent or publicly available slacklines in the city. You can either join the friendly groups of slackliners who meet regularly in the public places listed below, or you can contact me, Laurence from Riding the Highline to learn to slackline in Cape Town during a private lesson.
With countless places to slackline in Cape Town, we focus on the most popular spots below.
City Centre – De Waal Park
De Waal Park has many tall trees and open areas with soft grass below. The variety of Plein, Pine, Oak and other tree species make it a beautiful natural space to visit. It’s also a great place to bring your dog! So, whether you head here on the hunt for slackliners, or simply to relax, you will not be disappointed.
Rondebosch – Keurboom Park
The Keurboom Park provides incredible slacklining anchors. The large open spaces and well-established trees make this a firm favourite amongst slackliners in Cape Town. The Park Play Group on Facebook regularly meets with flow toys, hoops, juggling, and poi.
Newlands – Tequila Meadow
Newlands is known for its leafy streets and the large Newlands Forest. Tequila Meadow is nestled between residential houses and is a perfect park for slacklining. The large Pine trees and soft grass beneath make it a comfortable beginner spot. I live nearby and am happy to assist should you wish to do a slackline lesson or rent gear.
Lakeside – Zandvlei
Zandvlei has fewer options for slackline anchors but remains a firm favourite among slackliners living in Muizenberg and Lakeside. The small trees make it possible to set up beginner slacklines with soft grass underfoot. For lines longer than 30 meters you may require more creative rigging techniques with most trees standing less than 5 meters tall.
Top Tips for Beginner Slackliners
Slacklining is a journey and not a destination. Take your time to celebrate the small successes and practice often. While learning to slackline, keep the following tips in mind:
- Start on a short line between 3 – 5 meters long.
- Setup the anchors no more than 50 cm above the ground.
- Face forward and walk with your head, shoulders, and hips, above your feet.
- Keep your arms up above your head, and your hands loose.
- Practice standing, walking forward, turning around, and facing exposure (sideways).
Gear you need to get started
You can either buy a beginner slackline kit or you can build your own from separate items of gear. The tensioning system you use will typically depend on the width of your webbing. Read below for a breakdown of the most affordable ways to build a slackline.
Anchors
Slings are essential to building a safe anchor. A slackline sling is padded and is easy to use in a basket or a girth hitch orientation. It is safer to use in comparison to a static rope which needs to be protected from abrasion. We recommend that you use tree protection to prevent damage and to ensure slackliners continue to be welcome in public parks.
Webbing
You have a choice between two and one-inch-wide webbing. I first bought a two-inch wide slackline kit to learn to walk distances of 5 to 23 meters long. Aspiring to walk longer distances, I purchased a one-inch-wide webbing at a length of 50 meters with sewn loops on each side. This length of webbing continues to challenge me.
Tensioning
A two inch line is typically tensioned using a ratchet provided in the kit. The one-inch line uses a primitive tensioning system. A slackline line lock and oval carabiner help to lock the line, while the tail is used to create a friction locking system. This is the most cost effective way to rig. However, a primitive system does need 5 to 10 meters of extra webbing to tension.
Are you ready to Slackline?
Cape Town has a friendly slackline community and no shortage of great locations for a soft landing. We would love to know where you set up your line (add it to this Google Maps list). Share your slacklining experience with us in the comments below.
And if you’re a more experienced slackliner looking for a place to try your hand at highlines, check out our post on highlining and bouldering in Rocklands, Cederberg. You can also follow Laurence, the writer of this post, on Instagram, where he often shares pics of his and friends’ slacklining and highlining antics!
