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Baadjieskraal : “coat or jacket-corral” [Afr] – but probably named after an individual named “Baadjies”, a common South African surname. An abandoned farm (now ruined) south of the R303 between Citrusdal and Elandskloof

The sign marking the Bobbejaan Gat in Sas se Kloof

Baboon Gate : A self-closing gate on sprung hinges on the path between Kleinvlei and Wupperthal, where it passes through Sas se Kloof. Presumably designed to contain sheep, the gate effectively seals the only passage past the deep pool in the river below, the “Bobbejaan Gat” as marked on the rocks nearby 

Bain’s Old Cape Road : The road built by Thomas Bain between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam; it follows the right or eastern bank of the Olifants River and near Rondegat farm has been partially inundated by the Clanwilliam Dam. Bain surveyed and built the road after he had completed Grey’s Pass (now replaced by Piekenierskloof Pass) in 1858
Bain’s Old Pakhuis Pass : Thomas Bain completed the original Pakhuis Pass in 1877. Most of the present road still follows his original alignment
Bakenskloof : “beacon ravine” [Afr]; named for the nearby house, “Die Baken”, which stands near the southern boundary beacon of Keurbosfontein farm 

The Bakkrans

Bakkrans : “open cave” [Afr]; the Bakkrans is a large, shallow overhang in the side of an outcrop. It has rock paintings and modern inscriptions and lends its name to the entire Bakkrans Private reserve, in the Red Cederberg – the extreme eastern part of the Cederberg 

The view down the Kromrivier valley, from the SA War fort near Bakleikraal

Bakleikraal : “corral of the fight” [Afr]; at the western head of the Kromrivier valley. This circle of sheltering boulders is reputed to be the site of a skirmish between Boer and Brit in the South African War (1899–1902); this myth probably arose because of the presence of a British fort nearby. However, it is more likely to reflect an earlier engagement between white settlers and the indigenous Khoi or San 

The ruins at Bakmakersfontein; Breekkrans in the distance

Bakmakersfontein : lit. “bowl/basin/dish maker’s spring” [Afr]; a subsistence farmer’s settlement in the Breekkrans Valley, now ruins. Ernst Hartwig writes: “The name ‘Bakmakersfontein’ ... refers to the craft of making a botterbak (butter bowl or dish) from a waboom trunk. A botterbak, with a matching botterspaan (butter scoop ) also made from waboom, was a widely used household item at the Cape. Breekkrans could have provided an ample supply of waboom. To this day there are many prime specimens of waboom trees in the kloof. Their presence in the past is borne out by the name ‘Waboomskraal’, further up along the Breekkrans River. Botterbakke of waboom were being made by craftsmen of the Langkloof community until quite recently, if not to this day still. I am the proud owner of a couple myself! So, it’s not far fetched to picture a small botterbak industry at Bakmakersfontein, adding to the meager income from subsistence farming, strategically located as it was along a major highway from the Cape to Calvinia, the Ou Kaapse Weg, with the wagon of many a smous passing by!”
Bakoondshoek : “oven corner” [Afr]; a corner in the Kromrivier valley, south of Dwarsrivierberg. Presumably so named because it is very hot there in summer
Balancing Rocks : A common place name, this one refers to a pile of huge boulders on “Die Noodpad”, the track between Heuningvlei and the Pakhuis Pass
Baliesgat : “tub hole” [Afr]; an isolated valley north of the Krakadouw Pass, presumably so named for its shape
Ballerjafontein : “wild mint spring” [Afr]; a spring on the southern side of the Kromrivier valley; Ernst Hartwig writes: ‘Ballerja is a perennial herb (Mentha longifolia, Eng. wild mint) used as a traditional medicine for various ailments. It only grows in wet places, which ties in with the ‘fontein’ bit.’
Banglyn : “frightening line” [Afr]; a reference to a cutline or firebreak that traversed fearful cliffs; the name is given to a (now very faint) path that linked the Skerpioenspoort path at Van Zylsklip to Boskloof at Agter-Warmhoek
Bassonsklip : “Basson’s rock” [Afr]; a cave frequented by Alex Basson and named for him by the Forestry Department workers with whom he explored the mountains; the cave once had a cedarwood floor, an outer wall and a door but these have disappeared in subsequent fires 

