No Fixed Abode: A windy, winter’s day

Sat 11 June 2016 - Cederberg Wilderness

It was a cold night outside but snuggled up under a couple of duvets and a large fleece blanket that we had bought in Cape Town we slept well - apart from a continuous dripping noise on the roof that drove us crazy. A morning inspection revealed a leaky tank in the solar water heater.

We had not set an alarm and were surprised to find it past 0800 when we awoke. Glenn was the first to brave the cold of the unheated cottage and quickly advised Yvonne to stay in bed but after some hot tea, a bowl of steaming porridge and the sun now streaming through the kitchen window it was safe for her surface.

The intention of staying here was to try some of the hiking trails in the Cederberg Wilderness park but by the time we’d got started and driven over a dirt road pass we didn’t reach the ranger station until nearly midday so our choice of trails was limited. We parked the car at the base of the waterfall trail and Glenn stepped out of the car into a strong icy wind. With the wind and the lack of sleep last night Yvonne opted to remain in the car to try and take a nap in the sunny interior, Glenn, however, was keen to hit the trail so put on some layers and set off. Within 200m he was out of the wind and with a combination of the climb and the sun was soon down to t shirt and shorts as he zig zagged up the mountainside through the fynbos, some of which was in bloom with some very pretty pink flowers.

The landscape around here is eroded sandstone, similar to Utah, Arizona and Australia, and the waterfall has eroded an impressive gully as it has retreated into the mountain’s edge. At the top the path started to contour into the gully and Glenn soon caught sight of the fall, more of a vertical cascade really, trickling down the innermost reaches. It was really quite an enchanting spot and by scrambling around some boulders he was able to get right to the fall’s base and reach a magnificent viewpoint looking down the gully and across the valley to the sun drenched mountains on the far side.

With some effort he pulled himself away from this beautiful spot and, after stopping for a chat with a local family, skipped his way back to the car to find Yvonne awake. Many km down the main road (dirt track) is a cave complex with the some paintings by the ancient San people so we set off to take a look. The track wound over a high pass and became increasingly corrugated and rutted as it passed through a magnificent broad valley with boulder strewn sides and a fynbos packed floor, which must look stunning in the spring, - this truly is a wilderness. As time was pressing on and progress down the track was slow we turned around so as be home in the light - cooking dinner by dim solar powered lights is not easy.

Back at the camp we ate dinner with another stunning sunset then Glenn visited the communal boma (cooking area) for the wifi while Yvonne snuggled into bed with her tablet to keep warm. At the boma Glenn chatted with the couple that run the camp and some of the other guests and was soon sitting round a blazing log fire, drinking wine under a star filled sky exchanging travel tales and putting the world to rights. During the evening Glenn, the camp host, suggested that we should go for a flight. Apparently their neighbour, who is a retired military pilot and now rooibos tea farmer, has a collection of old planes, including a MIG jet fighter, that he will take camp guests up in. You can opt for an aerobatics trip, which evidently is not for the weak of stomach, or just go ‘canyon flying’, which, we gather, is low level flying through the canyons. Something to investigate.