Cederberg Wilderness Area | Western
Cape Game Reserves and National Parks: The Cederberg Wilderness Area lies some
200 km north of Cape Town. This vast area stretches from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal
to north of the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam, encompassing some 71 000 ha of rugged,
mountainous terrain. The Cederberg was proclaimed a wilderness area in 1973, and as such
enjoys the highest possible conservation status. The Cederberg is renowned for its
spectacular landscapes and rock formations, as well as its namesake, the increasingly rare
Clanwilliam cedar tree.
Cederberg Wilderness Area: The Cederberg
mountains are part of the Cape folded mountain series and consist mainly of Table Mountain
sandstone. Weathered sandstone formations, most notably the Wolfberg Arch and the Maltese
Cross, are typical of the Cederberg. The mountains fall within the catchment area of the
Cape fynbos region, and are managed as a source of water.
History of the Cederberg Area: San and Khoi peoples inhabited the Cederberg area from
early times. European settlers began stock farming here early in the eighteenth century,
and in 1876 a forester was appointed to oversee crown land in the mountains. This was
possibly the first attempt at conservation in the Cederberg. The camp-site Algeria was so
named by a French nobleman Count de Regne, who was in charge of state forests in the Cape
Colony. The mountainous environment and the cedar trees reminded him of the Atlas
Mountains in Algeria. From 1903 to 1973, exploitation of natural products was rampant in
the Cederberg. Large amounts of cedar wood, rooibos tea, buchu and rockwood bark were
harvested. Farmers even used the mountains to graze livestock in times of drought. Large
numbers of cedar trees were chopped down as the wood was in great demand for construction
- some 7 200 young trees were used as telephone poles between Piketberg and Calvinia.
Cedar trees are now on the brink of extinction. In 1967 the removal of dead cedar trees
was halted, and other forms of exploitation ended in 1973.
Winters in the Cederberg are cold and wet, while summers are warm and dry. The most rain
falls between May and September, and it often snows in the higher parts. In the winter,
night temperatures drop sharply and heavy frost may occur. In summer temperatures may
reach as high as 40°C. Lightning is the most common cause of periodic veld fires.
South-easterly winds predominate in the summer and also contribute to the high veld fire
risk.
Vegetation is predominantly mountain fynbos. The lower slopes support laurel protea, silky
conebush, sand olive and yellow daisies, with wild olives and mountain maytenus on the
rocky outcrops. Waboom veld also occurs at this lower altitude. The eye-catching
purply-blue ridderspoor, as well as rooibos tea and buchu grow against the lower cliffs.
Higher up one finds fynbos restio veld, with red disas in abundance along streams on the
plateau. The Clanwilliam cedar grows in the so-called cedar zone against cliffs and
overhangs at altitudes of more than 1 000 m above sea level. In the wetter ravines red and
white els, yellowwood, hard-pear and Cape beech occur, while wild olive, silky bark and
spoonwood prefer dryer kloofs. The endemic snow protea is perhaps the most attractive
plant on the highest peaks. It is very scarce, and is only found at a few sites in the
wilderness area.
Baboons, dassies, grey rhebok, klipspringers, duiker and grysbok are fairly common here.
Although porcupine, honey badger, Cape clawless otter and aardvark occur here, they are
seldom seen. The leopard is the Cederberg's largest predator, and is fairly common
although very shy. Smaller predators include African wild cat, lynx, bat-eared fox,
aardwolf and Cape fox. The small grey mongoose and striped polecat are often seen. Various
interesting rodents occur, including the spectacled dormouse.
More than 100 bird species occur here, with black eagle, rock kestrel and jackal
buzzard the most common raptors. The armadillo lizard is one of the endemic reptiles
occurring in the Cederberg. About 16 snake species are found here, the most common being
berg adder, puff adder and black spitting cobra. The Clanwilliam yellow fish, Clanwilliam
red fin minnow and fiery red fin minnow are but some of the threatened fish species
endemic to the Olifants River, which may be found in the larger rivers and streams of the
wilderness area.
Conservation Programmes: Cedar trees are becoming scarcer despite the protection offered
by the wilderness area. A cedar reserve of about 5 250 ha was created in 1987, in an
attempt to prevent the extinction of these trees. Extremely hot fires which are disastrous
for adult trees are limited, and instead cooler more frequent burning is practised. Cedar
trees are also being cultivated and each year about 8 000 year-old trees are planted in
suitable places within the reserve.
Recreation: The Cederberg Wilderness Area offers unsurpassed opportunities for recreation.
In the primitive wilderness, away from city bustle, one finds space and peace. Activities
which are compatible with the wilderness atmosphere, such as hiking and rock climbing, are
encouraged. Various hiking routes crisscross the wilderness area. These routes provide
access to the wilderness, and hikers may explore the area at will. Rock climbing is
popular and is permitted throughout the area, provided that rock surfaces do not become
damaged. The cliffs of the Krakadouw and Table Mountain peaks are the most popular
climbing sites.
There are hundreds of rocky overhangs and caves with fine examples of rock art. These
paintings may be anything from 300 to 6 000 years old, and are very sensitive to damage.
They are an integral part of the wilderness area's fascination and visitors should
discover them for themselves. Rock art is protected by the National Monuments Act, and
vandals who deface rock paintings face fines of up to R10 000 or two years imprisonment,
or both. |
Accommodation ranges
from budget to comfortable in this area. Towns with accommodation in this area include 
