Cederberg – Hiking

Explore the land of crazy rock formations! Visit the Cederberg and experience Cederberg – Hiking.

The Cederberg mountains and nature reserve are located near Clanwilliam (+ 300km north of Cape Town). Cederberg – Hiking in the wilderness area encompasses 71 000 hectares of rugged serrated sandstone cliffs, and deep valleys, making it a hikers paradise. Forming part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, it is covered in mountain fynbos including laurel protea, red disa, rooibos, and the rare endemic snow protea. The rich wildlife in the region includes porcupine, honey badger, Cape clawless otter, aardvark, African wild cat, lynx, bat-eared fox, aardwolf, Cape fox, baboons, dassies, grey rhebok, klipspringer, duiker, leopard and grysbok.

Famous landmarks worth hiking to include the Wolfberg Arch and Wolfberg Cracks, Welbedacht Cave, Tafelberg, the Maltese Cross and Sneeuberg (2 026m).

Freezing in winter and scalding hot in summer. Spring’s the best time , with full streams and lovely flowers.

4×4 vehicles make hidden oases accessible -such as the highest vineyards in the country, San rock paintings, historic mission villages still handmaking leather shoes and other rare experiences.

 

 

 

Cederberg – Hiking and walks

There is a wide choice of accommodation options from camping, self catering cottages to 5 star lodges.

One of the best ways to experience the area and its people is to walk the Heritage Route founded by among others, the Moravian Church at Wupperthal, Wupperthal Tourism and Western Cape Nature Conservation Board. This is a slack-packing trail with overnight accommodation, catering and porterage of hikers luggage, utilizing facilities provided by the local communities. These tours were set up to promote sustainable eco-tourism in the Cederberg region and incorporate various fields of interest such as flora and fauna, geology, archaeology, botany, rock art, history, culture and  heritage.

The journey begins with a donkey cart ride over a mountain range into the heart of the Cederberg wilderness. Overnight accommodation is at a Moravian mission hamlet where the indigenous people are mostly subsistence farmers and craftsmen. Guiding is by local escorts who take hikers through fields of fynbos and rooibos tea and  over unique rock formations to the next  quaint village for another memorable experience of warm local hospitality. Trails can be 3 or 4 nights and tailor-made to suit fitness levels.

The guided walk in the picturesque Cederberg also offers time to experience the magnificent fauna and flora and the possibility of spotting animals like the klipspringer, duiker, grey rhebok and the elusive Cape Leopard