Kloofing and risk taking

Have you heard about kloofing and have you done it? Is jumping into a deep dark pool and taking the plunge similar to taking calculated risks in life...well, one can't gain without taking risks, right? Join me on this podcast as I share my personal experience with kloofing and risk taking.

Transcript

Kloofing and risk taking

Hello Everyone and welcome to the podcast of the Ordinary Maverick. This is Ajey, your host, an ordinary Maverick sharing real life thoughts and experiences and Maverick tips. If you haven’t hit the subscribe button yet, please do so, and you’ll not miss another episode.

So, the curtain will soon set on another year. In another few weeks, 2025 comes to a close and, fellow Mavericks I am delighted to share that we’ve hit some major milestones with the Ordinary Mavericks podcast. Published 168 episodes so far…twenty  thousand plus followers spread across 711 cities in 107 countries. Yes, it’s an amazing feeling. Such an exciting journey…just over 5 years now, when we took the plunge and started these podcasts. Never knew what will happen and how things will pan out but what I did know is that I want to do this and will enjoy it. And that’s definitely true. Bottom line, it’s been fun, it’s been transformational in some ways, connecting with thousands of people all over the globe and a huge learning experience. 

Speaking of taking the plunge, reminds me of the time when we were on a kloofing adventure in South Africa and literally took the plunge. So what’s kloofing? It was a new term for us as a family when we first heard it. We knew about hiking, trekking, rafting and had even done these before but kloofing …NO..hadn’t come across that one before. Given the mavericks we were, of course, we jumped right into it. And were happy to not only know more about kloofing but also experience it!

Kloofing is defined as the art of following a mountain stream down its course by floating, jumping and swimming. It’s the South African version of canyoneering. The term c omes from the Afrikaans term, ‘kloof’ meaning ‘a steep sided, wooded ravine or valley’. So basically one follows gorges and the rivers that flow through them any which way…that is by walking, swimming, floating, jumping, bouldering, climbing, rappelling or even bum sliding!

The main defining part of kloofing is that the gorge or ravine is several times deeper than it is wide. And a kloofing trip typically involves hiking and the descent of a watercourse. One may need to jump into pools from varying heights, including upto 20 metres or more…remember, taking the plunge…

Well, during kloofing one has no other option but to dive right in these pools along the way and cross the gorge or ravine. Having experienced it myself, have to say, this is quite something. These pools are typically between two mountain sides, one can’t really see the bottom, it’s pitch dark and one has no idea how deep this gorge is! One just has to take a calculated risk, rely on the guides, get all the moral support from the group that’s with you and just jump. I will never forget the rush of adrenaline as we took the plunge. My daughters just fearlessly jumped in….ha ha…the boldness and fearlessness of the young…what can we say…all the youngsters in the group just went right in. while the adults were more cautious and some of us just couldn’t do it the first time…especially in the really high jumps…

The day long kloofing trip we did together with friends was a never to be forgotten experience and hooked us on to kloofing for life. We loved it. During the course of the day, we hiked, swam, jumped into pools and even got to swim into a waterfall and sit in the cave inside the waterfall! Imagine sitting in a cave and seeing the waterfall in front of you. It was just spectacular. At one point, the path was so narrow with the river flowing through that we had no choice but to swim through and cross to the other side. It’s like you do it or then get left behind and of course do not complete the trip.

That day taught us all something. Taking calculated risks. Some would say, life is a series of calculated risks. And those of us who are good at this, do better overall…both in our personal and professional lives. Now what do I mean by that…well, choosing the right life partner is a calculated risk. We listen to our heart and take the plunge. May not always work out, yes, but again, that’s life. The ups and downs. 

So what is a calculated risk? The dictionary defines it as a hazard or chance of failure whose degree of probability has been reckoned or estimated before some undertaking is entered upon. You know think the worst. I often ask myself, what’s the worst that can happen? And importantly, we say what’s the worst that can happen and what’s the best that can happen if we do this or if we don’t do this?. And then take our final decision.

There is no gain without risk that’s for sure. So jumping into that pool on a kloofing trip gives you the adrenalin rush, but it also helps you complete the trip, feel accomplished, enjoy team work and create some fantastic memories for life. And not doing so, well…that makes you a bit sad, you have a feeling of if only I could have gathered enough courage to do it…etc etc. so nothing earth shattering in the true sense, yes.. but then that’s the decision you need to make.

So it is with life, with change. With taking the plunge into a new job, a career shift, choosing a life partner, shifting homes and cities…starting your own business, investing…you do it after weighing the options. Take the plunge..do the calculations and work out the assumptions for the calculated risk. And then just move forward. Remember the Maverick formula? Go with your gut, be true and fall forward. 

Kloofing is all about that. And so is life. Right? So if you haven’t tried kloofing…go ahead and do so. At least once in your lifetime. Speaking of calculated risks makes me also think about foolish risks. You know those where you don’t really think it through and land up in trouble? For calculated risks you’ve thought through, defined checkpoints, are ready to say no and turn back if needed. In our case, we went kloofing with a guide and with a group that had several members who had done the route before…so there was experience and learnings. 

You know what, recently we binge watched the final season of Money Heist, the Netflix series. I am sure many of you listening in have watched it. In case you haven’t, please do so. As a family, we’ve loved it. What a canvas of calculated risks, of anticipatory planning, of research, of abandoning certain plans and forging new ones. Of having plan A, plan B, Plan C and even plans D and E. and of staying together. Being strong as a team and the most important thing Trust.

That’s the thing with kloofing, or with taking calculated risks, of just taking the plunge…its Trust. Trust in oneself first and foremost and then trust the team, your guide. If that is strong, then success will always be yours. 

Write your comments, share your feedback, I would love to hear from you. This is Ajey, signing off and wishing you have an amazing day. Keep well.