#21 Report Back June 2013

The End is nigh! ... great news is that not only is the final checking in process, we even have an Official Launch Date (of which more details later), for “Hike the Cederberg”, as the map will be named.

The covers of the map set, front and back;
pics by Graham Bellairs and Matt du Plessis

Why the ‘hike the’? Well, we have to distinguish it carefully from our touring map of the Cederberg, which has been available in various editions since 1976. The eleventh edition of this one is next on our job card, and this time will include the popular spring flower areas north to Nieuwoudtville, Loeriesfontein and Calvinia.

But that’s a different story. The hiking maps will only be sold together, in a folding plastic wallet. Each map is roughly A1, printed on 80 gsm Duraflex waterproof paper, so the set will be relatively expensive, but the good news is that there will be a pre-launch special at a cheaper price – I’ll let you know when you can order. The set consists of two double-side maps, and they fit together like this:

In the meantime, I am going to start putting up sample bits of map, asking for your comments. These will be added from day to day to the same blog page. I can’t send out 120 emails every time, so if you would like to be involved in the checking process please visit the blog regularly from Monday 1 July. The absolute deadline for all inputs is WEDNESDAY 17 JULY. Please use the contact form on the Slingsby Maps website if you don’t have my email address.

The process started in May 2011, when Matt Britton took his first of 16 000 photos of the Cederberg Trails, is finally reaching fruition!

Matt’s photo no 1: Kliphuis;
Matt’s photo number 16 124: Boskloof. 650km in 25 days.

A great new footpath

Drikus Mouton of Wilderness Search and Resue sent me a gps track for this great little walk between Heuningvlei and Biedouw ... if you know of any details along the route, please let me know [click on map to enlarge it].

Old Ruins

Janette Deacon and Nic Wiltshire sent me their list, with co-ordinates, of ruins in the Cederberg. Many we have already but there are a good few new ones, all valuable landmarks in the Wilderness.

Doc Spock’s Rock?

Charles Merry sent me pics of Doc’s Rock, near Arch Peak, named, I’m told, for the famous Doc Watson. It’s now been suggested that the rock is really called ‘Spock’s Rock’, after the controversial how-to-bring-up-your-kids guy, not the Star Trek Vulcan. I expect a torrent of comment on this one ....

Underneath the Arches ...

I now have six rock arches in the southern area ... all look quite different in the pictures, and each has quite different coordinates, so they are indeed obviously different ... BUT I have lots and lots of contradictions about which is called what. For now I’m going to stick to the names as I have them, unless someone out there is willing to come to my office to try to sort it all out ...

But, thanks to Martin Hutton-Squire, we now have firm boundaries for the MCSA property at Breekkrantz.

Kliphuis cottages ...
Peter Hart pointed out that the new prefab cottages next to the road at Kliphuis [Pakhuis Pass] are staff quarters, not cottages for hire.

Cederberg Heritage Route
There’s a great article about the route in the June ‘Country Life’; in the meantime Peter Hart has urged all those involved to attend the AGM in Wupperthal on July 17th.

Checking ....
And special thanks to Rudolf Andrag and Patrick Lane and Steven Windell for some great inputs in the checking process. Next week I’m looking forward to a visit from Alex Basson ...

Already acknowledged:
Rudolf Andrag, Alex Basson, Graham Bellairs, Chris Berens, Arrie Beukes, Willem Beukes, Matthew Britton, Hendrico Burger, Lizette Burger, Theresa Burton, Eleanore Colyn, Andrea and Moritz Connrad, Louis Conradie, Janette Deacon, David Donald, Rika du Plessis, Connie & Lizzie du Toit, Laurence Elton, Kerneels Filander, Ferdi Fischer, David Fox, Carina Hanekom, Petrus Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom, Peter Hart, Ronnie Hazell, Tony Heher, Martin Hutton-Squire, Sam Jack, James Joubert, Jeroen Kant, Gerrit Karsten, Tony Kings, Isak Koopman, Thys Kruger, Paul la Grange, Patrick Lane, Johann Lanz, John Ross, Justin Lawson, Denis le Jeune, Margie le Roux, Nicky Lombard, Tony Lourens, Sandy MacDonald, Pieter Malan, Quinton Martins, Annette Mason, Charles Merry, Eugene Moll, Dermot Moore, Wim Morris, Greg Moseley, Drikus Mouton, Anneke Nieuwoudt, Cisca Nieuwoudt, Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt, Marianna Nieuwoudt, Pip Nieuwoudt, Barry Ockhuis, Joey Ockhuis, Kellie of Grasvlei, Caro & Steve Oldroyd, Paddy O’Leary, Mare Olivier, Linton Pope, Peter Jan Randewijk, Trevor Rennison, Galeo Saintz, Mike Scott, Jasper Slingsby, Mariet Smit, Mariaan Smuts, Haffie Strauss, Julyan Symons, Gert Theron, Georgina Thomas, Edmund Thompson, Ingar Valentyn, Johann van Biljon, Anne-Marie van der Merwe, Leonie van der Merwe, George van der Watt, Andricus van der Westhuizen, Hennie van der Westhuizen, Johan van der Westhuizen, Mike van Wieringen, Charité van Rijswijck, Kosie Viljoen, Jill Wagner, Torben Wiborg, Ezan Wilson, Nicholas Wiltshire, Steven Windell and Louise Esterhuizen, Mary Anne Zimri

-- Kaartman, June 2013

#20 Report Back, May-June 2013

1. Maps 3 and 4

2. Bakkrans

3. Snippets, Thanks and Allsorts

And before we start, welcome back to SA, Matt the Brit! our intrepid map-researcher nearly disappeared into the depths of the United States, but he’s back!