Howes-Howell’s 1958 picture captioned ‘Beesgat vlaktes’. The left-most figure is Olive Nieuwoudt; the two rocks are clearly visible on Google Earth

Beesgat : “reed hole” [Afr]; Ernst Hartwig has pointed out that old accounts refer to the ‘Biesgat’, meaning a valley or defile where reeds or ‘biesies’ dominate the vegetation. It also apparent that this is the older name for the whole Breekkrans Valley, and not the parallel valley to the south; the latter is thus incorrectly named on the map and should rather be known as Dwarskloof, and the river as the Hondverbrandrivier. This is according to the local old timers, as Ernst Hartwig reports. However, ‘old timer’ Olive Nieuwoudt is one of the party who, according to Howes-Howell, is gazing down the Beesgat valley. His picture above is taken south of the Breekkrans Twins, in the ‘incorrect’ Beesgat. The two boulders in the pic are clearly visible on Google Earth at 32°35'01"S, 19°13'44"E.
1. the valley to the south of Breekkrans and parallel to it [in dispute]; 2. a campsite within the Breekkrans Valley. 

Beesgat Rock Arch, 21st Century: pic by Andricus van der Westhuizen

Beesgat Rock Arch, 1958: pic by Ken Howes-Howell; the imperative to stand on that rock goes back a long way ...

Beesgat Rock Arch : As above; a rock arch on Apex Peak with a view down the Beesgat valley [could be incorrect]
Beesgatrivier : As above, the river or stream that runs down the Beesgat valley [could be incorrect]
Begrawe se Kloof : “bury ravine” [Afr]; a small ravine across the valley and facing the cemetery at the hamlet of Witwater 

Some of the images at Bella's

Bella’s : A rock art site at Bushmans Kloof, named after a dog belonging to the original resort developer, Bill McAdam
Berg en Dal : “mountain and vale” [Afr]; a farm with time-share and other holiday facilities, on the Middeldeur River near Kunje, Koue Bokkeveld
Bergsig : “mountain view” [Afr]; a farm south of the R303 near Kunje, Koue Bokkeveld
Bergsoom : “mountain’s edge” [Afr]; a farm in the Olifants River Mountains south of Citrusdal
Betjesfontein : “Betty’s spring” [Afr]; colloquial name for Elizabethsfontein in the Agter-Pakhuis. Betje [Elizabeth] was the original owner
Beukeskraal : “Beukes’ corral” [Afr]; a small hamlet in the Tra-Tra River valley, east of Wupperthal and part of the Mission Lands 

Biedouw farm; granted in 1750, the house dates from 1788

Biedouw : “milk-bush pass” [Khoi]; named for the melkbos (geelmelkbos) or milk bush common in the area (probably Euphorbia mauritanica) which has poisonous sap; the actual pass was to the north-east of the present road down from Agter-Pakhuis. Biedouw farm was granted to the Lubbe brothers in 1750
Biedouw Guest Rooms : As above
Biedouw Hiking Trail : As above; the trail is on Mertenhof farm 

Biedouw Jeugkamp, from the Wupperthal road

Biedouw Jeugkamp : “Biedouw Youth camp” [Kh/Afr]; as above; the resort is on the upper Biedouw River
Biedouw River : As above; the river through the Biedouw Valley; by repute it harbours a mythical “water snake”
Biedouw River Canyon : Canyon on the Biedouw that divides Bushmans Kloof from Mertenhof farm
Biedouw se Gang : “Biedouw’s passage” [Kh/Afr] A cleft in the enormous rock pavements that fringe the south western edge of Bushmans Kloof; as the cleft does not lead to the Biedouw Valley the name does not make sense 

Biedouw Valley in spring

Biedouw Valley : As above; the valley famed for its riot of spring flowers of all colours, in years of good rains
Biedouw Valley Rooibos Tea : A company that produces and packages rooibos tea, at Welbedacht farm
Biedouwberg : “Biedouw’s mountain” [Kh/Afr]; mountain to the north-east of the Biedouw Valley 

