Only a two-to-three-hour drive from Cape Town, the semi-arid Cederberg is a completely different world. The favourite playground of adventurous Capetonians, it is still off the map of most international travellers.
Schematic diagram of a geological cross-section through the Cederberg
The Cederberg Wilderness Area is a mountainous region in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous for its rock formations.
The Cederberg Mountains are located in the Western Cape region of South Africa. This wonderful and wild mountain area is situated some 200 km northeast of Cape Town and offers some interesting dirt road drives, outstanding hiking and mountain biking.
The Cederberg mountains are a special place in South Africa, about 300 kilometers north of Cape Town. They are close to the town of Clanwilliam. The Cederberg is famous for its amazing rock shapes and ancient San rock art.
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The Cederberg mountains stretch about 50 kilometers from north to south and 20 kilometers from east to west. Nearby towns include Citrusdal and Clanwilliam.
The name Cederberg is a combination of the English word cedar and the Afrikaans seder. It refers to the rare Clanwilliam cedar tree that grows in the region. The Cederberg mountains are named after the endangered Clanwilliam cedar (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis), which is a tree endemic to the area.
The region was made a national wilderness area in 1973 and received World Heritage status in 2004.
The name Cederberg is now the most common way to spell it.
There are some very tall mountains here, like Sneeuberg (2026 meters high) and Tafelberg (1969 meters high). Don't mix up this Tafelberg with the famous Table Mountain in Cape Town!
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The mountains are noted for dramatic rock formations and San rock art. These mountains used to be home to the San Bushman people and their rock-art can be seen in hundreds of locations.
These mountains get their name from a rare tree called the Clanwilliam cedar. This tree grows only in this area.
The Cederberg Wilderness Area lies about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Cape Town. It covers roughly 175,000 acres (71,000 hectares) between the towns of Citrusdal and Clanwilliam.
If you enjoy visiting the back country then try to spend at least three days driving through dramatic valleys, staying at isolated farmsteads and hiking in the hills.
The Olifants River system begins in the area.
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The rocky layers belong to the Cape Supergroup. The bottoms of the valleys are covered by the Bokkeveld mudstones on which the Western Cape's vineyards and fruit orchards thrive.
Rock Formations and Landscapes
The sandstone rock formations of the Cederberg, sculpted for millions of years by wind, water and temperature gradients are whimsical. Some have become landmarks such as the Maltese cross, Lot’s wife or the Wolfberg Arch. Some just talk to one’s imagination while hiking, running or mountain biking the trails.
The dominating characteristic of the area is sharply defined sandstone rock formations (Table Mountain Group), often reddish in colour.
The rock in the Cederberg Wilderness Area is mainly sandstone. This rock erodes, or wears away, easily. The erosion has resulted in many spectacular rock formations. Among the best-known formations are the Wolfberg Arch, Lot’s Wife, the Maltese Cross, and Stadsaalgrotte (Town Hall Caves).
Past the Valley of the Red Gods where whimsical rock formations dot the dirt track, the path becomes narrow and winds its way seriously up the mountain towards the Wolfberg Cracks.
The sandstone overhang shelters a clear and beautiful depiction of a group of elephants and men from the elements. The burgundy red natural pigments have withstood the years and the interpretation of this rock art is still open to many heated discussions amongst researchers.
Wolfberg Arch
After the brutal hike up, two options are available: the wide crack or the Wolfberg Cracks. The latter? Narrow cracks where scrambling is the only way to go through. At this stage, most of the hard work has been completed and the rest of the trail is fairly flat. Eventually, the arch sticks out, far in the distance.
Majestically, it towers the wilderness that surrounds us fully. At sunset, as the Wolfberg Arch turns even more golden, grey reedbucks run across the arid landscape and a klipspringer breaks the orange sky with its elegant silhouette atop a rock.
Its name (meaning “the city hall” in Afrikaans) does not only refer to the majestic architecture of the cave, but also to the meeting place where the Nationalist Party members gathered to plan their 1948 victory. These general elections put the head of the party, Malan, into office. As prime minister, he implemented the apartheid promoted by his party.
Out of the cave, it is a wonderful playground for adventure seekers. While some rock-climbing routes are maintained by the Mountain Club of South Africa with permanent raw bolts for safety, others are practiced by experienced climbers leaving no trace, and bouldering is a fun option to everyone.
