Are You a Fan of Abseiling or do you prefer Rock Climbing?

Learn how to climb, go to www.courses.co.za

Are you a fan of abseiling or do you prefer rock climbing? Are you going on holiday any time soon? Fed up with climbing with the masses? Planning a climbing trip in the southern hemisphere perhaps?

You can’t really do an article on just abseiling because nine times out of ten there is good rock climbing in the same region (stands to reason doesn’t it), so here goes for a few interesting places in the southern hemisphere to do both…

South Africa

You are spoilt for choice in South Africa. There are a huge amount of majestic mountain regions ideal for climbing adventures. How do they grade the climbs in South Africa? They use a simple numerical system:

* 7-12: Beginners climbs that anybody in decent shape shold be able to get up. Expect easy-angled rock with big, friendly handholds.
* 12 - 16: Smaller handholds and/or steeper rock, but still suitable for beginner to intermediate climbers.
* 16 - 18: Intermediate routes requiring more fitness and experience.
* 18 upwards: Intermediate to advanced. Strong arms and good technique a must…

The best climbing areas in South Africa are Rocklands for bouldering; Oudtshoorn, Montagu and Milner for sport routes and Table Mountain and Cederberg for trad routes. Of course there are loads of others and I have covered just a handful here…

The Restaurant (at the End of the Universe) can be found in the Waterval Boven cliffs in the Mpumalanga Highlands Drakensberg Mountain region - about 3 hours from Johannesburg and Pretoria. This region is one of the top rock climbing destination in South Africa and is rated highly by many of the best climbers in the world. Most of the good climbing can be done around the difficulty rating of 17-27, with options to climb up to grade 33! Some pretty serious climbing then…

A climber exposed against the backdrop of the Elands River in the valley below - photo courtesy of Roc & Rope

Photo: Roc ‘n Rope Adventures)

The Oribi Gorge in KwaZulu Natal was created over millions of years as the Umzimkulwana river carved its way over flat rock, finding faults in the stone and eroding enormously deep and narrow gorges. At the base of the cliffs there are rocks that are 1000 million years old while the cliffs themselves are formed from sandstone deposited about 365 million years ago. Here you can abseil down a 110m mountain or climb one of the many challenging routes on offer. Another interesting abseil is alongside the Howick Falls also in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

View from near Baboon's Castle, Oribi gorge

view from near Baboon’s Castle

Blouberg Massif is a stone’s throw from both Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is a 1,200ft quartzite mesa which sits in the sun for most of the day and is considered South Africa’s most difficult Big Wall. There are 11 classic routes here, starting at a grade of 19. And there are some terrific names too. A few examples are: Wall of White Light (a big scary wall), Psycho Reptile, White Light, Future Shock, Crack of Adventure, Road to Nowhere, Hey Jude, Bushpig, Tequila Sunrise, Moonshadow, Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Wow Fuck to name but a few…

Milner Amphitheatre in the Western Cape is a double tiered orange rock face in the Hex River Mountains. It sits beside beside a 2,000ft waterfall. This is an area with excellent multi-pitch sport and pitch climbing which makes it some of the best climbing in South Africa. There is sensitive access to this area so it is best to get in touch with a local club of the MCSA to check out the rules and regs.

Karen Varga, Milner Amphitheatre

And of course there is Table Mountain. How can you talk about climbing in South Africa without bringing the famous and iconic Table Mountain into the discussion. Rock climbing on Table Mountain is a very popular pastime. There are well-documented climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty up the many faces of the mountain. As the mountain is part of the Cape Floral Region which is a World Heritage Site, no bolting can be done here and only traditional climbing is allowed. Commercial groups also offer abseiling from the upper cable station. The cable car also offers a quick descent!

The Giant’s Castle Massif in the Natal Drakensberg offers some pretty technical ice climbing as a variation to rock climbing. These are southern Africa’s highest and most spectacular mountain range. It also holds the regions only consistently forming ice and snow routes. Most documented routes are either pure water-ice or pure névé snow, but there are a few routes which require mixed climbing. Giant’s Castle itself is located on the south side of the massif. Ice forms from late May right through to late August. The best time is usually mid to late July. Several major climbs have been done on this peak and numerous others still await first ascents. Most of the unclimbed falls are steep, multi-pitch routes that will require serious skill and determination to conquer.

And before we leave South Africa I just had to include this scary photograph that I have just come across - it gives a good idea of some of the challenging climbs the region has to offer!

