If you ever come to Cape Town, I have the best hiking tip for you: the Cederberg Wilderness!
It’s 2.5-hour drive from Cape Town, but so worth it. As an extra bonus, this unspoiled, rugged area is very much off the grid and non-touristy. We did two hikes and didn’t meet a single person on both days.
Together with our two hiking buddies, we set out on the first day to see the Maltese Cross, an awe-inspiring rock formation in the middle of nowhere. After about an hour of hiking, we turned a corner and suddenly, the colossal cross came into view. It’s about 20 metres (66 ft) high. As we get closer, we really got to appreciate how massive it is.
We hiked back and stayed overnight in one of the cottages at the small Sanddrif lodge. It was situated along the Matjies River with crystal clear water. Of course, we went for a dip!
The next day, we got set out at 6am to hike to the legendary Wolfberg Cracks.
It started quite innocently with a one-hour hike up a mountain. Once we got close to the top, we could choose between two cracks: a tricky, narrow one and an easy, wide one. Both routes lead to the very top of the mountain.
We chose the more adventurous narrow crack. The people from the lodge had given us instructions on how to enter the crack: we should crawl through a small gap on the left of a big boulder. But the gap looked very small and we figured that it couldn’t be right (it was right). Finally, Kai spotted some bolts and loops in a wall, so we decided to climb up that route.
From then on, it got even more interesting. We scrambled over boulders and crawled through tiny gaps. At one point, we had to take off our backpacks and squeeze our bodies through seemingly inaccessible cracks. Narrow indeed!
At times, it felt quite claustrophobic. We were all relieved when we reached the top!
Then, we hiked for another hour to get to our last famous rock formation: the Arch. By now, it was getting quite cool and rainy, so we only took a few photos and hiked back.
This time, we made sure to take the route through the wide crack… which felt like a walk in the park!
- I should have packed a rain jacket for this hike but I’m a notorious underpacker. How about yourself? Do you usually take too much or too little with you?
- How do you find travel tips? TripAdvisor? Google? Tips from friends? Insta & Co?
I’m joining Runs with Pugs and The Running Teacher’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs.
Liebe Catrina,
was für eine Tour! Das Kreuz ist wirklich beeindruckend, man sieht das ja erst richtig im Größenvergleich mit Kai.
Und dann diese Klettertour durch Felsspalten! Uh, da hätte ich doch Beklemmungen bekommen! Du hast das fotografisch super eingefangen. Natürlich ist dann die Aussicht von oben und der Felsbogen wunderbar!
Dass es regnen würde, hätte ich bei dem blauen Himmel nicht gedacht und wahrscheinlich auch keine Regenjacke eingepackt. Ich nehme meist eher etwas zu viel mit, vergesse dann aber oft ein essentielles Teil.´, einmal zB Laufsocken…
Bei Reisetipps sind mir Hinweise von Freunden am wertvollsten, auch von Reiseführern. Insta & Co nein danke.
Liebe Grüße aus dem heute sonnigen Rheinland
Elke
Liebe Elke
Wir hatten schon viel von diesem Cederberg gehört, sind aber nie hingegangen, weil uns die Fahrt anödete. Dann aber kamen die Braunis, und die schwärmten davon. Da wussten wir: da müssen wir auch hin.
Es war famos! Obwohl diese Cracks saueng waren und ich zwischendurch dachte, wir müssen wieder umdrehen. Zusätzlich wurde der Himmel immer grauer und die Luft immer kühler. Ich konnte mit den Händen nicht mehr richtig greifen für’s Klettern. Wenn ich nur eine zusätzliche Schicht eingepackt hätte!
Laufsocken vergessen – ja, das hätte mir auch passieren können!
Genau, Freunde haben die besten Tipps – siehe Braunis!
Liebe Grüsse aus dem plötzlich recht heissen Cape Town!
That hike looks like quite the challenge. Interesting that there is a wide trail and a narrow trail. What an amazing adventure! How did you find out about this place?
It was challenging, but it felt doable. You would have enjoyed it, Wendy!
Several friends had told us about this place, but we didn’t understand HOW great this place was until we had a couple visiting us from Germany. They visited this place and told us it’s a must-see. Why did we wait so long?!?
Wieder mal beeindruckende Bilder! Wozu auf andere Planeten fliegen, hier gibts reichlich abgefahrene Orte 🙂
Eure Klettertour durch dieses Nadelöhr …. wooohoo! Da kommen Beklemmungen hoch! In Deutschland sind solche “Trails” bestimmt einfach gesperrt 😀
Als Wenig-(bis gar nicht)-Hiker wüsste ich ehrlich gesagt überhaupt nicht was ich mitnehmen sollte. Wasser, ok, und ab sofort wäre auch eine Regenjacke dabei 😉
Travel-Tipps gibts von Freunden und eigene Recherche in den Tiefen des Internets. Kein Insta & Co., dort gezeigte Orte würde ich sogar eher meiden.
