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Cederberg Heritage Route - Wupperthal Trail | South Africa | Cedarberg |
| The Cederberg Heritage Route is the collective name for three new walking trails in the Cedarberg mountains ranging between 3 and 5 days. The trails make this beautiful area accessible to walkers via the use of charming community guest cottages in the Moravian Mission villages of Heuningvlei, Brugkraal and Wupperthal on the eastern side of the Wilderness area and other guesthouses in or near Clanwilliam on the western side. The trails are fully inclusive: you are guided by local community guides whilst your overnight luggage taken to the next night’s stay. The five night Wupperthal trail offers an optional hike up Krakadouw peak, the highest mountain in the northern Cederberg, as well as walking all the way to Wupperthal, the picturesque mission village founded in the early 19th century. On the final day you return to Clanwilliam and spend time walking along the Sevilla Rock Art trail. |
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| Meals |
Full Board |
| Accommodation |
Comfortable guesthouses and community guest cottages |
| Departure Dates |
On request |
| Transport |
4x4 Landrover or VW Microbus and optional donkey cart trail |
| Price Includes |
All meals, transfers, donkey cart ride, services of local community guide, all permits |
| Price Excludes |
All drinks (soft and alcoholic), items of a personal nature |
| Minimum Number |
4-6 people (but see below for prices for 2 people) |
| Climate |
Mediterranean - hot dry summers and cool wet winters |
| Best time to go |
All year round - especially August to October and mid March to May. December to February can be very hot for hiking! |
| Health Requirements |
Good general level of fitness is recommended but no health risks. Sun block is essential |
| Combines well with |
Cape Town, Winelands, Hermanus |
| Other Ideas |
This tour is ideal for groups of friends or families with older children. The pricing shown below is for groups of 4 people. It is slightly less expensive for groups of 6 people. We can also arrange a walking tour for just 2 people. This will be more expensive (R3 775 per person). |
| Notes |
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 Day 1 : Arrive in Clanwilliam for overnight FB
Arrive in Clanwilliam in the late afternoon (not later than 5pm) You are transferred to a guest cottage in the beautiful valley of the Jan Dissels River (or similar) where you stay overnight.
Clanwilliam is one of South Africa's oldest towns. Colonialists settled the area by 1725. In 1820 about 350 Irish settlers arrived in Clanwilliam. You can still see some of the attractive 1820 settler houses in Park Street. Clanwilliam is now a centre for an agricultural community cultivating the uniquely South African Rooibos tea, citrus, table grapes and vegetables. You may like to visit the Old Gaol Museum, the Strassberger's Shoe Factory to purchase a pair of locally made 'veld' shoes, or the Rooibos tea factory for a video of the tea-making process. Project participants at the CLLP make a number of attractive necklaces and bags available for sale at their craft shop.
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Day 2 : Morning rock art walk followed by afternoon walk/donkey cart ride to Heuningvlei FB
In the morning you are taken on a guided rock art walk of about three hours which will be followed by a picnic lunch and then a transfer by road to the top of the Pakhuis Pass. From there you will take the Donkey Cart Trail to the charming mission village of Heuningvlei where you stay for two nights in a community guest cottage.
The Cederberg is one of the best areas for rock art in Southern Africa with 2,000 discovered sites. (The other three areas are the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu Natal, the Brandberg in Namibia and the Matopas in southern Zimbabwe.) It is not only the quality of the San's artistry that makes so many rock paintings appealing to the modern eye - many of the paintings show a strong sense of whimsy, flowing with movement and life.
Donkey Cart Trail - You can opt to ride in the traditional donkey cart of the area - an exhilarating 2 hour ride (including a couple of stops for photography), or choose to walk all or part of the trail. This is a 12 km trail on a wide track which would typically take 2½ to 3 hours to walk. The mountain scenery is spectacular and there are usually a variety of indigenous flowering plants to be seen along the way.