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Kitesurfing Courses

THE LURE
The white sandy beaches and constant cross-shore wind in January make this arguably the absolute best spot in South Africa to kite. January is the 'wild wind month' averaging 25 – 30 knots on most days, so unless you're an accomplished rider time your visit either side of that month or get up early in the morning!

A feature in Issue #25 included Langebaan. It is available free online, just click here.


THE SET UP:
Exit Cape Town International airport, shed a few layers of clothing, find a car, point it north up the coast and drive 130 kilometres in a dead straight line along a tarred road with not a single road coming off it until you get to the small town of Langebaan.

Langebaan lagoon is a two kilometre wide, shallow freestyle heaven. The turquoise blue water of the 20 x 1.5 kilometre lagoon is suitable for anyone from beginners upwards, but the choice of terrain to ride is actually high in Langebaan outside of the lagoon areas, and of course if you fancy some hardcore wave action then Cape Town is back down the road.

WIND & WEATHER:
Cross-onshore to cross-offshore from the left. From September to the end of March the wind stats sit at 80% of days above 15 knots.

WATER:
The water temperature averages 16 – 22°C year round.

OFF THE WATER:
There are lots of nice little restaurants and bars just off the beach. There is one nightclub in town (which is a five minute drive from the lagoon) and a bar with live music on certain days of the week. There are plenty of other activities in the area, such as windurfing, kayaking, pilates and yoga lessons, and within a reasonable distance, a Gary Player signature golf course, horse riding, fishing, sight seeing in the wine-lands and Cape Town and the surrounding area.

CENTRES AND ACCOMODATION:
WindChasers offers the ultimate package of upmarket beach styled accommodation designed to suit the windsports enthusiasts together with a top class IKO centre offering boat assisted kitesurfing lessons. Windchasers are located on the shores of the Langebaan lagoon just 1 hour out of Cape Town with warm, flat waters and close to perfect wind conditions ideal for teaching and perfecting this extreme adrenalin filled sport. WindChasers offers everything from outside hot and cold showers, equipment stores, wireless internet, laundry facilities to a very sociable and welcoming atmosphere. The accommodation is unique and ranges from more private self catering rooms to the KiteHouse which is communal accommodation for those on a bit more of a budget and looking for a more social and interactive experience. First-time novice or skilled expert, you'll love kiteboarding in Langebaan. Email: info@windchaserssa.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel: +27 22 77 21 904
Website: www.windchaserssa.com

AIRPORTS:
Cape Town international airport (CPT) – Two hour drive to Langebaan.

Riders who have included Langebaan as one of their Top Places to Ride are: Jo Wilson, Nick Jacobsen, Sjoukje Bredenkamp















Other Courses @ www.courses.co.za

Welding school for university of Pretoria

A centre of excellence for welding is being planned for the University of Pretoria by the newly appointed Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering head Professor Madeleine du Toit.

She says that this initiative, which is planned to take place in 2010, is part of an overall drive to improve the department's outputs.

"The University of Pretoria Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering is the only integrated, standalone metallurgical department in the country, and it conducts among the best training and research in South Africa. I want to help raise the bar by creating this welding centre of excellence, and other centres of excellence within the department by attracting funding from industry," says Du Toit.

She adds that the department has never favoured fundamental research, which cannot easily be applied in real situations.

"The department is practical in this regard and its research is almost always designed around real and current issues facing industry. The proposals usually come from industry and by choosing the topics carefully the department is able to ensure that, while practical in nature, it is still good, solid academic research," explains Du Toit.

This practical approach is the underlying philosophy with respect to the development of the welding centre of excellence. Du Toit says that part of the welding initiative will be to grow the research component where the department has been relatively strong for the past 15 years. However, she says, the main focus will probably be on training welding engineers.

The intention of the department is to become a Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) approved training body, enabling it to offer the International Institute of Welding courses to train international welding engineers according to the highest international standards.

"Once the department has all this in place it will market aggressively. It is common knowledge that South Africa does not produce nearly enough welding engineers and the department hopes to play a significant role in reversing this situation," says Du Toit.

SAIW executive director Jim Guild says that he is pleased with Du Toit's plans. He says he hopes he proposal is successful, and any initiative that helps to produce welding engineers is more than welcome.

Du Toit says it is important to understand that the welding initiative is part of an overall initiative to make the department a centre of excellence in the widest sense.

"Welding is, of course, an important part of the University of Pretoria's physical metallurgy programme, but the department also has its extractive metallurgy and pyrometallurgy programmes, which offer many opportunities for industry," adds Du Toit.