Liebe Grüße, Oliver
Und so menschenleer! Ich war abends, nach dem Kreuz-Hike, noch ein bisschen rennen auf einer ungeteerten Strasse. Kein Auto, kein Mensch, gar nichts. Es war alles ganz still, bis auf ein paar Vögel und Insekten. Herrlich!
Das dachte ich mir auch – in der Schweiz wären wohl tausend Warnschilder. Oder noch schlimmer, eine Luftseilbahn, mit der man nach oben fahren kann und dann ganz oben ein Restaurantbetrieb mit Touris in Flip-Flops.
Du triffst den Nagel auf den Kopf: Insta-Fame wäre ein Grund, NICHT dahin zu gehen. Tipps von Freunden sind oft sehr zuverlässig, das mag ich auch gerne.
Hi Catrina
That is the Cederberg trip. Fantastic adventure. Almost seemed like the edge of the planet. Crickets, lizards, snakes and their other relatives living there. Except there was a cottage and signs!😅
It reminded me of my spelunking days when we crawled in tunnels a bit narrower than out shoulders for 20 m and with water running in there as well. Oh and it was pitch black too except for a head lamp casting all sorts of weird shadows. Today I could not do that, claustrophobic situation certainly for me. 😱
Amazing to see those rock formations, the cross, the cracks, the arch. I love that kind of stuff. I was thinking that with so much erosion & rock disturbance, if you saw any fossils? 🤔
Exactly! No people, no cars, no airplane noise… it was quite spectacular. The way I imagine your beaver pond place! We saw a teensy-tiny snake, but I’m sure there were more critters around!
WHAAT? You used to do that. Yves? It sounds like something from a horror movie, especially if suddenly water rushes at you when you’re in the narrowest part! There’s an underground tunnel system in the Table Mountain that also leads down to the city. You can even take tours through the tunnels, but that’s definitely outside of my comfort zone, too!
We didn’t spot any fossils… but I’m sure there were some. Apparently, there are people who can climb that cross. I guess if you’re good at climbing, that must be an irresistible challenge!
Ah yes climbers will try to climb anything! True! Looks challenging enough!😅💦
Precisely, Yves! 🙂
I like to pack w the right amount. I also look for ultra light gear measuring everything to the grams. Hah. Seems crazy but it works. It takes many years though to get it correctly. Even though you think you have it perfectly figured out, you ALWAYS forget something. Never though without my Swiss Army knife! 😅💦
Finally, tips for places to go are always through others. I check it out online before going to see if there is further information.
Cederberg seemed like a perfect place to get away. I can imagine the night skies must have been amazing if it was not always raining. I am guessing you did not have a tripod to mount a pair of binoculars or camera w lens? I always bring optics for such kind of trips. You have great photos here too. Thanks for sharing. Fun read
Why did I guess already that you’re a good packer? 🙂 Yes, all these little tiny things add up! Having specialized ultra light gear is pricey, but totally worth it. My rain jacket is super light and offers great protection…. and then I leave it at home in the cupboard. A Swiss Army knife is a MUST, haha!
Others! Me too! Especially if you know the people well and can rely on their judgement. That, combined with focused online research – it works well.
We saw a bit of the night sky, but not enough. In fact, we even said we have to return just because of that. Imagine, next to the little lodge affair there’s a tiny observatory!! I didn’t find out if and how you can visit it, but it would be very interesting. And then I’d definitely bring our proper camera along with us as well.
Oh! There is an observatory there! Its use needs to be investigated. I would be in paradise with that! I love the night sky!
I just had a look: I now realize that we absolutely missed out on something good. Need to go back!
https://www.cederbergobservatory.org.za/
Thanks for bringing it up!!
There is a great app for astronomy. Stellarium. check it out. Many in astronomy use it.
Just installed it! 🙌🏻😀 Thank you for the tip!
I see it is quite well organized and there is some good work going on at that observatory. Something to visit or even voluteer at if that is possible.
Absolutely! So glad I know that for our next visit!
Wow. What an awesome hike. Love the pics. Thanks for sharing.
It depends. If there’s bag check I take too much. Otherwise when I run or hike, I take too little.
Last nite I forgot a hat and gloves since it was warmer earlier. So I was cold.
It was a great adventure, Darlene!
You’re a minimalist, like me. I’ve lost count of the number of times where I’m freezing just because I was too lazy to pack an extra layer.
