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Eagle Cottage : a cottage for hire on the Cedar Rock reserve, in the Red or eastern Cederberg

The view from Eagle’s Nest, over the Biedouw Valley

Eagle’s Nest : A lookout point on Boontjiesberg [717m] on the Bushmans Kloof reserve, that looks out over the Biedouw Valley

Eenboomkamp

Eenboomkamp : “lone tree camp” [Afr]; a favourite campsite near a single, lonely cedar tree at Grootlandsvlakte, between Middelberg and Sneeukop
Eerstekloof : “first ravine” [Afr]; the first ravine, counting from east to west, in the upper part of the Kromrivier valley
Eight Days Of Rain : a bouldering site on Traveller’s rest farm, accessed from the top of Oupoort
Eikebome : “oak trees” [Afr]; picnic site under oak trees where the Wupperthal-Matjiesrivier road crosses the Nuwejaarsrivier, near the hamlet of Langkloof

Eikeboom is across the plain, on the right – photo taken from near Driehoek. The Cederhoutskloof ascends in the shadowed area

Eikeboom : “oak tree” [Afr]; site of a farm at the exit from Cederhoutskloof and across the valley from Driehoek; the farm house was demolished by the Forestry Department, who had bought the property in 1964, after the Wilderness Area proclamation of 1973. Eikeboom, established in the late 19th century, was a thriving farm under the guidance of its owner, Isak Burgers, who bought it in 1902. Burgers even established a small school there for the (white) children from the surrounding farms. Today, in the words of Olive Nieuwoudt, “the skeletons of the dead old oak trees are all that remains of the farm of bygone days”
Eikebos : “oak wood” [Afr]; farm between Tuinskloof and Buffelshoek, on the R303

Elandskloof, from the Middelberg Pass

Elandskloof : “eland’s ravine” [Afr]; a large, well-watered valley west of the Middelberg Pass and off the R303 near Citrusdal; named for the animals which once grazed there, eland or Taurotragus oryx. Elandskloof was a contested area where, under apartheid laws, the coloured people – who were the communal owners – were evicted. The valley was then sold for a song to the Dutch Reformed Church, at that time the church of most Nationalists and hence a powerful and influential body. The land was returned to its rightful owners under the land restitution programme that followed the advent of democratic government in 1994
Elandskloof Settlement : As above; the settlement at Elandskloof

Elandskloof Waterfall: photo by Ken Howes-Howell

Elandskloof Waterfall : “eland’s ravine waterfall” [Afr]; a large and spectacular waterfall on the Citrusdal Boontjiesrivier, some distance from Elandskloof itself; in fact it lies north of the R303 near the farm known as Rockwood
Elandskloofrivier : “eland’s ravine river” [Afr]; the river that runs through Elandskloof, a tributary of the Boontjiesrivier

Elephant Hunt: the painting that gives the cave its name

Elephant Hunt : a cave with rock art on the Bushmans Kloof reserve, so named for its image of an elephant full of spears, surrounded by prancing hunters. The meaning, however, is more likely to be metaphorical than narrative
Elephant Rock : a large rock on the Gekko Private Reserve near Kriedouw, named for its uncanny resemblance to a charging elephant

This is the only painting at Elephant Roof

Elephant Roof : a cave with rock art on the Bushmans Kloof reserve, so named for its single, large painting of an elephant on the roof of the cave
Elizabethsfontein : “Elizabeth’s spring” [Afr]; a farm on the Klawer road in the Agter-Pakhuis
Elizabethsfontein Primary School : as above, a primary school next door to the farm. It is the largest rural boarding school for primary pupils in the Western Cape and provides schooling for some 200 pupils, mainly from surrounding farms. The school has an exception record for teaching reading; it also features traditional Khoi dancing prominently amongst its activities, thus helping to keep the tradition alive
Embers : An outdoor restaurant on the Bushmans Kloof reserve
Emmi : a cottage for hire on Traveller’s Rest farm. Situated at Sevilla, it is named after the farm owner’s granddaughter

Engelsman se Grot? This may not be the correct cave ...

Engelsman se Grot : “Englishman’s cave” [Afr]; a cave near the summit of the Pakhuis Pass, and off the Heuningvlei road. During the South African War of 1899-1902 there was blockhouse on the stony hillock at the top of the pass; this cave is reputedly where the off-duty British soldiers slept, as many buttons, belt buckles etc have been found there. The location on the present edition of the map may, however, be incorrect

The spectacular view down Engelsman se Kloof

Engelsmanskloof : “Englishman’s ravine” [Afr]; a steep ravine on the northern side of Sneeukop, and a popular access route to the shale band; by repute, a group of Boers had a small cannon here [is that likely, in that terrain?] which they used to ambush a party of British soldiers, removing the head of one unfortunate; his ghost now frequents the Crystal Pool area, particularly on misty nights

The Englishman’s Grave

Englishman’s Grave : the grave of Graham Vinicombe Winchester Clowes, a young lieutenant in the British army who was killed here in January 1901 by a Boer sniper; his wounded companion also died later in Clanwilliam. They are reputed to be the military casualties that were the closest to Cape Town during the South African War. Young Clowes’s mother visited his grave every years for many years after his death, no mean feat for an Englishwoman in the January heat, who after a long sea journey had probably travelled from Cape Town by train and by wagon over very dusty roads to get to the grave ... The grave is now maintained as a project by pupils from the Elizabethsfontein Primary School. The full inscription reads:

BRAVE AND TRUE

In Sacred and Loving Memory of

Graham Vinicombe Winchester Clowes,

Lieutenant, 1st Battn. the Gordon Highlanders,

Son of the Late Winchester Clowes of Hitchin, Herts.