1. Maps 3 and 4

Lots of bits and pieces to report on this month; it’s hard to know where to start.
The big news is that Map 3 beta is almost there; Map 4 is 99.5% done and dusted, and maps one and two just need to be separated into two maps at 1:40 000 rather than 1:50 000. So once the checking is complete, here goes ... within 60 days the maps will be [at the very least] AT THE PRINTER! And I hope I haven’t stuck my neck out so that you can cut it off ...
Below is a sample from map 4 of a part of the Kromrivier area, to show our final decisions on characterising paths, distances, co-ords, etc etc. Click on the map to enlarge it.
Speaking of Kromrivier, does anyone have news of Rudolf Andrag? He has not answered any recent emails ... Rudolf, please get in touch!

Nicky Lombard kindly sent the attached pic and co-ords for another arch “on Apex Peak”. However, the co-ords place it firmly on Arch Peak. Nicky records its name as Hondverbrand Arch – any other offers? The arch is similar to the Vlerkboog, but if you look carefully you’ll see that it’s not the same. See map below for its position.

Lost in the rush was this email that came some time ago from Mike Scott – apologies for no earlier acknowledgment, Mike – “the picture from Johan Lanz of the arch in the ‘Klein Beesgat’ area, might be more familiar to many mountaineers, especially MCSA members, as Di Wilson’s arch, or Doc’s Rock arch as it is on the ridge above Doc’s Rock (named after the late Doc Watson). Doc’s Rock is usually gained from the Suurvlakte side, and is a useful campsite for climbing Apex Peak, or continuing a traverse to Sandfontein area.”

I can’t put all three names [Di Wilson’s Arch, Doc’s Rock Arch, Klein Beesgat Arch] on the map and would appreciate some comment on which name to choose. In the meantime, Charles Merry sent this pic of Doc’s Rock, including some familiar characters ...

The boundaries of the MCSA property still have to go in to map 4; Martin Hutton-Squire is kindly working on these.

2. Bakkrans
Thanks to Johan van der Westhuizen and Arrie Beukes we visited Bakkrans and came away with even more names and some great info about the Rooi Cederberg Karoo Park: see our blog about Bakkrans at Maps for Afrika for more details. There is another sample piece of map 4 on the blog.

3. Snippets, Thanks, and Allsorts

a. David Fox of Cape Hike confirmed that the mystery hut in last month’s blog is definitely ‘Africa Hut’ at Beaverlac. Many thanks, Dave. Unfortunately Beaverlac is too far south to be included on the new map, but you can download a free maplet of the place here 

b. Rika du Plessis of CapeNature has provided us with a maplet of Truitjieskraal ... we’re looking at producing a full-colour freebie in due course. Thanks, Rika!

c. Annette Mason sent us these two pics of the old Forester’s House at Heuningvlei – some more for your collection, Pieter Malan. Annette says these are from about 1989.

d. Denis le Jeune tells me that there will be an article on the Cederberg Heritage Route and Cederberg 100 in the July edition of Country Life. 

e. Sam Jack sent this post-fire report:
“Had another lovely weather trip to the Cederberg couple of weeks ago. Spent time in the Welbedacht, Heuningvlei and Rocklands environs. Both Heuningvlei and Rocklands burnt out, Sneeuberg too. Pity some of the old cedar plantations near Groothoek near Heuningvlei have burnt...the largest one remained unscathed, but trees are dying there and little/no recruitment.”
Sam also sent this old Cameron photo of Dassieberg, taken from Grootlandsvlakte, looking south-east [date unknown]. If you look carefully you can see that the base of the rocky hill is fringed with a healthy growth of young cedars. If you go there now, there are none ...

f. Speaking of fires, CapeNature has circulated info about the new cottages and campsites at Kliphuis. 

I was a little mystified by the pic of the cottages – can you help here, Patrick? What are the spanking new cottages across the road, where the old wooden houses used to stand?














g. We need much more of the following if conservation is to achieve anything in the New SA ...

During the celebration of the Big Brag event of the Green Fingers project in October 2012 an art competition was held for the participating learners. Bothashalte Primary school won the competition and received an environmental educational camp at the Cape Leopard Trust as the winning prize. The prize was sponsored by Witzenberg Municipality and Essen Municipality, Belgium. In February 2013 two teachers and nineteen learners went on the camp. Different themes like biodiversity, leopard biology, birding and animal tracking, geology, rock art, and astronomy and survival skills were introduced to the learners. Each learner got the opportunity to do artistic pictures of the fynbos plants which they thoroughly enjoyed. The learners had some physical and emotional challenges when they were participating in hiking activities and sleeping out in the wild in a tent. 
The learners had great fun when they were given the opportunity to swim in the river. Both teachers and learners were amazed by the different types of birds, animals and star gazing. The most interesting part of the camp for the learners was when they explored the Stadsaal. The Stadsaal is a cave where different San rock art and stone tools are found. The camp which was a combination of adventure, art and science left both the teachers and learners with an enriched knowledge of the environment and wildlife.

h. Dermot Moore sent this last word on the aircraft crash in the Pakhuis area, in 1945. Many thanks, Dermot.

As my cousin, Paddy O’Leary has probably informed you, I am the son of Kevin O’Leary who was one of the SAAF members killed in the Cederberg accident of 1945. As I was only 2½ years old at the time, clearly I do not have any recollection of this unfortunate incident. By its very nature, it was a turning point in the lives of my mother and me, not to mention the O’Leary family who were awaiting Kevin’s arrival in Cape Town.  My mother remarried with her new husband formally adopting me and giving his name in the process. Thus, my surname is now Moore and not O’Leary.