Ouch! I hope you weren’t out for too long!
Mein lieber Herr Gesangverein !!! Puh, da wird mir beim Zusehen schon schwindlig !! Sieht ja alles toll aus, aber ganz ungefährlich ist es auch nicht. Tolle Landschaft !! Wie gut, dass ihr zwei ” Insider ” an eurer Seite hattet !! Nächstes Mal sagst du Bescheid, dann komme ich mit !! Leicht gesagt, wenn man so weit entfernt davon lebt !! Aber im Ernst, ich weiß nicht, ob ich mich das trauen würde !!
Wie immer ist es am schönsten, wenn man es dann alles unbeschadet und happy überstanden hast, wie bei jeder Herausforderung, wie mit einem Catrina-Strahlen ( nicht zu vergessen Kai-Strahlen !!) belegt !!
Hauptsache alles ist gut abgegangen !
Neblig kühle Grüße von ganz oben
Doch, doch, du hättest ganz bestimmt mitgemacht, liebe Margitta!
Das, was das Ganze etwas ungemütlich machte, war die Tatsache, dass wir alle vier zum ersten Mal da waren. Stell’ dir vor! Wenn wenigstens einer gewusst hätte, dass wir auf dem richtigen Weg sind und alles i.O. ist, wären wir wohl alle etwas gelassener gewesen.
Dafür war die Erleichterung umso grösser, als wir endlich oben waren – das sagst du genau richtig. Und da schien auch die Sonne, so dass wir uns ein bisschen aufwärmen konnten. In diesen Cracks war es erstaunlich kühl.
Das nächste Mal kommst du mit! Wäre schon cool, wenn das mal klappen würde!
Liebe Grüsse aus dem recht warmen Cape Town!
What a fun adventure! I use Trip Advisor a lot for my adventures. I also use Facebook travel groups a lot – I’ve joined groups in something like 3 states and people are great about posting their out of the way finds.
Something for your boy scout boys! Yes, I use TripAdvisor to do deeper research as well, I like reading the reviews (I also start with the poorest ratings to get to the nitty-gritty quickly). I’m not on FB which means I sometimes miss out on the good stuff that you mention!
What a beautiful place to hike! Interesting that there’s such a difference between the two trail options. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable going into that hole in the rocks that you have circled in red. That looks like a great place for rattlesnakes to hang out (or whatever dangerous small critters you might encounter in SA).
I tend to overpack, but on our recent trip to Florida I underpacked because we’d have someone hauling our bags from hotel to hotel and I didn’t want to take an extra bag. In hindsight I sure could have used a warmer jacket.
I thought so too, even though the hikes are in the exact same area. The weather was very different too: it was super hot when we went to the Cross, but very chilly when we did the Cracks. I didn’t like that hole either! The idea of getting stuck there or meeting up with creepy-crawlies didn’t appeal to me, ha!
Yes, I remember how you had some surprisingly chilly days on your Florida trip. It seems like runners and bikers both like to travel light! Although I do think your outfit that you wear for your walks at home is spot on – especially the heated gloves!
It is always fun to follow along on your adventures!
Thank you for following along, Deborah!
Ahem. I think you know my answer to the question, do I underpack? Yes, I can think of a recent situation where I needed a rain jacket!!!
These hikes look amazing, and very adventurous. Even before you said it, I thought the hike with the narrow cracks looked claustrophobic! But, those things make the best memories.
What was the water temperature of that river? I’m imagining it was COLD.
HAHA, Jenny!! I think for this year, you will get the MISS UNDERPACK prize! What a story!
It’s funny, when you’re actually in the crack, you somehow just deal with it. But afterwards, when you’re finished and feel that huge wave of relief – then you realize how tense you were. I guess it’s a survival mode thing.
The river was actually very agreeable! Especially since the first day was quite a hot day.
Oh my gosh! This looks so amazing but also so terrifying! I would love to do something like this, but I am so claustrophobic, I totally would have panicked.
I usually pack fairly reasonably, but I will absolutely bring rain gear if I know it’s going to be wet. Rain is absolutely not my thing.
Congratulations on another wonderful adventure!
I completely understand that! For you, the wide crack would have been a better option. It also involves quite a bit of scrambling, but at least you have the open sky above you and plenty of space.
That’s good! I tend to ignore the weather forecast and hope that it won’t be as bad as they say. Of course, it usually IS as bad as they say, ha!
It is interesting how in the first photo the Maltese Cross doesn’t look that big. But then in the second photo it sure does! It looks like a fun and exciting adventure.
I thought so, too. Apparently, you can also climb up the Cross. A friend told us that his father was the second person to climb it!
