Truitjieskraal #1: Rocky Wonderland Vista
The cache, a small black-taped tablet pot, is hidden towards the eastern edge of the less-visited but stunning Truitjieskraal Nature Reserve at a viewpoint overlooking a rocky valley with great views through the rocks towards the south-west and more rocks!
The Cederberg has numerous rock art sites, including the well-known nearby Stadsaal Cave across the Krom River valley and the Sevilla Rock Art Trail off the Uitkyk Pass west of Clanwilliam, but Truitjieskraal, in the Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve - a World Heritage Site - is one of the most impressive.
Well-designed information boards along the 2016 upgraded Truitjieskraal Interpretive Trail provide fascinating insights into the San and Khoe cultures, and educate visitors on the unique local ecosystem. ‘On the Truitjieskraal trail, you now will find interesting insights about the lifestyles of people who have lived there, how the landscape formed, how plants and animals contribute to it and how dynamic ecological processes continue to change it’.
Access to the site is by CapeNature day permit (R40) obtainable from their offices at Algeria campsite, Dwarsrivier Farm, or Matjiesrivier, or from Mount Ceder Lodge reception.
To Reach the Cache Location:
From the north/west: at S 32 30.417 E 19 16.983 on the main Algeria – Mount Ceder gravel road, turn south to head over the Kromrivier Pass (see video here) to Kromrivier. Continue straight to the T-junction @ S 32 32.429 E 19 16.939 turning to the east and follow the Truitjieskraal road – sand then gravel with some rocky patches – up out of the valley and across for some 5km to the Truitkieskraal access track turn-off @ S 32 32.228 E 19 19.496.
From the south/east: at S 32 31.836 E 19 21.250 on the main Algeria – Mount Ceder gravel road, turn left onto the Truitkieskraal road (also used as an escape route alternative to the main road when the Matjiesrivier is in flood and the drift impassable) to head steeply NW up the mountain slope and over the top to the Truitkieskraal access track turn-off @ S 32 32.228 E 19 19.496 some 4km along.
From either direction: follow this access track to the parking spot at the end after approx. 1.4km. From here pick-up the path heading east towards the viewpoint and cache location.
Caution: Please note that although the roads are navigable with care by non-4WD vehicles, there are some short rough sections where you will need to keep your speed well down and pay attention to choosing the best line to ensure good ground clearance.
To give you a good idea of what to expect, see here for a video of eastern half of the road from the main road to the Truitjieskraal turn off and here for the western half of the road - from the Truitjieskraal turn off to the bridge at Kromrivier.
Truitjieskraal is on an old route from the farms in the east to those in the Breekkrans River valley in the west. Stock farmers used it until the mid-20th century to move their sheep and goats from winter to summer grazing areas.
Truitjie is an abbreviation of the girl’s name Gertuida. It is believed this was an overnight stop along the route named after a shepherd’s wife or girlfriend.
Descendants of the San and Khoekhoe continue to live in the Cederberg on farms and mission stations. Many work today in nature conservation and the local tourism industry.
See here for a stunning time-lapse video on the site and here for a short video Exploring Truitjieskraal with some great drone shots of the area.