Over the years I have been preoccupied with pursuing a career in higher education (with the career occasionally pursuing me) and bringing up a family, leaving little time for leisurely activities such as research into my own family history. Ironically, I started my academic life as an historian having done post-graduate research on the SAAF’s role in the Korean War, among other topics. In retirement, I finally have the opportunity for reading and research of a more personal nature. I am currently working with pdf copies of a number of official documents from the Military Archives pertaining to my father’s SAAF career, including the proceedings of the Inquiry that looked into the accident. I will keep you posted as the narrative unravels. I look forward to orientating myself with the help of your very detailed maps.

You have already drawn attention to the incorrect date in the article in the May 2012 issue of the Go Magazine, however, the Travel Section of a recent edition of the Sunday Times carried an account of a hike to the crash site, also carrying the incorrect date of 1946.

As far as a memorial is concerned; Kevin O’Leary is buried in West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg where the military graves are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, while he is commemorated along with all the other airmen who lost their lives in SAAF uniform at the SAAF National Memorial overlooking Zwartkop Air Force Base. His name is inscribed in the official SAAF Roll of Honour kept at the National Memorial. I hope that my own research and writing will be a memorial to him that can be passed on to my own children and grandchildren, and to interested members of the O’Leary family.  

My own view is that the pristine beauty of the Cederberg is the most suitable on-site memorial to those who died there on 8 July 1945, sans graffiti and braai debris. 

Thank you for the great service you render with the compilation of your maps.

Kind regards,
Dermot Moore 5 April 2013

Inputs acknowledged from:
Rudolf Andrag, Alex Basson, Graham Bellairs, Chris Berens, Arrie Beukes, Willem Beukes, Hendrico Burger, Lizette Burger, Theresa Burton, Eleanore Colyn, Andrea and Moritz Connrad, Louis Conradie, David Donald, Rika du Plessis, Connie & Lizzie du Toit, Laurence Elton, Kerneels Filander, Ferdi Fischer, David Fox, Carina Hanekom, Petrus Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom, Peter Hart, Ronnie Hazell, Tony Heher, Martin Hutton-Squire, Sam Jack, James Joubert, Jeroen Kant, Gerrit Karsten, Tony Kings, Isak Koopman, Thys Kruger, Paul la Grange, Patrick Lane, Johann Lanz, John Ross, Justin Lawson, Denis le Jeune, Margie le Roux, Nicky Lombard, Tony Lourens, Sandy MacDonald, Pieter Malan, Quinton Martins, Annette Mason, Charles Merry, Eugene Moll, Dermot Moore, Wim Morris, Greg Moseley, Anneke Nieuwoudt, Cisca Nieuwoudt, Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt, Marianna Nieuwoudt, Pip Nieuwoudt, Barry Ockhuis, Joey Ockhuis, Kellie of Grasvlei, Caro & Steve Oldroyd, Paddy O’Leary, Mare Olivier, Linton Pope, Peter Jan Randewijk, Trevor Rennison, Galeo Saintz, Mike Scott, Mariet Smit, Mariaan Smuts, Haffie Strauss, Julyan Symons, Gert Theron, Edmund Thompson, Ingar Valentyn, Anne-Marie van der Merwe, Leonie van der Merwe, George van der Watt, Andricus van der Westhuizen, Hennie van der Westhuizen, Georgina and Johann van Biljon, Johan van der Westhuizen, Mike van Wieringen, Charité van Rijswijck, Kosie Viljoen, Jill Wagner, Torben Wiborg, Ezan Wilson, Steven Windell and Louise Esterhuizen, Mary Anne Zimri

– Kaartman, J-J-June 1st [it’s c-c-cold!]

#19 Report Back: April 2013 [2]

1. Map 4 Beta released for checking

2. More new names

3. Know these places?

4. Know these rocks?


1. Map 4 Beta released for checking

Great news! Map 4 in the new series is in beta and has been released for checking. It’s the south-eastern corner, more or less from Driehoek / Tafelberg [top left] to Mount Ceder / Grootrivier [bottom right] and includes most of Matjiesrivier, Dwarsrivier, Kromrivier and the MCSA properties, down to Kunje [bottom left].
As thanks to all who so kindly provided coordinates for all those arches south of Breekkrans, here’s a snippet of the map. There are still a few changes to be made and, of course, your comments will be welcome. Click on the sample to enlarge it, or download it by right-clicking and choosing “Save image as”.

We’ve already picked up a couple of things to change, and a recent visit from Quinton Martins [who popped in with Elizabeth and Ayla to enjoy the Stormers thrashing the Sharks] has yielded some new names and a whole new MTB trail, from Mount Ceder to Vogelfontein. Maps are never static ...
Map 3 will be in beta next [next month?]

A sign from on high that we got something wrong?
Photographed at Travellers Rest

2. More new names

Huge thanks are due to Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt of Jamaka, for their recent hospitality and great inputs for the map. We walked up their Geelhoutskloof to the rocky amphitheatre where the rooibos tea cutters used to cut and dry the tea in long-gone days. 