Liebe Catrina,
was für eine beeindruckende Landschaft! Das Steinkreuz wirkt auf dem ersten Foto so harmlos – normal. Erst in die richtige Dimension gesetzt, sieht man die gewaltige Größe. Wow!
Ob ich allerdings die engen Spalten mit euch hochgekraxelt wäre, wage ich zu bezweifeln. Aber ihr wurdet belohnt für euren Mut. 🙂
Wie lustig, dass euch ausgerechnet die Braunis dazu gebracht haben, dort mal hin zu fahren. Mir sind solche persönlichen Empfehlungen auch immer am liebsten.
Liebe Doris
Das Steinkreuz war schon krass. Man kann sogar da hochklettern… ein Bekannter erzählte uns, dass sein Vater der zweite Mensch war, der da hochgeklettert ist. Und der Mann, der das vor ihm versuchte, stürzte ab und starb. Recht turbulent, was sich da schon alles abgespielt hat!
Nein, Doris, wenn du mit uns gewesen wärst, wärst du bestimmt mitgekommen! Wir wussten ja nicht wirklich genau, was auf uns zukommt, ausser dass manche Stellen etwas eng sind. Und dann bist du plötzlich mitten drin und machst einfach weiter. Dank ein paar Adrenalinschüben geht’s recht gut. 🙂
Das war ein super Tipp von den Braunis!
You are very brave people! I would have been too anxious about going through such narrow passages – what if I get stuck!?! 😀 😀
I always pack way too much, even when I really plan what I need. I’ve gotten better through the years, but I still end up carrying items back and forth untouched in my suitcase.
That was on the top of my mind the whole time! What if I get stuck? What if I can’t climb over this boulder but can’t turn back either? I was nearly expecting to see skeletons from earlier victims!
On the upside, you never have to freeze! A few untouched items are a small price to pay for being comfortable when you travel. 🙂
Looks beautiful, but I would definitely get nervous going through those cracks! I would also be worried about getting back without remembering which way I came. I am usually an over packer!
I was nervous, too! Fortunately, finding the way back would have been easy, because there was only one way. But would we be able to climb through all the gaps we came through?! Fortunately, we didn’t have to turn round!
Love your pictures! What a fun hiking trip. I am not sure I would climb through that small crack, lol!! That is a very interesting and beautiful hike. When my husband and I hike he usually has everything and I usually forget something… or I don’t estimate the weather conditions correctly. My pack is always lighter than his, but I am slowly learning to pack more like him!
Oh, you and your husband would have thoroughly enjoyed this. When you’re in the situation, you’re a lot more courageous than you think.
Looks like we can both learn from your husband! Kai is the better packer, too. I always end up borrowing some of his clothes or gadgets.
The Maltese Cross and Arch look so impressive! And so BIG! I’m not claustrophobic, but those tight, narrow cracks would be a bit unnerving…I’d be paranoid about getting stuck. In answer to your question, I’m a card-carrying member of Overpackers Anonymous.
Unnerving is exactly the right word. Kim! But I’m sure you would have enjoyed this hike after it was done.
Your last sentence made me laugh out loud!! I absolutely have to remember that one! HAHA!
Liebe Catrina,
ja, super eingefangen mit tollen Bildern!!! Vielen Dank dir! 🙂
Aber was macht ihr denn immer für schöne Touren … und wiedermal OHNE mich! 😥 😛 Was glaubst du wohl welche Route ich gewählt hätte, am liebsten auch wieder auf der Tour zurück! 😉 – Beim Maltese Cross habe ich sofort gedacht, da würde eine Klettertour reizen, aber auf keinen Fall free solo! Leider bin ich soooo aus der Übung, dass ich oben den Überhang definitiv nicht schaffen würde, oder gibt es eine Seite, die relativ glatt nach oben geht?
Ausgesetzt, kaum im Bewusstsein der Touris und menschenleer, das ist doch nach unserem Geschmack. Am Abend hätte ich dich gerne auf deiner Laufrunde begleitet, aber ich hätte dich leider nur ausgebremst! 😆 Aber die Übernachtung war mehr als erschwinglich, oder? Die Cottages sehen übrigens sehr gut sauber und ordentllich aus! TOLL!
Zur Tour am zweiten Tag: da das ja schon einige geschafft haben, durch diese Cracks zu krauchen, hätte ich mir wahrscheinlich keine Gedanken gemacht, zumal ich ja eher einer der Schmaleren bin! 😆 Aber so ausgesetzt und zwischen Felsen bin ich doch so gerne unterwegs! Sieht toll aus!