Ruins at Biesiefontein

Biesiefontein : “reeds or rushes spring” [Afr]; abandoned, ruined farm off the Wolfdrif road near Elizabethsfontein
Biesiefontein se Bult : “Biesiefontein’s rise” [Afr]; a rise in the Wolfdrif road near to the remains of Biesiefontein farm 

Big Boulder Camp

Big Boulder Camp : A camp site amongst large rocks, near Crystal Pool
Black Fort : A bouldering site at Rocklands, not far from the summit of the Pakhuis Pass
Black Rocks : Prominent outcrops of black rocks, possibly manganese oxides, on the Klein-Koupoort path shortly before it intersects the Groot-Koupoort path 

Black Rocks

The famous ‘bleeding nose’ painting at the rock art site of that name

Bleeding Nose : A rock art site at Bushmans Kloof, famous for its shamanistic picture of a figure with a bleeding nose
Blind Corner : There are many blind corners on many trails; the name is applied to a place where the nature of the terrain, or the state of the path, makes it easy to overlook the correct route. The name thus serves as a warning to the hiker
Block Boulder : A very large, house-shaped boulder that is a landmark on the path between Boontjieskloof Hut and Skerpioenspoort
Block Hill : A prominent, block-shaped hill west of the path from Amon se Poort to Boskloof 

Blokkop

Blokkop : “block hill” [Afr]; a prominent, block shaped hill east of Halfvelskop, near Heuningvlei Hut
Blomfontein : “flower spring” [Afr]; a perennial spring on the shale band south west of Corridor Peak
Blomfonteinkloof : “flower spring ravine” [Afr]; completely unrelated to the above, this very long ravine runs from Boskloof at its north western end to near Buffelspad, Middelberg at its south eastern end; origin unknown 

Bloubosfontein refers to the open vlakte in the foreground

Bloubosfontein : “blue bush spring” [Afr]; a sandy, sometimes wet and flat area off “Die Noodpad”, the road from Heuningvlei to Pakhuis Pass, possibly named for the occurrence of Lobostemon species in that area
Bloukop : “blue hill” [Afr]; a 1581m peak between Spinnekop and Sandfontein Peaks in the southern Cederberg
Bloukrans se Poort : “blue cliffs pass” [Afr]; a little known pass between Groot- and Klein-Koupoort, east of Crevasse Peak, that contains some of the finest surviving cedar trees in the area; named for the blue cliffs that look down upon the cedars on the eastern side
Blousteil : “blue scarp” [Afr]; a very steep incline where the Wupperthal 4 x 4 trail crosses the flank of the Vaalheuningberg on the northern side, near Beukeskraal; fatal accidents have occurred
Blousteilte : “blue steep” [Afr]; a very steep incline on the eastern side of Bain’s old Pakhuis Pass, now disused. Bain imported a special blue-chip stone to surface his road at this point, to make it less slippery in wet weather
Bloutuin : “blue garden” [Afr]; a plot or “land” upstream from Sevilla on the Brandewyn River, used for various crops and sometimes planted with blue lupins to increase its fertility
Bloutuin se Dam : “blue garden dam” [Afr]; dam or weir upstream from the former, forming the lead-off point for a water-furrow, aqueduct and/or siphon that carries water for many miles downstream to Lorraine farm and beyond
Bo-Boskloof : “upper bushy ravine” [Afr]; the upper part of Boskloof, the very long ravine traversed by the Jan Dissels River, that runs from Crystal Pool all the way to Clanwilliam 