Bo-Driffie, where rooibos tea was once cut and dried

The next day Petrus Hanekom, author of “Diep Spore”, took us on a drive from the Clanwilliam road to Uitkyk, filling in nearly seventy new names – including “Bo-Driffie”, the authentic old name of the Geelhoutskloof “teestasie”. Petrus also located names from further afield, historic names that should not be lost, such as Swiet se Graf. Petrus also pointed out to us a formation that for all these years has completely eluded me. On the south-west slopes of Middelberg South, above Uitkyk, is a formation called “Die Brug” on all the old maps. I have always assumed it was a rock arch, and have always failed to find it. Well, there it is, in plain sight – a rock arch that eludes because it is not on any skyline, but blends against the slope with the surrounding rocks.
Petrus’s names include important ones such as “Slaweboom”, “Wysterskloof” and “Sandkraal”. On our way back to Clanwilliam we spotted the Sandkraal gate. It bears the sign, “Sandkraal (moontlik)” – what confidence, hey!  In the meantime, Sandkraal owner, rest assured – it’s no longer “moontlik”, it’s real! Pic sent by Jannie N - many thanks, Jannie!

If anyone else wants a copy of Petrus’s book, please contact him directly – he’s at 072 028 7331.

Tante Emma Laden se Winkel at Vleituin Farm; Langkop behind

We rounded off the trip with a visit to the ever-helpful Patrick Lane at Algeria; Patrick gave us inputs on the new proposed route up Sneeuberg, which should be completed soon. Our meeting was interrupted by a call from the SAPS, Clanwilliam – a Chinese tourist was apparently missing in the mountains, but whatever happened to him in the end I do not know. We left for Travellers Rest and Charité’s excellent hospitality none the wiser!

Flowers along the road to Agter-Pakhuis:
Amaryllis belladonna [L]; Brunsvigia bosmaniae [R]

3. Know these places?

Two mysteries that need tracking down ... any ideas?

The first is the “Hole in the Ground” near Filander se Werf. This is apparently a deep hole that can be climbed into, although it fills with water sometimes. According to Petrus Hanekom it is about 300 m north east of the path between Warmhoek and Middelberg, round about the nek south of the Dome and west of the Boskloof Pinnacle. It’s simply a hole that appears unexpectedly on level ground and is scarily deep. Do you know it? Do you have a GPS coord for it? Should it be on the map?

The second is a riverside shack known to the enquirer simply as “Africa”, see pics. Can you locate this? It could be near Beaverlac, in which case it falls outside our new map. Any info, anyone?

4. Know these rocks?

Here and there in the Cederberg are outcroppings of very dark rocks ... this author’s geology is not good enough to identify them, but they are landmarks and as such could be shown on the map. Greg Moseley has offered to help but, as he rightly says, he can’t identify positively from a photograph. If anyone knows these and what they are, geologically speaking, you could save Greg a lot of legwork. The captions explain where they are; in most browsers clicking on the pics will enlarge them.

L: Suurvlak 1                  R: Koupoort 1

“Suurvlak 1” is a thin line of black rock protruding out of the sandstone, near the Suurvlak nek on the western side of the Algeria valley. 

“Koupoort 1” is a closeup of a much larger outcropping, on the western side of Klein-Koupoort, before you reach the Groot-Koupoort path.

L: Koupoort 2                       R: Suurvlak 2

“Koupoort 2” is a single boulder [with a few bits] lying on the Klein-Koupoort path on the eastern side of the nek, apparently all by itself and not in association with any visible outcroppings. 

It looks like a huge block of rusty iron.

“Suurvlak 2” is an outcropping near, but is not in the same place as, Suurvlak 1.

Inputs already acknowledged from:
Rudolf Andrag, Alex Basson, Graham Bellairs, Chris Berens, Willem Beukes, Hendrico Burger, Lizette Burger, Theresa Burton, Eleanore Colyn, Andrea and Moritz Connrad, Louis Conradie, David Donald, Connie & Lizzie du Toit, Laurence Elton, Kerneels Filander, Ferdi Fischer, Carina Hanekom, Petrus Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom, Peter Hart, Ronnie Hazell, Tony Heher, Martin Hutton-Squire, Sam Jack, James Joubert, Jeroen Kant, Gerrit Kartsen, Tony Kings, Isak Koopman, Thys Kruger, Paul la Grange, Patrick Lane, Johann Lanz, John Ross, Justin Lawson, Margie le Roux, Nicky Lombard, Tony Lourens, Sandy MacDonald, Pieter Malan, Quinton Martins, Charles Merry, Eugene Moll, Wim Morris, Greg Moseley, Anneke Nieuwoudt, Cisca Nieuwoudt, Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt, Marianna Nieuwoudt, Pip Nieuwoudt, Barry Ockhuis, Joey Ockhuis, Kellie of Grasvlei, Caro & Steve Oldroyd, Paddy O’Leary, Mare Olivier, Linton Pope, Peter Jan Randewijk, Trevor Rennison, Galeo Saintz, Mike Scott, Mariet Smit, Mariaan Smuts, Haffie Strauss, Julyan Symons, Gert Theron, Edmund Thompson, Ingar Valentyn, Anne-Marie van der Merwe, Leonie van der Merwe, George van der Watt, Andricus van der Westhuizen, Hennie van der Westhuizen, Johan van der Westhuizen, Mike van Wieringen, Charité van Rijswijck, Kosie Viljoen, Jill Wagner, Torben Wiborg, Ezan Wilson, Steven Windell and Louise Esterhuizen, Mary Anne Zimri

Kaartman, Meidei 2013 [Wukkasdag]

#18 Report Back, April 1st 2013

1. Algeria to be sold?

2. Luna news from Google Earth

3. Mapping news: real light at the end of the tunnel?

4. Ferdi revisits the Chockstone

5. Namaqualand flowers

6. New place to stay

1. Algeria to be sold

News that a North African consortium has put in an offer to purchase the entire camp, cottages and offices at Algeria from CapeNature has aroused mixed feelings. Led by multi-millionaire Algerian businessman Moocha Mullah, the consortium issued a statement claiming that “Algeria belongs to North Africa; we merely want to relocate it in the Atlas where it belongs.” Plans include the reconstruction of all existing buildings with classic Moorish windows and minarets, and the replacement of the bluegums and indigenous trees with Atlas cedars. Similar plans by a Maronite Christian group for Lebanon, near Grabouw, but this time with Lebanese cedars, have been dismissed as a copycat fraud.
Before you correspond with me [or anyone else] on this please note that it was posted before noon on April 1st.

