The Cedarberg — a Wilderness of Sculpted Rock and Unspoilt Valleys October 8, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Cape Town, Map, Rail Pass, South Africa, Trails , trackbackThe Cedarberg remained a little-known area for more than a century after the first European settlement was established at Cape Town — a mere 200 km away. Even today, in spite of the area’s growing popularity with lovers of the outdoors, there are many spots among the craggy mountains that are known only to forestry officers or those hardy people who have made their home here.
The dual role that the area has as home and resort is clear in the many names that fill the map of the Cedar- berg. There are the names that have been bestowed by the climbers and the visitors — names such as Frustration Peak, Maltese Cross, and Machine Gun Ridge. But no matter how descriptive they are, they lack the intimacy of such older names as Hartseer (heartache), Wegwaai (blow away), and Filander se Werf (Filander’s farmyard) — the little farm where Filander, whoever he was, tended his crops in a majestic but lonely setting.
Hiking trails
The Cedarberg region covers some 130 000 ha. Just over half the area is State forest land, and of this a 71000 ha portion was proclaimed a wilderness area in 1973. The mountains are criss-crossed with well-maintained hiking trails, and fantastic rock formations amidst the weathered sandstone peaks offer challenging climbs for mountaineers.
Hikers may set out from one of the several campsites in the Cedarberg on short walks, or they may spend a few days exploring the area. A number of overnight huts dot the range — including the Boontjieskloof Hut, Middelberg Hut, Sleepad Hut, Sneeukop Hut, Crystal Pool Hut and Sneeuberg Hut — some of them built more than 80 years ago by forestry officer George Bath. Caves are also popular for overnight stays, particularly the Sederkop and Welbedacht caves.
Walking in the northem Cedar- berg, which can be reached easily from Algeria Forest Station and campsite, the hiker has access to the towering Middelberg peaks, Helsekloof with its waterfall, the craggy Cathedral Rock where weather- bleached cedars shelter from fire, and excellent views of the SneeukopLangberg massif. The path through Wildehoutdrif leads along the Groot Hartseer plateau to the natural swimming hole of Crystal Pool, while the track to Heuningvlei passes a number of the higher peaks — Great Krakadouw, Chisel Peak and Koupoort Peak. These northern areas can also be reached by car from Pakhuis Pass.
The cedar tree
In the southern area, where there are a number of campsites, popular excursions are to Tafelberg, the Wolf- berg Arch, the Wolfberg Cracks (which are on private land and may be visited only with the owner’s permission), the rock pinnacle known as the Maltese Cross, which lies on the eastern approach to Sneeuberg (at 2 027m the highest peak in the range), the Disa Pool swimming hole on the Krom River, and the Stadsaal Caves, a series of smooth caverns worn out of the rock (also on private land).
The cedar trees (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis) which are found at the higher levels of the mountain range, and after which the area is named, are not at all like the cedars of Lebanon, but rather like the cypress family. The excellent qualities of the local cedar wood were brought to the attention of Governor Willem van der Stel in 1700, and for more than a century the forests were recklessly exploited — in one instance in 1879 more than 7000 young trees were cut down to provide telegraph poles between Calvinia and Piketberg. Although the trees are now stringently protected, it is estimated that the slow process of restoring the forests to their former splendour will take a number of centuries.
A rare beauty
Another beauty to be found on the highest reaches of the Cedarberg is the snow protea (Protea cryophila), among the rarest of all proteas. It has an underground stem, which makes the flowers and leaves appear to sprout directly from the soil. The snow protea flowers between December and February — a bloom that is white and ‘woolly’ on the outside, and red and smooth on the inside. Less rare is the Cedarberg, or rocket, pincushion (Leucospermum reflexum), a popular garden plant that grows naturally only in the northern Cedarberg.
Two plants that are found in abundance here are the rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), from which a tea is made, and the buchu (Agathosma butulina), which has been renowned for its medicinal properties for many centuries. Both are important commercial crops for the area.
The number of wild animals in the wilderness area has increased in recent years since the introduction of stricter conservation measures. Among the mammals is the spectacled dormouse (Graphiuris ocularis), or namtap as the locals call the pretty, bushy-tailed rodent. The namtap has a reputation for rummaging in rucksacks during the night in search of food. The most common antelope are the grey rhebuck (Pelea capreolus) and the klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), and baboons (Papio ursinus) are often seen.
Leopards (Panthera pardus) still prowl the Cedarberg but are very rarely seen, and the old stone leopard-trap in the Sederberg Kloof is a relic of wilder days. An old legend from those times tells of a buchupicker named Hans Moller whose wife died while the two of them were out in a remote aloof. Night fell, and soon Hans realised that leopards were stalking him. All he had with him was his violin, so, in desperation, he began to play. The leopards did not leave, but sat down to listen and, so the story goes, Hans was obliged to play all through the night until the big cats finally left him at dawn.
Maps are essential if you intend to undertake a long hike. An excellent map is available from the Forester at Algeria, and permits to walk in the wilderness area are obtainable in advance from the Forester. It is important to take warm clothes, as the nights can become very cold, and enough water for your proposed walk. No pets are allowed, nor may fires be made, except in the purpose-built braai places at the Algeria campsite.
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