Sneeuberg to Tafelberg (Cedarberg) Sep 2007

Gordon and Shaun arrived at my place at around 18:30 on Friday night. We quickly packed all we needed, then started driving through town and then towards Krugersdorp. Initially we made slow time but beyond Vryburg we started pushing a bit, arriving in Calvinia at around 07:00. Before we got to Nieuwoudtville we had to wait 25 minutes at a Stop/Go roadwork section but beyond that we did reasonably well, arriving at Algeria forestry station just after 11:00. Dad and Daniel (my brother) were already there so we quickly added telephone numbers for Gordon and Shaun on our route description and left it with the forestry rangers before driving off towards Sanddrif. At the Eikeboom we stopped, packed Shaun’s plastic crate with all we wanted to have available halfway, and hid the crate a little higher up behind a rock. We put a few large rocks on top and then covered it all up with an old dead waboom. Then we carried on to Kromrivier where unpacked all the bags. While Gordon and Daniel transported Gordon’s car to Sanddrif, the three of us remaining, packed our bags and sorted out some gear. They were back within 45 minutes and in short time we were ready to go.

Day 1 (22 Sep): The wind was blowing cold and hard when we started walking, going past the Kromrivier campsite and then headed up towards the ridge behind Kromrivier. This path was suggested to Dad by Tony Gibson, a Western Cape MCSA member. We initially walked through some scrub veld but halfway up the ridge we picked up the track and followed it from here onwards. We spotted two hikers a little ahead of us and when we arrived on the ridge, met Tony Gibson and his wife. We chatted for a short while before we took the lead, heading into the Breekkrans valley. Apparently there was a good place to camp at Breekkransfontein, or Bakmakerskraal as Tony called it. We arrived there at around 16:00 and looked for a bit of shelter from the wind in among the ruins that stood around the spot. We found a reasonable spot and rested before we started boiling some water for a dinner of soup, bread and cold boerewors. After dinner we walked around for a bit and played on the strange rock formations scattered in the area. The wind was blowing strongly from the north west and bringing some cloud with it. Having decided to just take the one 3-man tent and my Dad’s bivvy, the weather looked a little worrisome to us. We were just getting ready to climb into our sleeping bags (having decided to bivvy for the night as well), when a very light drizzle spattered on us. We quickly decided to pitch the tent and then also helped Dad to arrange space blankets and his bivvy bag to shelter against heavier rain. Throughout the night there was some wind and the occasional light drizzle but nothing serious.

Day 2 (23 Sep): We woke to a cloudy and cold morning with the north westerly still blowing hard down the valley. We saw a pretty sunrise but then the sun disappeared and it looked like we’d be in for a cold day. After breakfast and packing up we started out on the trail, initially keeping well on track. However, as we went higher in the valley, the fynbos got thicker and the path less and less distinct. We went past the actual Breekkrans on the opposite side of the valley where a huge chunk of rock must have broken off at some point and eventually also saw the Breekkrans twins a little higher up. Heavy cloud and the occasional drizzle still drifted in on the strong north westerly but we were making good progress up the valley. At one point we saw a good indication of where the wagons used to pass on the Ou Kaapse Pad and it amazed us that they were able to come down this valley. As we got higher in the valley, the weather progressively got worse, until shortly before a pretty waterfall, there was a reasonably steady drizzle. Just beyond this waterfall I noticed a little bit of an overhang higher up on the right slope of the valley. It looked like it could provide us with shelter and as we were pretty much on schedule in terms of where we wanted to be for the day, I decided to have a look at it. Gordon and I walked up to it and discovered that it was actually a rather dismal shelter but that we could squeeze in there if needed. Back at the bottom I turned the decision into a democratic vote. It was decided 3 vs 1 that we go up to the shelter. It was cold and wet and we all needed some warmth and to get dry so I thought it was a good decision. Dad and Shaun marched up while Gordon and I collected water. At the shelter we rigged the tent’s flysheet to keep out the worst of the wind and drizzle and then started making place for us to sleep. I volunteered to sleep in the worst spot which was a rocky bit in a very very tight squeeze under the overhang. In fact, it was so narrow that I had great difficulty turning around when lying flat on the spot. After we all warmed up in the sleeping bags for the rest of the afternoon we finally got up to start preparing dinner. We also immediately boiled some water for soup and other hot drinks to help with the warming up process. After dinner we started feeling much better and also noticed that the wind shifted direction to a south easterly. We got into bed pretty early on but due to the lack of comfort none of us really slept all that well.