Apollo Peak on Google Earth

2. Google Earth

The good news from Google Earth is that at last they have updated their [mostly] extremely poor aerial views of most of the Cederberg, though there is still a large part of the northern section and Agter-Pakhuis where the pics are so poor that you wonder why they bothered. This good news is tempered, however, by some bad news: they have also released version 7 of Google Earth, which fixes several things that were not broken in the first place. A huge inconvenience is that you can no longer turn off the “terrain” feature. This rather silly idea lets you imagine that you are flying over a 3D model of the Earth but is absolutely hopeless for tracing paths, and pretty awful for finding coordinates.
It seems that to be able to turn off “terrain” you have to spend US$400 on the professional version; however, there is a partial work-around. You can set the vertical exaggeration to 0.01 [on a scale up to 3], which for most decent purposes flattens the earth.
You also can’t access the Full-Screen feature: push the buttons and instead of expanding your view, it minimises it. Fix the bug, Googs!
Google Earth’s rival, Bing maps, has complete, very high quality pics of the whole Cederberg [all updated October 2012] but Bing suffers because you can’t georeference its pics easily. The software is also densely-non-intuitive. I have yet to find out how to save a particular area as a Favourite: it insists on defaulting to the first one I ever saved. Use this url to access Bing; it will take you to a place near Brugkraal, and you’ll have to navigate from there, I’m afraid. 
www.bing.com/MAPS/?form=flredr#5003/s=w&p=c/5872/style=a&lat=-32.263325&lon=19.159622&z=16&pid=5874  
Both Google Earth and Bing include areas obscured by cloud but, except for part of the Wolfberg, you can fill in the areas that are clouded on one of them by using the other one’s pics.
Bing is usually better quality than even the recent Google Earth pics, but you must choose – see sample pics of Apollo Peak.

Apollo Peak on Bing Maps

3 Mapping news: 

Great news is that at long last there is some real light. It’s been 18 months since we started drawing, and the need to correct the [very poor] contour information on the Official Maps has been the main cause of delay. Please appreciate that the four A1 maps are the equivalent of drawing eight Table Mountain maps from scratch.
That said, the “beta” version of Map 2, side 2, the south-eastern corner, will soon go out to relevant folks for comment. It covers the area from Langkloof/Driehoek south to Kunje/Mount Ceder, with Dwarsrivier/Kromrivier in the middle.

Click on the map to enlarge it

The sample [incomplete] includes info that Rudolf Andrag has provided around Luna Peak [please comment as freely as you like on this ‘bit’: http://www.slingsbymaps.com/contactus.aspx ]. The new Google Earth view of the peak illustrates the ‘craters’ from which the peak takes its name, and as Rudolf describes:
“Dit lyk bo-op soos ’n maanlandskap kompleet met kratertjies. Verder is die klippe almal in klein regop paddastoellietjies verweer waaroor mens moeilik loop. Dit skep ’n baie besondere soort klipverweringspatroon.  Die naam Luna Piek is gegee deur die Stellenbosch Afdeling van die Bergklub op een van hulle gereelde uitstappies onder leiding van Ernst Lotz na hierdie deel van die Cederberg, wat hulle reeds van die sestiger jare gereeld besoek en goed ken.”

The ‘craters’ on Luna Peak. The crack is also clearly visible [altitude 300m]

Rudolf has also provided a magnificent gallery of pics of the area.

Finally, Matt du Plessis has provided a fine pic which we will almost certainly use as the cover pic for this map sheet.

4. Ferdi Fischer popped in in real life the other day, replete with news of his trip with Martin Hutton-Squire and others to revisit the Chockstone. Ferdi reports that it is indeed where he suspected it should be, and that it has not changed in the fifty years since I was there with him.  Martin Hutton-Squire sent me this great pic of Brian de Villiers and Ferdi [in the flesh, in the blue shirt!] proving that the Chockstone really exists!

5. Please note that Annelise le Roux’s well-known guide to the wild flowers of Namaqualand, published in 1981 by BotSoc, is being completely revised, and many additional species are being added. The new edition should be available in Spring 2013. The Kirstenbosch branch of BotSoc is offering the opportunity to anyone who would like to sponsor, subscribe to or buy a pre-publication edition of the book, all signed by the author, to visit their website for full details, at www.botsoc-kirstenbosch.org.za .