Bo-Driffie

Bo-Driffie : “above the little drift” [Afr]; a small rocky amphitheatre in Geelhoutskloof on Jamaka farm, literally “above the little drift on the main road”. In the old days the rooibos tea gatherers would dry their crop here, and the tea-cutters would bring their cutting machine to this point to cut the long stems into fragments
Bo-Fonteinskloof : “upper springs ravine” [Afr]; a minor ravine on the western slopes of Duiwelskop, north of Citrusdal
Bo-Kruis : “above the crossing” [Afr]; the upper end of the Kruisrivier ravine, on the path between Algeria and Heks River
Bo-Martiensrust : “upper Martin’s rest” [Afr]; settlement near Langloof; Martiensrust itself is nearly 200m lower down at the bottom of the Moordenaarsgat ravine
Bobbejaanfontein : “baboon spring” [Afr]; a fresh water spring above the Brandewyn River, north west of Bushmans Kloof
Bobbejaankop : “baboon hill” [Afr]; a small rocky hill at Kromrivier farm
Bobbejaanspoort : “baboon’s pass” [Afr]; a small, deep ravine in the hills behind the Sevilla cottages, in the Agter-Pakhuis
Bobbejane se Kop : “baboons’ hill” [Afr]; a small hill near Brugkraal, a hamlet on the Wupperthal Mission lands
Bokdrif : “buck drift” [Afr]; a drift across the Breekkrans River a few kilometres downstream from Nuwerust farm and resort
Bokdrif Trail : As above, a trail that crosses the river at Bokdrif
Bokveldskloof : “goat veldt’s ravine [Afr] [possibly a corruption of “Bokvelskloof”= “goatskin ravine”]; a ravine on the farm Dwarsrivier on the eastern side of Sneeuberg, near the Maltese Cross path
Boontjies River : “little beans river” [Afr]; the “beans” or “boontjies” refer to the drupes or fruits of the proteaceous Wild Almond plant, Brabejum stellatifolium. There are two Boontjies Rivers in the area, one a major tributary of the Olifants River east of Citrusdal, and another a small tributary of the Brandewyn River in the Agter-Pakhuis
Boontjiesberg : “little beans mountain” [Afr]; a 699m peak near Hoek se Berg on the Wupperthal road. This is not the right habitat for the traditional “boontjies” [see above] and is possibly named because it is the mountain between Hoek se Berg and Boontjieskloof farm, the original name of the Bushmans Kloof resort
Boontjieskloof : “little beans ravine” [Afr]; the “beans” or “boontjies” refer to the drupes or fruits of the proteaceous Wild Almond plant, Brabejum stellatifolium. There are two Boontjieskloofs in this area; one is a ravine near Grasvlei, a Wupperthal outlier, where a mountain hut [see below] is located; the other is the ravine where Bushmans Kloof resort is located, and which was the original name of the farm there

Boontjieskloof Hut

Boontjieskloof Hut : See the entry above 

Boontjiespoort; the distant mountain on the left is Oompie se Kop

Boontjiespoort : “little beans pass” [Afr]; a ravine near Kleinfontein farm, Agter-Pakhuis, where the last Cederberg ‘riethuis’ was located (burnt in 2012)
Boontjiesrivier : See Boontjies River above 

The SA War fort in Boschkloof

Boschkloof : “bushy ravine” [Afr]; a ravine near Citrusdal that has a British fort from the South African War (1899–1902). The Dutch spelling “bosch” distinguishes this ravine from “Boskloof”, which is near Clanwilliam
Boschkloof Footpath : See above; the footpath that ascends the ravine
Boschkloof Mountain Bike Trail : A trail on the farm of the same name: see above 

Bosdorp

Bosdorp : “forest village” [Afr]; the name given to the village in Grootkloof that was originally erected to house workers from the Algeria Forest Station. See also “Witkamp”
Boshoek : “bushy corner” [Afr]; enormous, deep amphitheatre above Algeria, west of Protea Peak
Boshof : “bushy garden” [Afr], but also a fairly common surname; a farm near Kriedouw on Nieuwoudt’s Pass
Boskloof : “bushy ravine” [Afr]; a very long ravine, the valley of the Jan Dissels River that extends from Clanwilliam deep into the Cederberg, near Crystal Pool; not to be confused with “Boschkloof” [see above], which is near Citrusdal
Boskloof Day Walk : See above; a path from the Pakhuis Pass via Amon se Poort to Boskloof, that can easily be walked in a day 

