Week three of Year in the Wild – Cederberg

Posted by Scott Ramsay on 12 July 2011

The Cederberg, as its Afrikaans name suggests, is a mountain wilderness area. (If you’re going to explore it, you’ve got to enjoy a fair bit of hiking, as there are few roads, and all of them are gravel).

It’s a daunting place at first. As you turn off the N7 to travel east to the campsite of Algeria, your vision from left to right is filled with a wall of peaks, ridges and saddles. The highest mountain at just over 2 000 m is Sneeuberg (or Snow mountain – as its peak is usually the first to be covered with snow) is to the right, and to the left is Krakadouw Peak.

You travel up the steep Niewoudt’s Pass (which takes its name from one of the first families to settle in the area), then over into the Rondegat Valley. What a sight, and what a feeling. This narrow valley of cliffs, steep hills and chiseled rocky outcrops is carved by the Rondegat River, and for people who love mountains and valleys, it’s going to give you goosebumps. It’s simply beautiful.

And the best thing about the Cederberg in winter, is that if you catch some good weather (like we are!), then you’re going to have the entire 70 ooo ha of mountains to yourself, as well as the best hiking weather you could hope for. Cool, sunny days, with little wind, and views that go on and on and on … And the rivers are the clearest and cleanest you’ll ever see. Wow!

We’ve had a really busy – but good! – week here. The highlights were probably visiting the Maltese Cross (it’s a relatively easy, but steep, two-hour hike from where you leave your car), as well as spending time with researcher Megan Murgatroyd (who is studying the prolific populations of black eagles), and also visiting one of the most impressive rock art sites in Southern Africa with Patrick Hanekom, nature conservator for the Cederberg. I could spend several months in the Cederberg … there’s so much to see and do if you’re an outdoor lover!

Hope you enjoy the photos – and stay wild!

Thanks again to my sponsors for making Year in the Wild possible. Ford, Total, SANParks, CapeNature, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Evosat, Vodacom, Goodyear, Frontrunner, Conqueror Trailers, DigiCape, Lacie and K-Way (among others!).

Check out Year in the Wild’s website and Facebook page.

 

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