6. Finally, I would not normally include an ad, but Ouma’s House is a new place to stay in the southern ’Berg, near Kunje:

Inputs already acknowledged from:
Rudolf Andrag, Alex Basson, Graham Bellairs, Chris Berens, Willem Beukes, Hendrico Burger, Lizette Burger, Theresa Burton, Eleanore Colyn, Andrea and Moritz Connrad, Louis Conradie, David Donald, Connie & Lizzie du Toit, Laurence Elton, Kerneels Filander, Ferdi Fischer, Carina Hanekom, Petrus Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom, Peter Hart, Ronnie Hazell, Tony Heher, Martin Hutton-Squire, Sam Jack, James Joubert, Jeroen Kant, Gerrit Kartsen, Tony Kings, Isak Koopman, Thys Kruger, Paul la Grange, Patrick Lane, Johann Lanz, John Ross, Justin Lawson, Margie le Roux, Nicky Lombard, Tony Lourens, Sandy MacDonald, Pieter Malan, Quinton Martins, Charles Merry, Eugene Moll, Wim Morris, Greg Moseley, Anneke Nieuwoudt, Cisca Nieuwoudt, Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt, Marianna Nieuwoudt, Pip Nieuwoudt, Barry Ockhuis, Joey Ockhuis, Kellie of Grasvlei, Caro & Steve Oldroyd, Paddy O’Leary, Mare Olivier, Linton Pope, Peter Jan Randewijk, Trevor Rennison, Galeo Saintz, Mike Scott, Mariet Smit, Mariaan Smuts, Haffie Strauss, Julyan Symons, Gert Theron, Edmund Thompson, Ingar Valentyn, Anne-Marie van der Merwe, Leonie van der Merwe, George van der Watt, Andricus van der Westhuizen, Hennie van der Westhuizen, Johan van der Westhuizen, Mike van Wieringen, Charité van Rijswijck, Kosie Viljoen, Jill Wagner, Torben Wiborg, Ezan Wilson, Steven Windell and Louise Esterhuizen, Mary Anne Zimri

Kaartman, April Fool’s Day, 2013

#17 Report Back February 2013

1. Feedback on Heuningvlei – pics from Mike Scott

2. Mapping news – tantalising covers?

3. Fire: the aftermath

4.  Book Review : ‘Diep Spore’ by Petrus Hanekom

---------------

1. Feedback on Heuningvlei – pics from Mike Scott

Pieter Malan of ‘Rapport’ asked for pics of the old Heuningvlei Forest Station. Within hours these two had arrived from Mike Scott – can anyone give me a precise location for the riethuis?

Any other pics, especially ones that might show the old rooidak house from the front, would be most welcome.

2. Mapping news – tantalising covers?

I thought it was time to tantalise my readers with possible covers for the two-map set; the packaging and presentation will remain a secret until publication date [now firming up at last – more next month]. The Northern Section pic is from the brilliant photo library of Graham Bellairs; if anyone has a better shot for the Southern Section that shows both the Maltese Cross and Sneeuberg I’d love to use it.

3. Fires: the aftermath

The official news is that the Maltese Cross/Sneeuberg area is closed until further notice; the whole of block ‘A’ [Rocklands/Pakhuis and the northern areas] is closed pending a full assessment of the fire-damage, but it is probable that Rocklands will be open by July.
The current allegations of fraud and corruption in the Cederberg Municipality have nothing to do with the fires!

4.  Book Review : ‘Diep Spore’ by Petrus Hanekom

‘Algeria is my tuiste. Agter die groen seder is rus. Rustigheid in die veldkamp by Sneeuberg. Die uitkyk van bo-op Wolfberg is lieflik en wyd. Hoog in die berge is daar rus. Die lafenis van die Sederberge. Koel water. Kom drink.’
These words of Petrus Hanekom introduce his delightful and informative personal history of his seventy years in the Cederberg. Rudolf Andrag breezed in the other day with a copy for me – ‘Read this!’ Rudolf said before fleeing back to the mountains, and I certainly owe Rudolf for several evenings of absolute reading pleasure. 

‘Diep Spore’ is Petrus Hanekom’s own story, but it is also the story of the people whom he worked with, of the changes that he saw, of the things they did together. For those of us [myself included] who have tended to regard the Cederberg as our personal playground, Hanekom’s story introduces a new dimension, one that we have perhaps not thought about enough. Hanekom and his family and fellow workers are the Cederberg’s people; we are merely visitors. We outsiders are all, perhaps, the real ‘hoi polloi’ that some of my correspondents feared so much!
The book is all in Afrikaans, as it should be, and if you can’t read Afrikaans you should find a willing translator, because, like ‘Witwater se Mense’ that I mentioned our ‘Special Report’ of June 9 2012 cederbergmap.blogspot.com/2012/06/special-report-collecting-names.html , Hanekom’s ‘Diep Spore’ is essential reading for every Cederberg fan.
There is an introduction by the late Ernst Smit, who helped Petrus Hanekom produce an earlier version of the book. The Foreword deals with Hanekom’s childhood, followed by a chapter on the Forestry Department days, and the extraordinary and varied tasks that he and his fellow workers were called upon to complete, from fire-fighting to path building to clear-felling plantations using axes and hand-saws – even carrying huge ‘blokke’ [logs] down the mountain by manual labour. He describes as ‘one of the most difficult jobs’ the carrying of 18-foot telephone poles up to the old fire-lookouts at Middelberg and Sneeukop. Two men were assigned to a pole, and they had to carry three poles a day up from Algeria ...

