The Cederberg mountains and nature reserve are located near Clanwilliam, approximately 300 km north of Cape Town, South Africa at about . A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak nature reserve ( natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is a Protected area of importance for Wildlife, flora For the Manitoba location see the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam. Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The mountain range is named after the endangered Clanwilliam Cedar (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis), which is a tree endemic to the area. Widdringtonia is a genus of Coniferous Trees in the Cupressaceae ( cypress family Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere The mountains are noted for dramatic rock formations and San rock art. This is a List of rock formations meaning isolated scenic or spectacular surface rock outcrops The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa Cave paintings are Paintings on Cave walls and ceilings and the term is used especially for those dating to Prehistoric times The Cederberg Wilderness Area is administered by Cape Nature Conservation.
Cederberg is now the generally accepted spelling for the area, which combines the English (Cedarberg) and Afrikaans (Sederberg) variants. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in
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Geography
The Cederberg mountains extend about 50 km north-south by 20 km east-west. They are bordered on the west by the Sandveld, the north by the Pakhuis Mountains, the East by the Springbok flats and the south by the Kouebokkeveld mountains and the Skurweberge. The main access road, the N7, runs to the west of the range. The nearest towns are Citrusdal to the southwest and Clanwilliam to the north. For the Manitoba location see the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam.
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 the Table Mountain in Cape Town. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in Table Mountain is a flat-topped Mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the Notable landmarks include the Maltese Cross, Wolfberg Arch and Wolfberg Cracks.
The dominating characteristic of the area is sharply defined sandstone rock formations (Table Mountain group), often reddish in colour. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. This group of rocks contains bands of shale and in recent years a few important fossils have been discovered in these argillaceous layers. Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system.
Climate
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 for skywatching and has its own amateur observatory. Amateur astronomy, a subset of Astronomy, is a Hobby whose participants enjoy studying and observing celestial objects An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial and/or celestial events
Vegetation
The predominant vegetation is Mediterranean Fynbos in the wetter south and west, changing to semi desert scrub in the north and east. Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring The endangered Clanwilliam Cedar (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis — more correctly classified as a cypress [1] — and the snow protea (Protea cryophila) are endemic to the area, found only in more remote areas high up in the mountains. Widdringtonia is a genus of Coniferous Trees in the Cupressaceae ( cypress family
Animals
The area's apex predators are leopards and caracals (the African Lynx). The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring The Caracal ( Caracal caracal) also called Persian Lynx or African Lynx, is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat. Other mammals include the rock hyrax ("dassie"), larger antelopes including bontebok and oryx and the rare mountain zebra, baboons, meerkats and mongooses. A hyrax (from Greek 'shrewmouse' Afrikaans: klipdassie, from Dutch: klipdas 'rockbadger' is any of four Species of fairly Antelope are Ruminant hoofed Mammals of the family Bovidae in the order of Even-toed ungulates. The Bontebok is an Antelope found in South Africa and Lesotho. ORYX is an encryption algorithm used in cellular communications The Mountain Zebra ( Equus zebra) is traditionally considered to be a species of Zebra, native to South-western Angola Namibia and South Africa The meerkat or suricate Suricata suricatta is a small Mammal and a member of the Mongoose family A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small There are also many birds, small mammals, reptiles and insects. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described
Human Activity
Historical
In caves and overhangs throughout the area, San rock art can be found, evidence of the earliest human inhabitants. The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa Cave paintings are Paintings on Cave walls and ceilings and the term is used especially for those dating to Prehistoric times European settlement brought forestry and some agriculture, and led to massive destruction of the local cedar trees, with thousands felled for telephone poles, furniture and housing. A utility pole, telegraph pole, telephone pole, power (electricity pole, or telegraph post is a Pole used to support overhead Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal The European arrival also led to the elimination of the San population. In the north, the old Moravian mission station of Wuppertal still remains, the heart of a small subsistence farming community, and home to a local industry producing velskoene, traditional soft leather shoes. This page is about the Moravian Church globally For information about the church in a particular geographic area use the links at Organisation below A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. ||-||} Wuppertal (ˈvʊpɐtaːl is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The Cederberg was possibly the southernmost battleground of the Second Boer War. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: A small band of Boer guerrillas penetrated into this area from the Boer republics, hundreds of kilometres to the north, hoping to stir up popular support amongst the local farmers of Dutch descent. Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc The Boer Republics (sometimes also referred to as Boer states were independent self-governed Republics created by the Dutch -speaking (proto Afrikaans) inhabitants The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. In this they failed; the farmers may have had little sympathy for the British but they had a fair notion of who was going to win the war. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 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 called Engelsmanskloof ("Englishman's ravine").
Agriculture
Arable land is limited by the altitude, the dry climate, and the rocky terrain, and few farms exist. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Rooibos tea is the area's most famous export, though fruit and tobacco are also harvested on some farms. Rooibos (ˈrɔɪbɒs like "roy-boss" Afrikaans for "red bush" scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a The Cederberg area includes one winery, the highest in South Africa. A winery is a building or property that produces Wine, or a business involved in the production of wine such as a wine company. Around the Wupperthal area are a number of subsistence farms. Some commercial pine plantations remain around the Algeria forest station. This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. Proteas and other fynbos plants are also grown. "Sugarbush" redirects here For the ski resort see Sugarbush Resort Protea is both the Botanical name Fynbos (ˈfəinbɒs or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/ meaning "fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural Shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring A number of farms have become predominantly guest farms catering for the local and international tourist market.
There are no mining activities.
Tourism
As a wilderness area, the primary activity is eco-tourism, including camping, rock climbing and hiking. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals Definition Camping describes a range of activities Survivalist campers set off with little more than their boots whereas Recreational vehicle travelers arrive equipped Rock climbing is a Sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage The main campsite, Algeria, is operated by Cape Nature Conservation, while others such as Sanddrif, Driehoek, Jamaka and Krom River are privately operated.
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.
There are various 4x4 routes.
A large tract of the northern Cederberg is owned by the Moravian Church. The quaint village of Wuppertal forms part of a mission station route that provides visitors with an interesting view of rural life. The village is also a well known center 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 of Pakhuis 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. It is anticipated that this project will be fully operational by December 2007.
Scouting
The Cederberg is also the site of the Senior Scout Adventure, a 10-day event for Scouts run every second year by the South African Scout Association. The South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM recognized Scouting association in South Africa Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide Youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical mental and spiritual The South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM recognized Scouting association in South Africa
External links
- Cape Nature Conservation Cederberg page
- The Clanwilliam Cedar and its conservation status.
- Cederberg Astronomical Observatory
- Cederberg Winery
- Images of the Cederberg Mountains
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