 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| Cederberg Wilderness Area | |
|---|---|
 Sneeuberg, the highest peak in the Cederberg, with the Maltese Cross in the foreground. | |
  | |
| Location | West Coast, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Nearest city | Clanwilliam |
| Coordinates | 32°20′S19°5′E / 32.333°S 19.083°E /-32.333; 19.083 |
| Area | 710 km2 (270 sq mi) |
| Established | 1973 |
| Governing body | CapeNature |
| World Heritage site | 2004(Cape Floral Region Protected Areas) |
| www | |
| Part of | Cape Floral Region Protected Areas |
| Criteria | Natural: ix, x |
| Reference | 1007-002 |
| Inscription | 2004 (28thSession) |
| Extensions | 2015 |
TheCederberg mountains are located nearClanwilliam, approximately 300 km north ofCape Town, South Africa at about32°30′S19°0′E / 32.500°S 19.000°E /-32.500; 19.000. The mountain range is named after the endangeredClanwilliam cedar (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis), which is a treeendemic to the area. The mountains are noted for dramaticrock formations andSanrock art. The Cederberg Wilderness Area is administered byCapeNature.
Cederberg is now the generally accepted spelling for the area, which combines the English (Cedarberg) andAfrikaans (Sederberg) variants.
The Cederberg mountains extend about 50 km north–south by 20 km east–west. They are bordered on the west by theSandveld, the north by thePakhuis Mountains, the east by theSpringbok Flats and the south by theKouebokkeveld Mountains and theSkurweberge. The main access road, theN7, runs to the west of the range. The nearest towns areCitrusdal to the southwest andClanwilliam to the north. The area is sparsely populated.
There are several notable mountains in the range, including Sneeuberg (2026 m) and Tafelberg (1969 m). Tafelberg (Afrikaans for "Table Mountain") should not be confused with theTable Mountain inCape Town. Notable landmarks include the Maltese Cross, Wolfberg Arch and Wolfberg Cracks.
The dominating characteristic of the area is sharply definedsandstone rock formations (Table Mountain Group), often reddish in colour. This group of rocks contains bands ofshale and in recent years a few importantfossils have been discovered in these argillaceous layers. The fossils are of primitive fish and date back 450 million years to theOrdovician Period.[3]
The summers are very hot and dry, while the winters are wetter and cold with typical annual rainfall in the low-lying areas of less than 700 mm. The higher peaks receive a dusting of snow in winter. Summer days are typically clear and cloudless. Due to the clear skies most of the year, it makes an excellent site forskywatching and has its own amateurobservatory.
The predominant vegetation is Mediterraneanfynbos in the wetter south and west, changing to semi desert scrub in the north and east. TheendangeredClanwilliam cedar (Widdringtonia wallichii) of thefamilyCupressaceae and thesnow protea (Protea cryophila) of theProteaceae areendemic to the area, found only in more remote areas high up in the mountains.
The area'sapex predators are thefelidsleopard (Panthera pardus) andcaracal (Caracal caracal). Other mammals include therock hyrax (Procavia capensis) or "dassie",meerkats (Suricata suricatta) and othermongooses (Herpestidae), largerantelopes (e.g.bontebokDamaliscus pygargus dorcas andgemsbokOryx gazella), thevulnerableCape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra), andchacma baboons (Papio ursinus). There are also many birds, small mammals,reptiles and insects.
Otherthreatened species found in the Cederberg Wilderness Area include thecyprinidsClanwilliam yellowfish (Labeobarbus capensis, vulnerable),Clanwilliam redfin (Barbus calidus, vulnerable) andsawfin (Barbus serra, endangered).
In caves and overhangs throughout the area,San rock art can be found, evidence of the earliest human inhabitants. European settlement brought forestry and some agriculture, and led to massive destruction of the local cedar trees, with thousands felled fortelephone poles, furniture and housing. The European arrival also led to the elimination of the San population. In the north, the oldMoravianmission station ofWupperthal still remains, the heart of a small subsistence farming community, and home to a local industry producingveldskoene, traditional soft leather shoes.
The Cederberg was possibly the southernmost battleground of theSecond Boer War. A small band ofBoerguerrillas penetrated into this area from theBoer republics, hundreds of kilometres to the north, hoping to stir up popular support amongst the local farmers ofDutch descent. In this they failed; the farmers may have had little sympathy for theBritish but they had a fair notion of who was going to win the war. It is said that the Boer commandos were confronted in the Cederberg by a lone Englishman, who ordered them to surrender. They laughed at him, because he was one and they were many and tried to reason with him, pointing out the hopelessness of his position. He refused to back down and was in the end shot dead. The place where he fell is today calledEngelsmanskloof ("Englishman's ravine").
Arable land is limited by the altitude, the dry climate, and the rocky terrain, and few farms exist.Rooibos tea is the area's most famous export, though fruit and tobacco are also harvested on some farms. The Cederberg area includes onewinery, the highest in South Africa.[4] Around the Wupperthal area are a number ofsubsistence farms. Some commercialpine plantations remain around the Algeria forest station.Proteas and otherfynbos plants are also grown. A number of farms have become predominantly guest farms catering for the local and international tourist market.
As a wilderness area, the primary activity iseco-tourism, includingcamping,rock climbing and hiking. The main campsite, Algeria, is operated byCapeNature, while others such as Sanddrif, Driehoek, Jamaka and Kromrivier are privately operated and form the Cedarberg Conservancy, a voluntary association of landowners.[5]
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. There are numerous day and overnight hikes including the popular and spectacular Wolfberg Arch, Wolfberg Cracks and the Maltese Cross.
The area is also home to an amateur astronomical observatory, which regularly hosts open evenings for the public.[6]
There are various 4x4 routes.
A large tract of the northern Cederberg is owned by theMoravian Church. The quaint village ofWupperthal forms part of a mission station route that provides visitors with an interesting view of rural life. The village is also a well known centre for hand-made leather shoes and boots. One of the "buite stasies" (directly translated as outer stations) is Heuningvlei, a small picturesque hamlet that is in the process of developing a donkey cart trail from the summit ofPakhuis Pass to the hamlet. The project, a poverty alleviation project funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, includes the creation of backpacking accommodation, herb garden and various other tourism offerings.[7]
The Cederberg is also the site of theSenior Scout Adventure, a 12-day event forScouts run every second year byScouts South Africa.[8]
Media related toCederberg at Wikimedia Commons