There is a chapter about the social life of the various families, the places where they lived, and the seasonal gathering of tea and buchu in the mountains by people from as far away as Eendekuil, under permit from Forestry. It was these expeditions that introduced 9-year old Alex Basson, born and raised on Sorgvliet farm at the Eendekuil end of the Piekenierskloof Pass, to the Cederberg, from Riempie se Gat up the Heks River and over to Duiwelsgat.
Hanekom’s chapter on attempts to save the cedar trees is most interesting; I was intrigued to find that his comments – on why the cedars have become so much more threatened by veld-fires than they were in the old days – matched precisely Olive Nieuwoudt’s comments in her as-yet unpublished memoirs of the Cederberg.
Medicinal and edible plants, ghost stories, accidents, the camp sites, veld-fires, gobsmacked visits to Cape Town, and the people of the Grootkloof valley are all the subjects of Hanekom’s pen.
As a mapmaker I am of course intrigued by the masses of new place names that Hanekom has produced, so we’re off to Algeria soon to pick his brain about ‘Slaweboom’ and ‘Swiet se Graf’, ‘Wysterskloof” and ‘Tom se Gat’ and a hundred other places. His information about paths is both helpful and tantalizing, because some of the footpaths he mentions have totally disappeared, and we can no longer trace them.

Have you visited these?  You should, you know!

One small criticism – Hanekom rightly condemns the mindless demolition in the 1980s of Welbedacht, Heuningvlei, etc, but he wrongly attributes the destruction to ‘KNB’, which can only mean ‘Kaapse Natuurbewaring’. This is very unfair; Hanekom’s memory has let him down here. It was the State Forestry Department who were the great destroyers, long before ‘KNB’ assumed control of the Wilderness.

Welbedacht farm house before demolition

Finally, Hanekom’s description of the effects of apartheid on his life is moving and required reading for all who think that we should simply ‘move on’ and forget that terrible evil. This is an ordinary, conservative, middle-class, hard-working family man, not a radical activist with fanatical eyes; how anyone could have supported an ideology that treated him and his community as it did is beyond my understanding.
‘Diep Spore’ is hard to find – only 100 were printed. If you’re lucky you’ll find one at the Clanwilliam Apteek [R120] but if you would like me to bring you one from Petrus Hanekom himself please email me through www.slingsbymaps.com/contactus.aspx and I’ll let you know if and when I have copies.

Inputs already acknowledged [if I have left you out, please let me know!]: 
Rudolf Andrag, Alex Basson, Graham Bellairs, Chris Berens, Willem Beukes, Hendrico Burger, Lizette Burger, Theresa Burton, Eleanore Colyn, Andrea and Moritz Connrad, Louis Conradie, David Donald, Connie & Lizzie du Toit, Laurence Elton, Kerneels Filander, Ferdi Fischer, Carina Hanekom, Petrus Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom, Peter Hart, Ronnie Hazell, Tony Heher, Sam Jack, James Joubert, Jeroen Kant, Gerrit Kartsen, Tony Kings, Isak Koopman, Thys Kruger, Paul la Grange, Patrick Lane, Johann Lanz, John Ross, Justin Lawson, Margie le Roux, Nicky Lombard, Tony Lourens, Sandy MacDonald, Pieter Malan, Quinton Martins, Charles Merry, Eugene Moll, Wim Morris, Greg Moseley, Anneke Nieuwoudt, Cisca Nieuwoudt, Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt, Marianna Nieuwoudt, Pip Nieuwoudt, Barry Ockhuis, Joey Ockhuis, Kellie of Grasvlei, Caro & Steve Oldroyd, Paddy O’Leary, Mare Olivier, Linton Pope, Peter Jan Randewijk, Trevor Rennison, Galeo Saintz, Mike Scott, Mariet Smit, Mariaan Smuts, Haffie Strauss, Julyan Symons, Gert Theron, Edmund Thompson, Ingar Valentyn, Anne-Marie van der Merwe, Leonie van der Merwe, George van der Watt, Andricus van der Westhuizen, Hennie van der Westhuizen, Johan van der Westhuizen, Mike van Wieringen, Charité van Rijswijck, Kosie Viljoen, Jill Wagner, Torben Wiborg, Ezan Wilson, Steven Windell and Louise Esterhuizen, Mary Anne Zimri

– Kaartman, Dag van Valentyn en Rosies, Februarie 2013

Report Back #16 – January 2013

Fire!

Fire near Pakhuis – photo Charité van Rijswijk

 It’s been a bad season for fires in the Cederberg. A huge area in the central ’Berg burned in a December fire that started near the Kliphuis scout camp. It burned towards Sneeuberg and all the way across into the Kromrivier valley. Some of the veld at Dwarsrivier was old and needing to burn, but an awful lot was much too young. I gather that the Maltese Cross area has been closed to hikers until there is some veld recovery.

Pakhuis Farm, a lucky escape!  – photo Charité van Rijswijk

The fire this week burned from Biedouw to the Pakhuis, through Bushmans Kloof, in the east sweeping across near Traveller’s Rest and in the West through Klein Pakhuis and into the Pakhuis mountains. A volunteer firefighter sadly lost his life, and our sympathies go too to Dave and Di Moore and their small sons for the loss of their beautiful home. We have heard from Charité van Rijswijk and Haffie Strauss at Travellers Rest – Haffie reckons it’s the biggest fire she’s ever seen in the area. To Thys Kruger, Jill Wagner and Connie and Lizzie du Toit – we hope you did not suffer too much damage at Alpha, Bushmans Kloof and De Pakhuys. Once again much of the veld was very old and needing a burn, while other areas were much too young.
    Both areas will remain moonscapes until well into winter, unless they enjoy some uncommon late summer rain.

