CEDERBERG CIRCUIT

About 300km’s north of Cape Town lies the remote, mountainous region of the Cederberg. Despite its proximity to the city, the Cederberg is a wild magical place known for its rugged mountain ranges, unique climate, and biodiversity forming part of the Cape Floral kingdom.
Originally home to the San hunter gathers who left their mystic images of elephant, leopard and antelope in the numerous overhangs and caves deep in the mountains, this area was colonised in the early 1700’s. With temperatures of up to 40°C in summer and bitter cold snowy winters, the early pioneers committed themselves to a life of hardship, farming in isolated valleys on acres of water scarce land. Many of these homesteads have been handed down through the generations and have become highly successful wine farms producing award winning wines, orange farms or exporters of Rooibos tea that has become a popular beverage all over the world. There were also many ‘failed farmers’ who were not so lucky and were forced to abandon their homes. The ruins of historic vernacular homesteads, cottages and other buildings are a sober reminder of just how hard it was to try to live in this tough environment, but they do make great photographic subjects.
With striking rock formations moulded by the weathering of sedimentary Table Mountain sandstone, this area is renowned for its excellent hiking, rock climbing and bouldering. ‘Rocklands’ along the Pakhuis pass is a world recognised bouldering destination and whether it is an easy stroll to the magnificent Windows Rocks or an over night excursion to Sneeuberg peak the Cederberg has something for everyone.
Spring is flower season in this region when Mother nature shows her love and spreads a myriad of colourful flowers into the veld, transforming the red baked soil into fields of colour. Farmers in the area open their gates and allow visitors to wander amongst the flowers, to take photographs and marvel at the transformation. With the smell of orange blossom in the warm spring air it is a wonderful time to visit the area, not too hot during the day but cool enough to enjoy a cosy fire at night.
Many of the Cederberg roads are untarred and require 4x4 vehicles, so if you enjoy driving off the beaten track this is the place to be. It is also a popular destination for motorcyclists out for an adventure or if you prefer to use leg power, the mountain biking is spectacular. Apart from the untarred roads there are several designated mountain bikes routes that have been developed on private farms that offer great technical riding and magnificent views.
Summertime, November to March, can be exceptionally hot and dry with temperatures reaching 40°c at times making physical activities such as hiking, bouldering, mountain biking etc a challenge. This is a water scarce area, and you will need to be prepared. However, if basking in the sun next to a sparkling mountain pool or sipping ice cold white wine is more your scene you should have no problem visiting at this time.
Although it is a winter rainfall region it gets much less rain than the rest of the Western Cape and can be the perfect season (mid-May to August) to hike, climb or boulder during the warm sunny days. For the rest of the year the Cederberg has extremely pleasant weather. So, whether you are discovering the history of the remote mission station at Wuppertal, wine tasting at Cederberg Cellar on Dwarsrivier farm or heading into the mountains by foot or on bike, the breath-taking rugged beauty of this region will keep you spell bound.
For detailed information on this region please head to: cederberg.com