Boskloof Pinnacle

Boskloof Pinnacle : See above; a round-topped, free-standing peak east of The Dome and north of Middelberg North, 1159m
Boskloof Swemgat : “bushy ravine swimming hole” [Afr]; a popular resort in the Boskloof known for its large pool in the Jan Dissels River
Boskloofsrivier : “bushy ravine river” [Afr]; the river that runs down the Boschkloof; confusingly, it is seldom spelled in the old Dutch style
Bosman Peak : Bosman is an Afrikaans surname; in this context we do not know who Bosman was. A 1501m peak north of Frustration Peak, in the MCSA’s Breekkrantz property
Bosplaas : “bushy farm or place” [Afr]; a farm flanking the R303 where it crosses the Boontjies River, near Citrusdal
Bosplaat se Kloof : “ravine of the bushy place” [Afr]; the ravine that exits the enormous Boshoek amphitheatre, towards Algeria
Botha se Berg : “Botha’s mountain” [Afr]; a hill that measures exactly 1000m above mean sea level, south-east of the summit of the Pakhuis Pass; Botha se Berg was named after the first owner of Pakhuis Farm, back in the 1800’s – when according to the title deeds the name was still spelled the German way – Both.

Thanks to Thys Kruger of De Pakhuys for this info.
Bottom Gully : Gully on the north-west side of Skerpioensberg, on one of the preferred ascent routes 

Boulder Camp

Boulder Camp : Campsite at Filander se Werf, on the footpath from Warmhoek to Middelberg
Bovlei Guest Farm : “upper valley guest farm” [Afr]; popular resort in the Boskloof near Clanwilliam
Braambosfontein : “bramble bush spring” [Afr]; ruins of abandoned farm near Sandfontein and Kunje, in the southern Cederberg 

The fruits of Brabejum stellatifolium, sometimes called boontjies, ghô-boon or even teddy bear eggs ...

Brabejum Stream : Stream with dense wild almond bushes (Brabejum stellatifolium), on the Pakhuisberg Day Walk, north of the Kliphuis campsite 

Brakfontein : “salty or alkaline spring” [Afr]; one of the oldest farms outside Citrusdal on the northern side; granted to the German settler Barend Frederik Lubbe in 1758; at the time the name was spelled ‘Brackefonteyn’. Brakfontein is also a kraal on the Karoobergpad, in the Matjies Rivier Nature Reserve [see below]
Brakfontein se Hoog : “salty spring hill” [Afr]; a high point on the Karoobergpad in the Matjies Rivier Nature Reserve, near Brakfontein kraal
Brandekraal Leopard Trap : “burning kraal” [Afr]; an old stone leopard trap on the Breekkrans River, below Nuwerust farm 

The Brandewyn River in flood, 29 July 2001; the Traveller’s Rest Farm Stall might have been feeling a little nervous!

Brandewynrivier : “brandy river” [Afr]; the explanation that the river was named for a place where an encampment of British soldiers left the place strewn with brandy bottles is entirely fanciful. The Olivier’s old family farm in the Agter-Pakhuis was “Drilrivier” [= quicksand river]. Barend Olivier was the first farmer to irrigate vines from the river; he also owned the only brandy still in the Agter-Pakhuis. By repute he was rather fond of his own product; it is said that when Barend was on the binge his wife would walk around the outside of the house, bible in hand, praying that the walls would fall on the old man! However, a recent discovery is that the name was originally applied to the farm now known as De Pakhuys, which probably puts old Barend Olivier out of the picture, too

Some of the rock art figures at Brandhoek

Brandhoek : “burning corner” [Afr]; at Bushmans Kloof, it is a rock art site presumably named for a veld fire that once burned there. Also an old kraal in the Bakkrans Private Reserve
Brandhoek Dam : As above; a dam near Brandhoek at Bushmans Kloof
Brandhoekskloof : “burning corner ravine” [Afr]; a kloof above the eponymous kraal, at Bakkrans Reserve. This one is surely named for the extreme summer heat in the area
Brandkraal : “burning corral” [Afr]; in the early 1800’s Jan Matthys Kok was a missionary for the London Missionary Society at Vogelfontein, near the present Nuwerus. Kok was attracted to the settlements further north and left. In anger his Khoi congregants set fire to the mission. To this day many Cederberg residents still refer to the area as ‘Brandkraal’ 

Breekkrans in 2011

Breekkrans : “broken cliff” [Afr]; in 1884, after a week of heavy rain, there was a great rumbling noise followed by a shudder that felt like an earth tremor. The residents of Kromrivier rode out to see what had happened; they saw that a kranz on the ridge to the south had collapsed. The property, the river, and the twin peaks near the head of the valley are all known as “Breekkrans ...” as a result, although the fall itself is known as “Die Breek”. There is a different but less-famous Breekkrans in the hills west of Travellers’ Rest, formed after a similar event 