Leipoldt's Grave, Pakhuis Pass – photo Mariaan Smuts

We’ve had some great info from Pieter Malan of Rapport. Pieter reminded me that the huge amphitheatre on the Algeria side of Protea Peak is named ‘Veregat’. “Apparently a group of boswerkers were once fighting a fire in the area and sitting on top of Protea Peak, totally exhausted, looking down into that amphitheatre. One said he wished the hole was filled with feathers, so that he could jump down. And so it became the Veregat amongst forestry workers.”
Pieter pointed out two naming errors, too. The ridge near Driehoek is frequently mispelled as ‘Mied se Berg’. It should be ‘Meid se Berg’, so named because of an occasion when, with fires raging through the Cederberg, there were no men left to fight a fiery outbreak on this ridge. The women of Welbedacht, Driehoek and Eikeboom were called up for fire duty, and hence the name.
Pieter also pointed out that on our sample map Asjas se Grot is correct, but the kloof to the south is incorrectly named Asjas se Kloof. The kloof is the one with the cave, in fact. ‘Asjas’ is frequently mispelled ‘Asias’ on some maps.
Pieter also suggested a new name. “There is another thing, and that is the honouring of Jan Zimri, the path builder who has built/re-opened the footpath from Pakhuis through Amon se Poort to Boskloof in the 1990s. He is also the man who built the ‘new’ path up Wolfbergskeure, replacing a horrible slog up the middle with a decent path. Maybe one of these paths should be known as Jan se pad? He and his fellow builder – the name escapes me now – is the last of the last great Cederberg path builders.” 
I think we can manage ‘Zimri se Pad’ for the Amon se Poort path. Zimri’s Cave is nearby but that will definitely NOT be shown on the map. Any offers on the name of the other path builder?

Pieter added to our debate around the Pakhuis air accident, too ... “You mention the Junkers wreck in Pakhuis. It might interest you that my wife (Sonja Loots) wrote an Afrikaans novel called ‘Spoor’ in the early 1990s in which that plane crash features quite prominently. There should be an old box somewhere in our house with her research for the novel. But where to find it ...”
Finally, Pieter appeals to anyone who has photos of the old Heuningvlei forest station before it was razed to the ground ... he and Isak Koopman of Heuningvlei remember it well, but have no pics.

Rudolf Andrag’s pic of Sneeuberg, from Luna Peak.
Rudolf has provided some great names from the area.

Your helpful contributions ...

Thys Kruger pointed out that De Pakhuys manages Laughenis on behalf of the owners, so we can include it on the map.

Louis Conradie pointed out that Karu Kareb has new owners, so we will try to contact them.
The Waterfall farm we want is the one near Rockwood, Louis, not the Porterville one – we don’t stretch as far south as Porterville, but thanks anyway.

Charles Merry sent this photo of the Breekkrans Arch with its coordinates – it’s the “Arch on Moorrees Peak” in Howes-Howell’s pic, so that’s another one located!

Had a brief but productive visit to Kunje and the surrounding area, with great inputs from the friendly Hanekoms; exploring the byways over the Middelberg Pass has helped to make sense of some of those southern access routes that appear on the CapeNature map. We missed the first farm worker’s strikes in the Citrusdal area by one day ...

Digitizing side two of the map is 95% complete and in the next few weeks we will start sending out bits of map to the resorts that have their own trails, for comment. Unfortunately we are still having to realign the very inaccurate contour lines on the Official Maps, a mammoth task, so all those of you who have asked to be notified of the publication, please remain patient! Click Here if you have not already asked to be notified when the map is launched.

Finally, I am looking for cover pictures – appropriate Cederberg backgrounds preferably including a hiker or three – for the Northern and Southern sections. There will be a prize! – name your own reward, please! All and any pics that are used will be fully acknowledged and will carry your name on the map. Hi-res, uncropped, roll them in.

Inputs already acknowledged [if I have left you out, please let me know!]: 
Rudolf Andrag, Alex Basson, Graham Bellairs, Chris Berens, Willem Beukes, Hendrico Burger, Lizette Burger, Theresa Burton, Eleanore Colyn, Andrea and Moritz Connrad, Louis Conradie, David Donald, Connie & Lizzie du Toit, Laurence Elton, Kerneels Filander, Ferdi Fischer, Carina Hanekom, Theunis Hanekom, Peter Hart, Ronnie Hazell, Tony Heher, Sam Jack, Jeroen Kant, Gerrit Kartsen, Tony Kings, Isak Koopman, Thys Kruger, Paul la Grange, Patrick Lane, Johann Lanz, John Ross, Justin Lawson, Margie le Roux, Nicky Lombard, Tony Lourens, Sandy MacDonald, Pieter Malan, Quinton Martins, Charles Merry, Eugene Moll, Wim Morris, Greg Moseley, Anneke Nieuwoudt, Cisca Nieuwoudt, Jannie and Katrin Nieuwoudt, Marianna Nieuwoudt, Pip Nieuwoudt, Barry Ockhuis, Joey Ockhuis, Kellie of Grasvlei, Caro & Steve Oldroyd, Paddy O’Leary, Mare Olivier, Linton Pope, Peter Jan Randewijk, Trevor Rennison, Galeo Saintz, Mike Scott, Mariet Smit, Mariaan Smuts, Haffie Strauss, Julyan Symons, Gert Theron, Edmund Thompson, Ingar Valentyn, Anne-Marie van der Merwe, Leonie van der Merwe, George van der Watt, Andricus van der Westhuizen, Hennie van der Westhuizen, Johan van der Westhuizen, Mike van Wieringen, Charité van Rijswijck, Kosie Viljoen, Jill Wagner, Torben Wiborg, Ezan Wilson, Steven Windell and Louise Esterhuizen, Mary Anne Zimri

–Kaartman, January 2013