Ich bin auch eher ein notorious underpacker, aber fast schon aus Prinzip. Da ich nicht so schnell friere, werde ich auch seltenst dafür bestraft. Allerdings bin ich doch ganz gut ausgerüstet, wenn es in fremde Gefilde geht, nur … ihr seid ja bei gutem Wetter gestartet. Ob ich da eine Regenjacke dabei gehabt hätte??? Eher nicht. Mir hätten dann auch eher die Finger gefroren!
Tipps von Freunden nehme ich gerne an, oder von Einheimischen, also von locals! Manchmal bin ich noch im Internet unterwegs, aber unabhängig von TripAdvisor oder Google! Da mag ich die unabhängige Recherche, die meist auf Tipps zurückgeht! – Insta & Co? – Nee, ich bin eh nicht in social media ‘zuhause’!!!
Bitte uns weiterhin mit solch tollen Bildern von solch tollen Touren auf dem Laufenden halten!
Aus dem nächtlichen Eberstadt
liebe Grüße Manfred
Lieber Manfred
Ja, beide Touren hätten dir super gefallen! Du wärst uns bei diesen Cracks vermutlich noch davon geeilt, während wir mühsam herumkraxeln!
Wenn ich mich richtig erinnere, hat der Maltese Cross auf allen vier Seiten Überhänge. Für einen Kletterer muss das eine wunderbare Herausforderung sein. Der Vater eines Bekannten ist ja da als 2er Mensch hochgeklettert, das muss aber schon 50 oder mehr Jahre her sein.
Die Cottages waren erschwinglich – EUR 24.- pro Person, zwei Doppelzimmer mit eigenem Bad, grosszügige Küche, Essraum und Wohnzimmer. Wir haben ein Feuer draussen im Kamin gemacht und einen “braai” gemacht (grillieren). Es war schön! Den Sternenhimmel haben wir leider verpasst – der muss sensationell sein, es hat sogar eine kleine Sternwarte ganz in der Nähe, die man besuchen kann.
Yep, richtig so! Das glaube ich auch nicht, dass du deine Regenjacke mitgenommen hättest. Zum Glück hat es nur ein paar Minuten richtig geschüttet. Der kühle Wind war fast störender. Aber wir haben es überlebt!
Genau, die besten Geheimtipps sind nicht so einfach im Internet zu finden! Ich staune manchmal, was Touristen hier in Cape Town besuchen – so richtige Touri-Fallen. Es gäbe so viel Schöneres zu sehen!
Ich versuche es, geniesse weiterhin deine sub-6er Läufe!
Liebe Grüsse aus dem morgendlichen Cape Town!
I knew you would choose the tougher crack. 🙂 It certainly looks like quite an adventure. Very interesting and very beautiful. I usually have a tendency to overpack. It’s something I’m working on.
Absolutely, Debbie! I know that you are game for adventures like that! I’m wondering whether you have hikes like that in your area? It definitely looks like an interesting area!
At least if you overpack, you have everything with you, ha!
Ah, amazing! I am ashamed to say I have never hiked the cedarberg! Definitely on the list though!
So now we know what will be on your agenda for your next Cape Town visit. You and your family would love this area!
Wow! What an adventure! I would have been afraid to go the “narrow” way — in case it was the wrong way. But I’m sure getting to the top was more exhilarating.
It turned out to be a lot more adventurous than the wide crack. I was happy that we risked it! 😀
This is a kind of adventure I would really enjoy, Catrina. That was an amazing climb up through that crack. Well done everyone. Hard to fathom that the beautiful wilderness is that close to Cape Town. When I was younger and did adventures much more frequently I packed quite light. As I’m getting older I tend to pack heavier. Perhaps less confidence in my own abilities and a greater awareness of my mortality.
Ah yes, you would have loved this one, Carl! I’m always amazed at how quickly things become very rural when you leave the bustling city of Cape Town. Everything is quieter, slower and calmer.
That’s an interesting observation about packing more with increasing age. Experience does teach us that many things can go wrong on a hike. Young people are a lot more carefree (or careless?) in that respect.
I would love to go back there to have a better look at the amazing night sky. With no houses or towns nearby, you get to see an incredible amount of stars.
Hope you get back to observe the skies, Catrina. I miss the dark skies.
Cool adventure! And I like your Mandatory Arch photo.
Haha! Yes, that took some work until we got it right! 😀
What an amazing hike! I think that narrow crack route would have totally scared me! Love the Arch pic! Epic! I too am an under packer.
It would have scared me too if I had known what we were in for! By the time I realized how narrow it was, it was too late to turn back, haha!
Sounds like a great hike!
It was! I hope you get to do it one day! 😀