Day 3 (24 Sep): We were up early and were very happy to see a clear sky and sun rising in the east. After breakfast we took a gentle slope back towards the river and then angled up towards the crest of the saddle in the distance. We aimed for a little rise to the right of the saddle and soon after topping this, found ourselves back on the path. The wind was blowing strong and bitterly cold so we wore longs and headed for the patches of sunshine between the shadows of the mountains. On the contour path we made good time, stopping occasionally to take in the beautiful valley to the west and stunning examples of the typical folding of the Cape mountains. We contoured below Donkerkloof kop and eventually ascended very slowly up the valley towards Bakleikraal. We stopped in this valley for tea before continuing, arriving at the top of the saddle at Bakleikraal where we found a sloping boulder which could provide reasonable wind shelter. We started ascending towards Kokpoort while looking down the valley where Kromrivier farm lies at the bottom. Reaching the top of Kokspoort, I wanted to climb the Pup. Dad decided to take a break and Gordon, Shaun and I headed up the slopes of the point summit just before the Pup. Traversing a little lower than the other two, I discovered a pretty good rock shelter that was certainly much better than our previous night’s shelter. We climbed the final slopes of the Pup and had a few scrambles to do before reaching the summit. With a breathtaking view to Sneeuberg and across the valley to Tafelberg and Wolfberg, it was a very good summit to get. Back down at Kokspoort we were very hungry and took a fast walk down the valley to the first stream we could find. We sat for a long and lazy lunch before getting up and exploring the area. This was going to be the area of our camp for the day so we scouted for a campsite as well as interesting rock formations. We found a reasonable spot and decided to sleep outside without pitching the tent. As the day drew to a close, we hiked over to the Maltese Cross. Back at camp I started with dinner which was rice and curry. With our tummies full, we went to bed.

Day 4 (25 Sep): Waking before sunrise, all of us except Dad walked back to the Maltese Cross for pictures of the sunrise on the cross. Back at the camp we discovered it dewed during the night, wetting our bags. It dropped to 0.5 degrees C in the early morning. After breakfast we decided to leave our bags to dry out and head straight up to Sneeuberg. Taking some water and snacks we headed up the higher path. We were looking for a trail that led up Sneeuberg but shortly before we expected to find it, decided to head up a spur instead of losing height. Some way up the spur we caught up to the path and steeply climbed higher. It was a beautiful warm morning and the sweat was dripping early on. We rested a short while halfway up the east face gully at a little stream. Making progress, we got to the saddle of the gully where Dad saw a snow protea. We sat here and took photos – the snow protea occur only on Sneeuberg and Sneeukop, nowhere else on Earth. The wind was blowing cold so we made our way up the ridge and before long, found ourselves below the summit blocks of Sneeuberg. There was some old snow and ice all over the place and it was very cold in the wind. Our first attempt around the left didn’t work, neither did our second attempt when we traversed to the right. A thousand cairns littered the eastern flanks and all of them seemed to run into dead-ends. We tried all options until we discovered a very steep grassy slope leading into some sandstone cracks. Shaun and Gordon made an attempt but it started looking very dodgy from where I was standing and I decided to call it off. Dad was sitting about 15m below us when I decided to call it a day and return. On our way back I saw a different route which may lead up to the top. I stopped the others and climbed on a little. The way went to a small saddle from where you could climb a little higher and it looked promising. I called the others and we climbed up to the block in a strong wind. From here we scrambled a little more before going into a 4-metre tall crack which we had to chimney up. On top of this block we were very close but not quite there yet. Dad, Shaun and Gordon scrambled around a bit but gave up at this point. I pushed on a little more, climbing onto a very exposed block, then crawling onto a ledge right on the edge. This ledge led to a very thin crack that I tried to squeeze into but it was simply too much for me as well. I must have been within 10m of the summit and decided to leave it as is. We then took our time to descend down the tricky bits and got back to the saddle. We descended down the gully and arrived back at our camp about 12:15. We had a nice long lunch in the warmth before packing our bags and heading for Sneeuberg hut, about 5km distant. On the way we spotted a little hill with what looked like Ceder trees on it. We dropped our packs to go and have a look and spent a good 20 minutes taking pictures of the trees. From the hill the path dropped to the hut, skirting around a vlei. At the hut we took a long rest before we starting to play around on the rocks around the hut. We decided to have an early start the next day as we had to hike about 15km. Dad relinquished his outside bed to sleep inside, making our start easier the next morning. Shortly after 17:00 another group showed up. They hiked Duiwelsgat from Algeria that day and were very tired. They preferred to sleep outside and pitched their tents just behind the hut. Our dinner consisted of cous-cous, tuna, mussels, oysters and cheese-sauce.