The Upper Peninsula Formation, above the Pakhuis tillite layer, is considerably softer and more easily eroded than the lower Formation. In the Cederberg it has been sculpted by wind erosion into many fantastic shapes and caverns, for which these mountains have become famous.
Ancient Rock Art
An example of San Rock Art
The Cederberg Wilderness Area is also known for rock art, which can be seen on rock faces and in caves. Indigenous, or native, peoples created this art between 300 and 6,000 years ago.
In caves and overhangs throughout the area, San rock art can be found, evidence of the earliest human inhabitants.
The Khoisan are the indigenous people of Southern Africa who used to roam these lands thousands of years ago, way before the Bantu and European people arrived in the region. Exploited and exterminated by Bantu tribes and European colonists, only very few remain today.
With no written history, it is their rock paintings that best bears witness to their culture. The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park showcases about 30,000 of these paintings while about 2,500 rock art sites are scattered over the Cederberg - to mention the sites that were found as many hard-to-reach caves and overhangs may host more sites.
If the oldest ones were painted 8,000 years ago, the rock paintings in Stadsaal are the best preserved and are estimated to be at least 1,000-year-old.
The study of thousands of sites has been giving hints into the meaning of these often spiritual paintings. Often an effort by the Khoisan’s spiritual leader to bring rain, an attempt to heal the sick, or a way to guarantee a good hunt drawing strength from powerful animals such as these majestic elephants?
However, science has decoded the techniques used to create the rock art. Standings by the rock paintings, with an expansive view on the wilderness, things have not changed much here since the time of the Khoisan people.
There are also some extraordinary rock formations and fascinating flora and fauna.
Flora and Fauna
The Cederberg Wilderness Area is home to baboons, hyraxes, and duikers and klipspringers (types of antelope). Porcupines, badgers, and aardvarks also live in the area. The largest predator is the leopard. There are also many birds, rodents, and snakes.
Some of South Africa’s rarest native plants grow in the region. They make up a unique mixture of vegetation called fynbos. The snow protea grows on some of the highest mountain peaks.
The predominant vegetation is Mediterranean fynbos in the wetter south and west, changing to semi desert scrub in the north and east.
The area's apex predators are the felids leopard (Panthera pardus) and caracal (Caracal caracal). Other mammals include the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) or "dassie", meerkats (Suricata suricatta) and other mongooses (Herpestidae), larger antelopes (e.g. bontebok Damaliscus pygargus dorcas and gemsbok Oryx gazella), the vulnerable Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra), and chacma baboons (Papio ursinus).
The Cederberg is home to amazing animals. Big cats like the leopard and caracal live here. You might also see rock hyraxes (also called "dassies"), meerkats, and other mongooses.
Larger animals include different kinds of antelopes, and the vulnerable Cape mountain zebra. Chacma baboons are also common.
Some special fish also live in the Cederberg rivers. These include the Clanwilliam yellowfish, Clanwilliam redfin, and sawfin.
The Cederberg is home to a variety of wildlife, including baboons, dassies, grey rhebok, klipspringers, duiker, and grysbok. Porcupine, honey badger, Cape clawless otter, and aardvark are also present, although rarely seen. The leopard is the largest predator in the Cederberg and, though shy, is fairly common.
Smaller mammals include the African wild cat, lynx, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, and Cape fox. The small grey mongoose and striped polecat are often seen. The region also hosts more than 100 bird species, with black eagles, rock kestrels, and jackal buzzards being the most common raptors.
There are about 16 snake species, the most common being the berg adder, puff adder, and Cape cobra. The armadillo lizard is one of the endemic reptiles found here.
Climate
Summers in the Cederberg are very hot and dry. Winters are colder and get more rain. The highest peaks sometimes get a light dusting of snow in winter. Most summer days have clear, sunny skies. Because the skies are so clear, it's a great spot for stargazing.
Winters in the Cederberg are cold and wet, while summers are warm and dry. Most rain falls between June and September, often accompanied by snow on the higher parts. In winter, nighttemperatures drop sharply, and heavy frost may occur, whereas summer temperatures can reach as high as 40°C.
The peaks often see snow, and the lower slopes may also experience snow in some areas.
Modern Activities
As a wilderness area, the primary activity is eco-tourism, including camping, rock climbing and hiking.
The Cederberg is renowned for its quality of rock climbing routes particularly around the Krakadouw and Tafelberg peaks. The Table Mountain Sandstone creates ideal conditions for spectacular routes.
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