November 2020

One of the 2 most popular hikes in the Cederberg, and for good reason. The cracks are spectacular to look at, and those with an adventurous spirit will enjoy the scrambling, exposed ledges and most of all…exploring of the caves, cracks and the infamous choke point.

The start of the hike is a short distance from the Sanddrif camp site, and just like all other hikes in the Cederberg you will need a permit. A maximim of 50 people per day are allowed on the trail, so rather book in advance to secure your spot. Contact Cape Nature, Sanddrif or Algeria camp sites. Once you have made it through the access gate, the code for the lock is supplied with your permit, you will drive for about 1km before you reach the parking lot.

Straight ahead of you, at the top of the mountain, you will see the rocky, orange/brown sandstone cracks sticking out. Follow the sign which indicates the start of the hike and make your way up the mountain. The zig-zag trail is well marked, with loads of cairns. Towards the top the correct trail becomes less obvious as numerous other trails branch off, with cairns pointing in different directions. Just look above you and follow the trail which looks best suited to you. They all seeming lead to the same place. The path we followed got us to the base of the large, wide open crack. This is the route to take if you are a little weary of heights, and want a safer passage to the top. There is some scrambling involved, but nothing too difficult.

For the more adventurous, look for the small crack on the right. It looks like a dead end, but this is where the fun begins. If you go right up to the hole you will see a rope handgrip and a wooden foot hold on the rock face to your right. You can either climb up here, like I did, or try squeeze your way through the hole and subsequent hole, in front of you. Both options lead you onto an exposed ledge that has a rope handrail for added protection. Follow your way round the ledge and look for the cairns.

Around the corner, and through a large crack, you will again have 2 cracks in front of you, and again go to the one on the right. The crack begins to narrow and there is a hole that you need to squeeze through. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going, if I was on the right path or not, but fortunately there were a group of students in the cave in front of me which came to my assistance. They helped me squeeze my pack through the hole, and then it was my turn to squeeze through. A large cave awaited, with cracks running high up above, letting the light stream in. What a place!

Next you make your way over a boulder, which is basically opposite the hole you just climbed through, and along a wall. After a while you see another small hole on your left, make your way to that hole. Again your pack will have to come off as you squeeze your way through and turn right. You will now be in a relatively tight crack, roughly 1m wide in some paces. Follow the crack as it gains altitude and make your way to the infamous choke point.

The choke point is basically a boulder that has wedged itself between the walls of the crack, and you need to either make your way over or under the rock. There is a wooden foot hold and rope hand grip to help you climb over, or you can squeeze under the boulder. I had heard so many stories about this boulder, and crawling on your back in a tight, confined space, having to go head first and then sitting up in order to get out. It all sounded pretty daunting and a little scary to be honest. So I had to try it! In reality its nothing to be worried about, sure it is a tight squeeze but you can wriggle your way out quite easily. The idea I had in my head of a dark cave, and getting pinned in there were completed unfounded. However larger individuals may struggle to squeeze through, so dont attempt this alone…you may need someone to pull you back out if you get stuck. Once the students and I had navigated our way through the choke point we followed the crack to the summit, which was only a few meters away, and out we popped at the top. Follow the path, which channels you between to wall of rocks, and you will come to a sign which points to the Wolfberg Arch.

Most people like to do both hikes in one go, but for those wanting to just explore the cracks and now need to get back down, turn left at the sign for the Arch. Follow the path and look for another channel of rock, which runs parallel to the one you just came out on. This path will take you back in towards the large crack that I mentioned earlier, and there is a sign on the right pointing to the cracks, but it only appears a little way down the channel. Again you will have 2 cracks to choose from, stick to the one on the left. This one is called Adderley street. Follow the path through the crack and watch as the views of the Cederberg begin to emerge as the cracks open up. There is some scrambling involved but it is much easier to go back this way then try to navigate through the narrow crack which I came up through.

Side note: previous articles I read failed to give a proper description of the route to follow once inside the cracks. I was under the impression that once you took the narrow crack you would soon come across the choke point and it was a simple process. In reality it was a completely different story. You need to follow the directions I mentioned, and still you may struggle. Numerous times I was questioning whether I had gone the right way or not. If it wasn’t for the students I would have turned back, as the route up to the choke point is much longer then people describe. Ideally go with someone who has been there before, or ask people who you come across on the route.