Day 5 (26 Sep): We left the hut before sunrise and I enjoyed the walk past Hoogvertoon tremendously. As we descended down the valley we took lots of pictures and eventually got to the Tierhok which was used to trap leopards. Just past the next little stream we saw a plaque in memory of Francois Genis who died on 11 Sep 1999. He drowned in the stream when we had just arrived in the Cederberg, 8 years previously. We arrived at our food dump before 10:00 and were happy to remove all our rubbish. I had a leisurely shave before hitching the packs for the long walk on the road. Walking on the road was painful and we had about 6km in all to do. We walked to the saddle north of Rondeheuwel before we had a rest. At the turnoff to Driehoek farm we noticed a signpost for an MCSA minicamp. Shortly thereafter we arrived at the oak trees at Welbedacht where we had a snack. Then we crossed the stream and tackled the climb up to Welbedacht cave. We took it slowly but still got over halfway before we sat for lunch. Not long after we got to the turnoff to Welbedacht cave. There was very little water at the cave and the little that was there was not fit to drink. I walked back and filled the Drom bag. After a good rest, all of us made our way to the stream for a bath. Later that afternoon we took pictures of a lizard sipping some water from a water bottle’s lid. Some clouds were pushing up the Uitkyk valley and we wondered if it will reach us. After dinner we headed for our beds, knowing that the next day would be a hard climb to the top of Tafelberg.

Day 6 (27 Sep): After a good night’s sleep we had breakfast and headed up to the Shale band. Soon we were on our way up to the terrace below the Tafelberg scree slope, arriving in beautiful sunshine at the top. Giving Dad a chance to rest a bit, the three of us climbed Consolation peak. Some interesting scrambling followed and we arrived at the top with beautiful views of Tafelberg and Sneeuberg. Back down we collected water and filled our Drom bags. With a bag weighing close to 30kgs I took my time up the scree slope. Dad got a nice head start and when I arrived at Spout cave he and Shaun had just arrived. It was cold at the cave since it was still in Tafelberg’s shade. We took a good rest and waited for the sun to make its appearance. Then we hitched the heavy packs once more and headed up to the saddle and up into the steep gully on the east face. It was as steep as I remember it and it was hard work with the heavy packs. Dad crawled through a hole short of the chock stone at the top of the gully. I thought he was mistaken but he told me that he had used this access route previously. However, his route was certainly harder than the normal route and he eventually had to return. Past the chock stone hole we scrambled out on the left of the first tricky section, passing bags across at the top. Then came the chain which turned out to be very hard to climb with such a heavy pack. But we all arrived safely on top and sat heaving for a while. We took some pictures at the flying saucer before we heard another group coming up and waited for them to get to the top of the chain. Then we moved on again, climbing all the way to the first beacon where we had lunch. After a good rest we went for a long walk across the strange landscape, first going to the other beacon, then across the entire top of the mountain. I had a bath in one of the pools of water which collected on top and both Dad and I took lots of pictures. Trying to take a picture, Dad took a bit of a fall and got a few nasty scrapes for his efforts – these we cleaned and disinfected back at camp. Later in the afternoon we found a good spot for the night. The clouds were still heavy to the west and it promised to be a very pretty sunset. The wind picked up towards sunset and we decided to pitch the tent once more to keep the wind out but Dad insisted in bivvying outside. We watched the sun go down and took beautiful silhouette pics.