The department offers an Engineering Council of South Africa-accredited, internationally recognised, fully integrated, undergraduate degree. Its postgraduate programme is an extremely popular one and it has almost as many postgraduate students as undergraduate students. The postgraduate programme focuses on course work, where, for example, Bachelor of Engineering Honours and Bachelor of Science Honours students can specialise in a range of varying elements offered by the courses. These courses are also offered in the form of refresher programmes for industry.

"We are in a unique position in South Africa as far as metallurgical sciences are concerned. The country's extensive mining industry, and the fact that South Africa is experiencing significant growth in the steel construction industry are two important factors that can ensure the relevance of the department in terms of the practical training and knowledge that it can offer. I hope to take full advantage of the situation," concludes Du Toit.

Looking for a change in career or just want to learn something new www.courses.co.za

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Is training a dirty word?

The Skills Development Amendment Bill has been approved by parliament’s National Assembly is well on the way to becoming law. Substantive changes to the law include the establishment of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and clearer guidelines on apprenticeships.

A smaller change is the replacement of the phrase ‘training provider’ with ‘skills development provider’.

The terminology of training and skills development was discussed by MPs and civil servants at the public hearings for the Bill. Concerns were raised by MPs that the term training had negative connotations; that it related to training animals, or sports training.

Labour Department DDG Sam Morotoba said that the term skills development was used as it was more in line with global trends.

Private provider representatives said that trainers should be supported and training should be something that people were proud to take up. The confusion from the range of terms available, included Trainer, OD-ETDP practitioner, facilitator and others was also highlighted.

Do you support the move from the term training provider to skills development provider? Is there a significant difference between the two or is it just a question of semantics? What do you think trainers should be called? OD-ETDP practitioners, facilitators, skills development professionals, or simply trainers?

Go to the Courses website for a comprehensive listing of courses

seta's

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Free Online Boat Safety course.

Its summer have fun but do so safely. Consider taking a free online boating safety course. You can find information at the BoatUS Foundation.

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PADI advanced course

Marsa Alam, situated on the south of Egypt’s east coast offering the perfect destination for divers to complete their PADI advanced course. The dive sites are located close by for all levels of divers, from beginner’s right up to the deepest technical diver. The sites are uncrowded in comparison to other dive areas such the Great Barrier reef. Equally all of the sites offer great snorkelling possibilities too for those whom are too young to dive or would rather stay close to the surface. Perhaps one of the most magnetic possibilities for scuba diving in Marsa Alam is the possibility of getting up close to one of the most magnificent creatures in the ocean, The Whale Shark.
Found regularly in the red sea and off the coast of South Africa those travelling to complete their PADI advanced course will be most likely to come into contact with one of these amazing creatures. The whale sharks are gentle and often stay around divers for an extended period, showing more interest then fear by our presence.
The "Small Bay of the Market" (Marsa Shouni Soraya) has a distinctive shape offering a variety of dive sites ideal for new and experienced divers alike. There is also a sheltered lagoon where baby eagle rays have been regularly spotted. The signature table corals harbour a massive array of life and its reefs are teeming with shrimps, scorpion fishes and barracuda. The bay has a resident hawksbill turtle and dolphins are regular visitors, Whale sharks are sometimes spotted just outside the bay also.
The PADI advanced course will teach you to navigate during the night and whilst deep diving, you will also have the opportunity to choose from a boat dive, drift dive, dry suit dive, multilevel dive, search and recover dive, underwater naturalist dive, underwater photography dive, wreck diving or an altitude dive as part of your elective training dives.
The PADI advanced course in Marsa Alam is an experience that every diver should go through, the conditions are perfect throughout the year. Sometime around April to May the visibility is greatly reduced due to Plankton Bloom, but if you want to encounter whale sharks you must visit Marsa Alam by the beginning of summer and end of spring. Renowned for its diverse marine life and incredible coral reefs, Marsa Alam is a ruby by the Red Sea. I recently travelled to Marsa as a last minute deal with http://.www.activediving.co.uk I was torn as to whether to visit Dahab or Marsa Alam, for my wanting to see Whale Sharks, Marsa was highly recommended and they didn’t disappoint.
One of the best dives I did in Marsa Alam just after I had completed my PADI advanced course was when four massive whale sharks chased a huge bait ball that stretched from 5 metres depth down to 22 metres. Young fish, when threatened, can sometimes be corralled by predators into a tight swirling ball that is forced to the surface in order to permit easy pickings - Large bait balls can turn the sea black. There are many who will swear that the 30th July 2008 saw the best days diving that they have ever experienced. Whale sharks can grow up to 12 metres in length, these were between 5 and 8 metres.
It is assumed that this years exceptionally prolific plankton bloom in the northern Red Sea has brought whale sharks to the area in much larger numbers than in living memory. On the same day whale sharks were also seen just off the beach in Taba - at the northern extremity of the Red Sea. There have also been many more sightings of plankton-eating manta rays than in previous years. These sightings have mainly been on the local sites rather than those further away in Tiran or Ras Mohammed.
Natalie from Red Sea Diving College said "it was an amazing underwater event, with tuna darting into the bait ball... the whale sharks were all around us and at one point I was in the vortex of the bait ball with millions of fish around me - it was as if the heavens had darkened."
Throughout the year the average temperature remains in its thirties and forties. While the hottest month is August, the coolest month is January with temperature dipping during the night. Generally windy, Marsa Alam witnesses a rough sea during November and the waves at times might be large. Featuring prominently in the tourist map of the world, Marsa Alam is fast becoming a hot spot for all tourists and divers alike looking to complete their PADI advanced course or begin diving altogether.
There are plenty of excellent diving sites and some thrilling drop offs once you have completed your PADI advanced course. Some of the most popular dive sites from Marsa Alam include:
- Samadai: This is a crescent shaped offshore reef that is also known as the Dolphin House because you can find plenty of dolphins in the sheltered waters of the lagoon. Seeing the feats of the spinner dolphins can be quite exciting!
- Abu Dabab: If Samadai is the place to see dolphins, then Abu Dabab is famous for the dugongs. It's really a pleasure to watch these dugongs playing around.
- Elphinstone Reef: This site may be a bit dangerous for the inexperienced swimmers. The currents are strong enough and for those who are seeking for some real adventure this would be the - red sea dream dive!
To find out more about completing your PADI advanced course in Dahab, Lanzarote or South Africa visit http://www.activediving.co.uk and quote: ART

