A cocktail of adrenaline-infused biking and abseiling adventures earmarked the launch of the National Biking & Abseil Festival at the start of the Easter holidays at the Shai Hills Reserve near Doryumu in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region.

The partnership between the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana and BraveHearts Expeditions, West Africa’s leading adventure tourism firm unveiled, for the first time in a protected area in all of West Africa, saw series of adventure activities that enabled participants to bike a total distance of 17.8km through the Park.

The modern-day explorers, made up of journalists and avid adventurers, further hiked up the rocky incline of the Mogo Rock, strapped into high quality abseiling equipment, leaned back over the edge of the 20-metre rocky precipice and descended into vertical space in search of what the adventure tourism firm refers to as “Greatness”.

Speaking at the launch of the festival, Mr. John Allotey, Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission explained that the festival was seeking “to exploit and offer Ghanaians and other nationals the opportunity to experience the adventure tourism potential of the Shai Hills Resource Reserve.”

He further stressed, “There is no other place in this country where you can ride a bicycle for sport to the wide-eyed spectatorship of wildlife.”

Mr. Allotey’s sentiments were echoed by Rev. David Kpelle, Director of Operations of the Wildlife Division, who said, “We expect that this Park’s proximity to Accra will encourage all and sundry to escape the hustle and bustle of the capital city and Tema, and take time off to enjoy the nature and beauty of Shai Hills; not only for the viewing pleasure of the species [being hosted], but also for the experiential value of riding through the park on high quality equipment, and abseiling the cultural, geological and natural wonders of the Park’s many hills, rocks and outcrops.”

Senior Partner and Expedition Leader of BraveHearts Expeditions, Mr. JayJay D. Segbefia explained why his firm introduced adventure sports to the Shai Hills Reserve.

“Global tourism is increasingly moving away from the passive viewing of species and artifacts of interest to active participation in the culture, the philosophies, the adrenaline and the experience surrounding those objects, artifacts and ecosystems. And Ghana needs to show leadership in that regard by creating opportunities such as we are doing, for adventurers to pitch their physical, mental and recreational strengths and endurances against the unyielding power of Nature. As in the case of the Shai Hills Reserve today, that experience will generate priceless memories that will eventually contribute to everyone desiring to protect the park and ensure the long-term success and sustainability of its ecosystem for the future.”

Since 2010, BraveHearts Expeditions has carved out an enormous reputation for leading mindset-changing adventure tourism, adventure sports and corporate experiential learning operations that are run to the highest safety and customer-oriented standards known to Africa. The firm introduces business leaders, tourists, students, and people of every imaginable trade to life in the deepest recesses of Ghana’s beautiful outdoors.

“Our clients sleep in canvas tents, eat food cooked over campfires, hike through some of Ghana’s most breathtaking landforms, slush through knee-high rivers, scramble over rocks and boulders and engage waterfalls in ways that give them so much more personal development achievement in return. We love to push them beyond the boundaries of their mental and physical development, and this contributes to anchoring lessons in leadership, mental resilience, risk assessment and awareness, environmental ethics and stewardship, team-bonding, and the development of a tolerance for uncertainty and adversity in business and personal life,” Mr. Segbefia concluded.