Day 7 (28 Sep): We woke to a stunning morning but it was a little chilly with the wind still going at it. We descended quickly down the chains, down the gully, down the scree and finally down to the shale band. Dad was taking it slow and I could see his knee was hurting. But stubborn as always, he kept it up and we made to Die Rif for an early lunch and relaxed under the cedar trees. Then it was a slow and steady walk on the path up to Gabriel’s pass. It was hot in the early afternoon sun and we took it slow. Arriving at the top, I dropped my pack and walked a little down the other side to collect water. It wasn’t the best – tasted a little metallic – but rather funny water than no water. Carrying about 7 litres extra, I slowly made my way to the top and caught up with the others who went ahead. It wasn’t long before we saw the Wolfberg arch and we took a whole bunch of pics as we approached. By now the wind had picked up once more and it was funnelling fiercely through the arch. We got a little shelter beneath a large boulder but I wanted to climb the arch again. For a second time being on top of the arch, it brought back distant memories. Our initial plan was to stay at the arch till after sunset and moonrise to get some nice pictures before doing a night walk to the cracks. But since the moon only rose after 20:00 the previous night it meant we would have to wait till almost 21:00 on this night. Added to this, the wind was getting to be really unpleasant. So we decided to wait until 16:30 before walking to the cracks and sleep at the top. It was still about an hour and a half to go, so with Dad taking a well-deserved break, the three of us trundled off to climb Wolfberg itself, a trig beacon we could see sticking out on a pile of rocks about 500m distant. This turned out to be very interesting: after a few steep scrambles we found ourselves on the inside of a cathedral of rock spires with alleyways going all over the place – almost as if this place was cut off from the rest of the Cedarberg. We got to the beacon, took a few pics and then found a different route down. This route was obviously used but we ended up scrambling and sliding down a steep crack and I recalled Aaron Ralston’s pictures of where he got his arm stuck in a similar-looking canyon and eventually had to saw off his own arm to free himself… But we made it back to the arch without incident and shortly after started walking again. We were tired and consequently took it very slow, resting often. The wind was howling over the top of Wolfberg and an ominous bank of black cloud was pushing in from the Atlantic, already covering Sneeuberg. We finally got to the top of the cracks at around 18:00. We dropped our packs and went looking for a spot of shelter, hoping to find an overhang so we won’t need to pitch the tent. Walking to the north, I found a beautiful canyon, about 15m deep, that would have been an awesome sleeping spot, had it not been for the wind channelling down it. But right next to it was a flattish slab of sandstone with a reasonable amount of overhang. We settled for this and had some pasta and biltong for dinner. Our water reserves were down to a single litre per person so we decided not to wash pots since we only had one day left. Continuously watching the bank of cloud in the west, we went to bed. I had a restless night for some reason and watched the moon rise and Scorpio set, with the occasional wisp of cloud creating beautiful moon halos.

Day 8 (29 Sep): It never rained during the night and when we woke up, the wind had settled somewhat. After breakfast we started the walk down the Adderley street crack and soon stood at the bottom of the cracks. We dropped our packs and then made our way up to the magnificent main crack where we spent almost an hour exploring, taking pictures and gazing in awe at this, probably the most majestic feature of the Cedarberg among the countless. We made our way up through the worm hole and arrived back at the top where we took a few more pictures before descending down the Adderley street crack again. Halfway down we walked into my brother and sister in law who had left Cape Town early, drove through, and hiked up from the Valley of the Red Gods. Together we descended, with Dad taking a lot of strain on the downhill. A very large group of mostly American youngsters were on their way up and they pulled away in disgust from us as our 8-days-without-a-decent-bath-bodies slithered past them – there were probably about a hundred of them. We eventually made it down to the parking area where Dad hobbled into the car and I decided to walk the last little bit through the Valley of the Red Gods for old times sake. Back in Sanddrif I dropped my pack and turned to my Dad. As we hugged the tears flowed – this was more than likely the last time my Dad would do such a big hike, and to be there to share it with him, was memorable. Thirteen years ago I did my first ever wilderness hike, here in the Cedarberg, with my Dad, and now we did it again. Thank you Dad, for introducing me to the mountains, for teaching me the way of the hills and for making me what I am today.