Breekkrans Arch: photo by Ken Howes-Howell, 1958

Breekkrans Arch : As above; a rock arch on Moorrees Peak [1524m], just above Die Breek
Breekkrans Trail : As above, but in this instance this trail is near the Travellers’ Rest Breekkrans 

Breekkrans Twins; photo by Ken Howes-Howell, November 1937

Breekkrans Twins : As above; twin peaks at the head of the Breekkrans Valley, on the southern side; 1579m and 1587m in height
Breekkrans Valley : As above; the valley of the Breekkrans
Breekkransberge : “broken cliff mountains” [Afr]; generic name of the mountains south of the Breekkrans Valley
Breekkranskloof : As above; synonym for Breekkrans Valley
Breekkransrivier : As above, the river in the Breekkrans Valley
Breekkrantz : As above, the official name of the Mountain Club property that includes Die Breek, the spelling is Durch
Breëwaterkloof : “wide water ravine” [Afr]; a small, shallow ravine near the summit of the Uitkyk Pass, to the south west
Brug se Kloof : “bridge’s ravine” [Afr]; tiny ravine to the south west and opposite the narrow bridge on the Clanwilliam road, just out of Algeria

Brugklip Arch, above Uitkyk. This very large arch is extremely difficult to see against the rocky mountain slopes; we have shaded the background above the arch to make it stand out a little. To the east of the Uitkyk cottages

Brugklip : “bridge rock” [Afr]; a bridge-like rock arch that looks down on the Uitkyk resort at the head of the Grootfloof/Algeria valley
Brugklip Rock Arch : As above 

Brugkraal, with Sneeukop in the distance

Brugkraal : “bridge corral” [Afr]; a tiny settlement near Heuningvlei and Witwater, a part of the Wupperthal Mission; it is across the river from the access road, but there is no bridge ...
Brugkraal se Kop : “bridge corral’s hill” [Afr]; hill due north of Brugkraal, 1026m
Bruinman se Voetpad : “brown man’s footpath” [Afr]; a footpath leading out of the Brandewyn River valley towards the Pakhuis Pass, a short-cut used by pedestrian traffic to avoid the Oupoort bends. Pedestrians in that area tend to be ‘brown’ people, hence the name
Bruinrug : “brown ridge” [Afr]; a ridge due north of the Citadel in the Tra-Tra Mountains, possibly named for the colour of the soil there
Bruintjiesfontein se Kloof : “little brown’s spring ravine” [Afr]; ‘Bruintjies’ is possibly the name of a person or an animal; this is a very long valley that links Kleinplaas farm near the Middelberg Pass, to the Boschkloof near Citrusdal
Buffelshoek : “buffalo’s corner” [Afr]; named for the historical occurrence of Cape Buffalo there (Syncerus caffer); a farm at the foot of the Middelberg Pass [R303] on the eastern side. This side of the pass is often referred to as the ‘Buffelshoek Pass’
Buffelspad : “buffalo’s road” [Afr]; as above; a farm north of Buffelshoek, off the Middelberg Pass 

Burgemeester rock

Burgemeester : “mayor” [Afr]; a large boulder at the junction of the Kromrivier-Breekkrans path and the Breekkrans-Vogelfontein path (the latter has almost disappeared); the rock fancifully resembles the large, frowning head of a man
Burgershalt : “citizen’s halt” [Afr]; more probably named after someone called Burger, this is a small farmstead near Elizabethsfontein in the Agter-Pakhuis
Burgerskloof : “Burger’s ravine” [Afr]; a minor ravine near the large wetland, Die Vlei, that lies between Driehoek and Eikeboom in the central valley of the Cederberg
Bushmans Kloof : Formerly ‘Boontjieskloof’, the farm was renamed by the McAdam family when they established an upmarket resort there. The etymology is unusual.
Bushmans Kloof Mountain Trail : As above
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Retreat : As above
Bydidam : “at the dam” [Afr]; commercial shortening of the Afrikaans “by die dam”; a resort on the R303 near Citrusdal, on the shores of a dam