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Day 3 : Optional full day walks in the Heuningvlei area
Today you have a choice of two possible walks depending on your fitness levels and/or inclination!
Option One - Guided hike up Krakadouw Peak
This is an immensely rewarding, but strenuous hike up to one of the highest peaks in the Cederberg Mountains. It is an 8 hour hike (3-4 hours up climbing 900 metres, approx 1 hour on the summit and 3 hours descent). Rating is 4C. Some scrambling up gullies will be required so above average fitness and some mountain experience would be expected. However at the top you are rewarded with 360 degree panoramic views of the whole of the Cederberg range and a fascinating terrain. On the way up and down there are also wonderful views, incredible rock formations and a number of the rather rare cedar tree, Widdringtonia cedarbergensis, which is endemic to the Cederberg area.
Option Two - Relaxed guided walk in the hills behind Heuningvlei
Alternatively you can enjoy an easy day hike of 10-12km in the hills to the east of Heuningvlei (Rating is 2B). There are some rock art sites in the area that you can elect to visit if you so wish. Again the rock formations and varied vegetation and wild flowers provide interest along the way. Near the end of the walk you can swim in a large, deep pool in the Heuningvlei River, in a beautiful setting.
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Day 4 : Full day walk to Brugkraal for overnight FB
Today you enjoy a guided day hike of about 15km (5 to 7 hours) up to the Boontjieskloof Hut, in the heart of the Cederberg Wilderness Area, and then down to the little Brugkraal mission settlement, via Grasvlei village. There are swimming opportunities en route in pools in the perennial Grasvlei stream. There are fascinating rock formations and an interesting variety of indigenous vegetation along the way. The Boontjieskloof Hut is one of several simple stone huts in the Wilderness Area that were built originally to provide shelter for the forestry workers. They are now mainly used by backpacking hikers. (The trail is not steep with a gentle climb up of 250 metres and then a 300 metres descent, Rating 3B). You stay overnight in the community guest cottage at Brugkraal.
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Day 5 : Full day walk to Wupperthal for overnight FB
You continue on the guided trail down to the main village in the area, Wupperthal Mission Village. The hike is approx 12km (taking 5 to 7 hours) down the valley of the Grasvlei River, via Grasvlei to Wupperthal along the Tra Tra River (Rating is 2B). From Brugkraal to Grasvlei the trail follows a pretty path along the west bank of the stream. At Grasvlei village you cross the stream to the east side on a rustic little footbridge and then walk down the gravel track for a short while before turning off into the indigenous vegetation between the track and the cliff above the river. The Grasvlei waterfall with a big pool at the bottom is worth a visit, particularly if you would like a swim. Thereafter the trail takes a short cut through the bush, crosses the Tra Tra River and joins a good path through a beautiful 'kloof' that leads to Wupperthal. There are several swimming pools in the river in this section. You stay overnight in a guest cottage in Wupperthal.
The mission village was founded in the early 19th century and remains quiet and seemingly untouched by the 21st century with some villagers still travelling by donkey and cart. Visit the old attractive Moravian Church and also the shoe factory and shop, which sells 'veldskoene' - excellent walking/everyday shoes that, are all hand-made and excellent value.
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 Day 6 : Return to Clanwilliam via the Sevilla Rock Art trail
This morning you will be collected from Wupperthal at approx 10am, so there is time for some sightseeing after breakfast. You will be transferred back to Clanwilliam arriving between 1-2pm. You stop en route for a short guided tour of the Sevilla Rock Art Trail which consists of 9 different rock art sites, in a very attractive environment, and will take about 2½ hours to complete but you can choose how many sites you wish to visit. When you return to Clanwilliam, you depart for home.
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1 Jan 2008
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31 Dec 2008
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| Per person sharing |
ZAR R 2,975 |
| Prices may be based
on current exchange rates and are subject to change prior to booking. |
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| Contact us for more information or book your trip by clicking on the appropriate button below. One of our consultants will gladly help you with any questions you may have.
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