Bundus and 'bergs

Cedarberg, Western Cape, South Africa -The last day of an old year, the howling wind is whipping my hair into my face. I’m standing in the most awe inspiring place I have had the fortune to be in recent memory. Behind me, the sun is lowering in the sky turning a darker orange with every passing minute. To each side are expanses of scrubby, scratchy moss brown fynbos dotted with boulders bigger than cars, ending suddenly where sheer cliffs drop into the valley below. But before me is towering The Wolfberg Arch, taking what breath the wind hasn’t torn from me. More spectacular than any of the European cathedrals I have experienced. At least 20m high in the middle, the rock arch carved out of sandstone by the relentless buffeting of wind over the ages, is the highest structure in the surrounding landscape.

Later that evening, looking for shooting stars, I considered how lucky I was to experience I place like this. An impossibly old rock structure, under a sky littered with innumerable stars. It brought my year into stark perspective. The small issues in my day to day life become insignificant when faced with the magnificent resilience of nature. It was the best way to bring in a new year

Going: Park at Sanddrif campsite in the Cedarberg Wilderness, about a 5 hour drive from Cape Town. Pick up a permit and map from the Sandrif wine farm reception, and head up the mountain towards the wide and narrow cracks. The narrow crack is only for going up, requires crawling, climbing and scrambling, and is amazing, but not recommended for anyone who doesn’t like tight spaces, and dirt. The wide crack can be used for up and down for the less adventurous. One way is a roughly 4 hour hike, and the top of the narrow crack is about half way, time wise.

Do it better: Ideally you want to stay in the area the night before, so you have all day for the hike. The roundtrip hike can be done in a day, but I’d advise sleeping on the top, because you really want to see sunrise and sunset at the arch. Take as much water as you can carry, we had 3 litres each, and in summer heat it was barely enough. The rainy season is winter in the cape, so I’d recommend the hike only between the months of November and March. Prepare to be hot while hiking, but bring warm clothes for the evening, once the sun goes down, even in the height of summer it gets cold! Don’t worry with a tent, sleep under the stars, there are sheltered spots no more than twenty metres from the arch.