"Wolfberg Cracks and Arch" Hike. The Cederberg Wilderness awaits you...

The Wolfberg Cracks and Arch are considered one of the "must-do" hikes in the Cederberg. Well, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for - round up a friend or two and join Sue and me for a weekend in the rugged Cederberg Wilderness - and tick it off your bucket list. You haven't done the Cederberg till you've done the Wolfberg Arch ;-)

Accommodation

Two nights at Sanddrif Holiday Resort in two adjoining houses which can accommodate 10 guests, with 2 persons sharing a room. Capacity can be increased to a maximum of 18 should any group be willing to sleep 3 or 4 to a room - close friends, for instance.

Catering

To keep costs down and allow for individual preferences, everyone will cater for themselves. Coffee, tea and rusks will be provided in the morning, and a braai fire on Saturday evening. The houses providing accommodation are equipped for self-catering.

Programme

Make your own way to Sanddrif Holiday Resort, on the farm Dwarsrivier in the Cederberg during Friday, 24 January 2020, and meet up with fellow hikers during the rest of the day. Via Citrusdal the distance from Cape Town is approximately 250km.

Starting early on Saturday to avoid the heat, we hike up the Wolfberg Cracks, and proceed to Wolfberg Arch along a fairly level path. Spending some time at the arch, we retrace our steps to get back to Sanddrif. The hike is not for the unfit - most sources recommend allowing approximately 8 hours to Wolfberg Arch and back, but it can actually be done in a much shorter period. Although this may sound daunting, the hike is only around 16km long, and only the first 2km or so quite steep uphill. To hike Wolfberg Cracks is similar to hiking Skeleton Gorge or Platteklip Gorge of Table Mountain. Once at the top, the going is easy.

The eroded and contorted rocks present extraordinary scenery and make the hike well worthwhile. And afterwards, you can put it on your resume, of course. Back at Sanddrif, we shall appropriately nurse our feet, our thirst, and our hunger - around the campfire.

Sunday morning will present the survivors with the opportunity to visit Truitjieskraal - a very special place with breathtaking rock formations and an eerie, almost spiritual, atmosphere. SAN people used to live at the site many years ago and one can somehow sense their legacy amongst the rocks. Cederberg Park at Kromrivier presents an ideal opportunity for lunch and is situated about 6km down the road from Truitjieskraal, on the way to the main road out of the Cederberg.

Requisites

Water is usually not available along the Wolfberg hike - every hiker will have to carry an adequate supply, as well as a light lunch and some snacks. Water requirements vary from person to person, but a litre of water for every two hours of hiking seems to be the generally accepted rule of thumb - this translates to around 4 litres per person.

And then, of course, the usual - proper shoes, sunblock, hat, sunglasses, daypack, camera, binoculars, medication, first aid kit, map, etc.

Transport

Guests to arrange their own transport to Sanddrif - sharing vehicles reduces the cost.

Should enough participants be interested, we could consider hiring a Quantum Minibus - with a load of 10 passengers, the cost per person would be in the order of R 600, to Sanddrif and back to a central point in Cape Town.

Price

The price for the outing is R 1,350 per person - this includes accommodation for 2 nights and hosting/guiding by Sue and Deon. It does not include transport, food, or permit fees. A permit for the Wolfberg Cracks and Arch hike is R 100 per person, and for Truitjieskraal around R 50 per person. For WildCard holders, there is no entrance fee. Please advise during booking whether permits are required - we will arrange for them to be issued at Sanddrif.