Killed in Action near this spot,

on the 30th January 1901

Erdvarkkloof : “ant-bear [aardvark] ravine” [Afr]; a ravine below Koupoort that leads into the upper reaches of the Clanwilliam Boskloof

The Ereboog near Eselbank

Ereboog : “arch of honour” [Afr]; an extraordinary rock arch near Eselbank; several metres high and wide, it consists of a very insubstantial-looking wreath of rock resembling the intertwined plant-stems of a wedding arch, etc

Eselbank

Eselbank : “donkey bank” [Afr]; [also often spelled ‘Ezelbank’]; a small settlement on the road between Wupperthal and Matjiesrivier, there are several popular explanations for the name. One is that a local woodcutter took his donkeys into the extraordinary jungle of rocks behind Eselbank, on the eastern slopes of Sneeukop. There he was injured by a cedar tree he had felled and, unable to move, cried out in vain for help. His faithful donkeys would not leave him but took up the refrain with loud, raucous braying. The next morning they were heard by passers by on the track below. The man was rescued and the ‘bank’ or band of rocks were known as Eselbank thereafter ...

The view of Eselbank from its cave, a couple of kilometres from the village

Eselbank Cave : see above; a cave near the Eselbank Ereboog; it has some faint rock paintings
Eselbank Cottage : see above; a cottage for hire in Eselbank

Eselbank Falls: watch your step

Eselbank Falls : see above; a very impressive waterfall just below the town. Possibly one of the highest waterfalls in the Cederberg, it is most impressive after rain but the several view sites are somewhat hazardous
Eselbank Primary : see above; a small boarding school at Eselbank that serves children of primary school age. In bygone years even children from Driehoek would make a weekly trek right over the Cederberg to attend school here
Eselbank River : see above, the river that runs through the town
Eselbank se Hoek : “donkey bank’s corner” [Afr]; a basin high up under the Sneeukop shaleband, near the headwaters of the Eselbank River
Eselbank se Koppe : “donkey bank’s hills” [Afr]; low hills north east of the town of Eselbank

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Fairview : farm south of the R303 and due west of Meulsteenberg, 1224m

Faith, with Heuningvlei donkey cart in the foreground

Faith : One of three peaks north of the summit of the Pakhuis Pass, the others being Hope and Charity, and named by C. Louis Leipoldt. Contrary to popular belief the peaks are not named after three local sisters

The famous shamanistic painting at Fallen Rock

Fallen Rock : a rock art site at Bushmans Kloof well-known for its large, shamanistic figure whose spirit form appears to be leaving him; the site is so named because a large, heavy  slab has detached from the cave wall and fallen face-down on the floor of the cave. It is possible to glimpse underneath this slab and note the presence of tantalising but inaccessible rock paintings upon it ...
Familiekamp : “family camp” [Afr]; local name for the farm village at Traveller’s Rest farm
Fields of Joy : bouldering site at De Pakhuys farm, in the Agter-Pakhuis
Filander se Gat : “Filander’s hole” [Afr]; a reputably bottomless hole on a flat hillslope near Filander se Werf, on the southern side of The Dome; it can be climbed into with caution, but may fill with water in the wet season
Filander se Pad : “Filander’s road or path” [Afr]; the path from Algeria that leads northwards around Gatdeurkop and Langkop, north of Algeria,  and then south up to Filander se Werf

Filander se Werf, from Five Way View

Filander se Werf : “Filander’s farmstead” [Afr]; where by repute one Filander had a small subsistence farm before being evicted by the Cape government in the late 1890s
Five Way View : A nek north of Kruger se Land, on the way to Middelberg North, where splendid views in five different directions may be seen
Flink se Hoog : “Flink’s heights” [Afr]; a steep bit of the rough track known as the Karoobergpad that leads to Bakkrans and Cedar Rock. ‘Flink’ can also mean ‘clever’ in Afrikaans and may here be a nickname for a person, mule or donkey
Fontein-Meriba : The ‘Fountain of Meriba’ is a reference to the biblical account wherein Moses strikes the rock, causing water to gush from it; ‘meribah’ means ‘the quarrel’, hence ‘spring of the quarrel’. The farm is now a resort and restaurant under the name Cederberg Oasis
Fonteinskloof : “ravine of the spring” [Afr]; a small ravine north of Keurbosberg and east of the Matjiesrivier-Wupperthal road
Fonteintjie : “little spring” [Afr]; a small farm south of Citrusdal, off the Keerom road

Fortuin se Kloof

Fortuin se Kloof : “Fortuin’s ravine” [Afr]; who Fortuin was is not known, but his ravine contains the only stream on Die Noodpad, the Heuningvlei-Pakhuis road, where reliable water is available
Frans se Bos : “Frans’s bush” [Afr]; a point on the Oupad, the Wupperthal-Heuningvlei road; presumably named after one Frans, but why ‘bos’ is unknown as there is no distinguishable bush there

Frikkie (Johnny) (left) loading the donkeys with his father, 1934.
Photo by Ken Howes-Howell

Frikkie se Vlakte : “Frikkie’s flats”[Afr]; Formerly known as ‘Cederhoutsvlakte’ after the ravine of that name, the area became increasingly known as ‘Frikkie se Vlakte’ by hikers and climbers in the 1950s to 1970s. Frikkie was a pack-donkey leader who for many years served mountaineers and hikers, particularly in the Sneeuberg area, and before the jeep track to Sneeuberg Hut was completed. He knew all the easiest routes through the rocky flats east and north of the Sneeuberg Hut, and consequently we have retained his name. New information suggests that Frikkie was better-known as Frederik, so the name may have to be changed
Frustration Peak : A 1505m peak south of Breekkrans, in the southern Cederberg, and presumably so named because its rocky summit is difficult to traverse