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Research Shows Immigration Boosting South Africa Economy

As South Africa battles negative perceptions of immigration in the country, it seems that nevertheless many people are still heading to a start new life in South Africa and with them are bringing a wealth of economic benefits.

According to researchers, rising numbers of migrants are descending upon South Africa's popular Nelson Mandela Bay and even more positively these new arrivals have been proved to be boosting the areas economy.

The Nelson Mandela Bay is estimated to be housing around 23,000 immigrants whom have all chosen to migrate to live and work in South Africa. This figure is meaning that a large number of skilled professionals are also heading to the area, subsequently aiding South Africa's failing skills sector of labour.

It is important for South Africa maintains such movement to the country and although the number of migrants in the bay is considerably lower than that in main cities, such as Johannesburg, the area and country is still feeling the rippling economic effects from the movement.

Already the Bay is ranking as having the third-largest immigrant population. Plus, the number of immigrants in from the rest of the world has already doubled since the previous census in 2001 and now stands at around 8,000.

Economically a large majority of people, particularly those skilled, academics from the rest of the world are taking up highly skilled jobs in areas which South Africa is crying out for. These positions include doctors, nurses and teachers.

Another positive growth benefitting the Bay's economy and standing is the emergence and soar in numbers of foreign students, whom are opting to study in South Africa at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). According to statistics this bustling university hub has encouraged around 1,700 foreign students to enrol recently.

South African officials acknowledge the benefit of such students and the knowledge and skills which they can bring when they come to South Africa to study. Many such students are ultimately choosing to remain in South Africa following their educational courses being completed, with some even applying for citizenship visas.

The research which showed the booming effects of immigration in the bay area was conducted by the Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They further found that over 65% of the immigrants within the area were younger than 30 years of age. This is another positive find as younger persons are generally viewed as more economically beneficial and important to a skills short country.

Researchers concluded that the city was part of a global village with tremendous opportunities for immigrants. They said that "As a city and a country we export skilled people to other countries, so immigrants add value by bringing critical skills to our economy. There is a serious shortage of skills in certain areas of our economy, so to drive growth we should embrace those who fill that gap."

Info from http://www.globalvisas.com

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South Africa: COPA’s Advanced Conflict Transformation Course

6-31 October 2008

The Advanced Conflict Transformation (ACT) is a four week course that is organized by COPA. This course offers diverse aspects of conflict transformation and peace building. It is aimed at participants working in related fields on the African continent. Although reference is made to the impact of international political and economic events & trends on the continent, emphasis is placed on culturally sensitive and sustainable responses to regional and community conflicts in Africa.

http://www.copafrica.org/training.html

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