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Studying the rock art at Salmanslaagte

Salmanslaagte : “Salman’s hollow” [Afr]; a gully north of the Englishman’s Grave and accessible to visitors to Traveller’s Rest; there are three excellent rock art sites and a remarkable atmosphere. Salman was a shepherd; the remains of his kraal are still visible
Salmanslaagte Rock Art Trail : as above + etc etc; a trail from Traveller’s Rest farm that terminates at the Salmanslaagte rock art sites
Sand River : river that arises in Engelsman se Kloof, just north of Sneeukop, and runs down the Vogelgesangvallei and then via the Sand River Canyon, eventually joining the Tra-Tra. The wide valley through which all of this happens is sometimes known as the Wupperthal Kloof; see also Sandrivier below

Sand River Canyon

Sand River Canyon : the canyon through which the above river runs

Ken Howes-Howell's 1948 photo of a car stalled after crossing the Sanddrif

Sanddrif : “sandy drift” [Afr]; a drift, old farm and resort now part of Dwarsrivier farm in the central Cederberg; the farm was once the home of Gottlieb Leipoldt, a cousin of the better-known C. Louis Leipoldt, and was often referred to as “Leipoldt’s Farm” in the old days

Some impressive rocks near the Sanddrif Crag

Sanddrif Crag : as above + crag; a well-known climbing crag between the Sanddrif resort and the Wolfberg Cracks
Sandfontein : “sandy spring” [Afr]; a prominent farm in the southern Cederberg owned by the Kotze family; its name has long been associated with the features below

Sandfontein Arch

Sandfontein Arch : as above + arch; a large rock arch on the north eastern side of Sandfontein Peak
Sandfontein Dam : as above + dam; a large dam west of the Sandfontein farmstead

Sandfontein Peak: Ken Howes-Howell’s photo from 1952

Sandfontein Peak : as above + peak; a peak of 1629m overlooking Sandfontein farm; it is the second highest peak in the southern Cederberg south of Breekkrans, the highest being Gideon’s Peak (1650m) to the south east
Sandfontein Ravine : as above + ravine; a ravine north of Sandfontein Peak that enters Rietkloof; its position may be incorrect on the current map

Wynand du Preez’ cottage at Sandhoek

Sandhoek : “sandy corner” [Afr]; the subsistence farm of the late Wynand du Preez was known as Sandhoek; the half-ruined house survives on the Bakkrans Private Reserve
Sandkamp : “sandy camp” [Afr]; a suburb of Clanwilliam, south of Oukamp
Sandkop : “sandy hill” [Afr]; a 217m hillock east of the Olifants River and across the river from the Suikerbossie farm stall
Sandkraal : “sandy corral” [Afr]; a place on the banks of the Rondegatrivier, between Sandkraalkloof and Wysterskloof, that was once a settlement of ‘riethuise’ occupied by itinerant labourer/farmers who were later moved to the Bosdorp near Algeria

Sandkraal (moontlik) ... pic by Jannie Nieuwoudt

Sandkraal (moontlik) : “sandy corral (possibly)” [Afr]; a stone cottage a few hundred metres north west of Sandkraal, with ‘Sandkraal (moontlik)’ written on the gate. To the owners: you were almost right!
Sandkraalkloof : “sandy corral ravine” [Afr]; a small ravine east of the Rondegatrivier and south of the above; there is a cemetery there for the remains of those who once occupied Sandkraal
Sandland : “sandy land or field” [Afr]; a sandy field on the banks of the Wollerivier, south of Heuningvlei

Some stunning springtime vygies at Sandpoort

Sandpoort : “sandy pass” [Afr]; a small ‘pass’ on the Oupad between the Heiveldt turn off and Heuningvlei, where the road is very sandy

Sandpoort se Klipgat

Sandpoort se Klipgat : “sandy pass’s stone hole” [in context “klip gat” means “cave”][Afr]; an overhang at the northern end of the Sandpoort which affords shelter to travellers in wet weather, and is also a popular summertime picnic spot

A great pool on the Sandrivier, near Sanddrif

Sandrivier : “sand river” [Afr]; not to be confused with the Sand River described above, this refers to the central portion of the river which arises near the summit of the Uitkyk Pass; it flows south east through Die Vlei, joining the Driehoeksrivier; it remains the Sandrivier to a point east of Sanddrif, where it transmogrifies into the Matjiesrivier

Sandwerf: a landmark on the Wupperthal road

Sandwerf : “sandy farmstead” [Afr]; not originally a farmstead at all, it used to be the school off the main road to Wupperthal that served the children of the Heuningvlei and other communities in the winter months, when those communities would move down out of the Heiveldt to find winter grazing for their livestock. It is now a subsistence farm, however

One of the great pools and falls at Sas se Hoek

Sas se Hoek : “Sas’s corner” [Afr]; a lonely and isolated corner in the extreme upper Clanwilliam Boskloof, where presumably one Sas lived or farmed

Sas se Kloof, looking to the west (with built-in route instructions!)

Sas se Kloof : “Sas’s ravine” [Afr]; a deep cleft through the hills south west of Wupperthal and through which flows the Tra-Tra River; the hamlet of Kleinvlei is connected to Wupperthal via a footpath through the ravine

The Sas se Werf cottage at Uitkyk

Sas se Werf : “Sas’s farmstead” [Afr]; the site of a subsistence farm on the banks of the upper Rondegat river that was once farmed by one Sas before he was evicted by the Cape Government in the late 1890s; the name is now applied to one of CapeNature’s cottages for hire at Uitkyk
Sassies : a bouldering site west of Lorraine farm and named after the cottage for hire there, known as Sassie
Sawadee : a farm off Nieuwoudt’s Pass, on the western side, that was once a resort; the name means ‘hello’ in Thai

Scenery se Kop is the lower hill on the right; Groot Gang se Kop is the high mountain on the left; Heuningvlei in the foreground

Scenery se Kop : “scenery hill” [Eng + Afr]; a 957m hill overlooking Heuningvlei from the south east; pronounced ‘skennerray se kop’ by the locals
Scorpion’s Crack : a deep crack on the southern side of Skerpioensberg and north of The Anvil; it is reputed to be the easiest way to ascend the peak, though it has one short slightly tricky chimney section and should not be attempted without an experienced guide

Secret Falls: all but invisible

Secret Falls : a substantial waterfall on the Kliphuisrivier west of the Kliphuis Ridge, but so-called because the river enters a crack behind the rock face and the falls themselves are noisy but entirely invisible

One of the shelters at Sederhoutkop

Sederhoutkop : “cedarwood hill” [Afr]; a 1443m outcrop on the shaleband south west of Langberg well known for its overnighting rock shelters

Surviving cedars at Sederhoutstasie

Sederhoutstasie : “cedarwood station” [Afr]; in the days when cedar wood, buchu, rooibos tea, klipboom bark etc were harvested in the Cederberg the product would be carried or dragged to certain points known as ‘stasies’ or stations, where Forestry officials would value it and permits would be issued. This station, on the Uitkyk-Duiwelsgat path, is today but a camping site with a few cedar trees, and no other trace of the activity that was once centred there
Sederville : “cedarville” [Afr]; a suburb of Clanwilliam
Seelandskloof : “sea-lands-ravine” [Afr]; a small ravine north of Kouberg, on the western side of the Tra-Tra mountains, possibly named after a donkey or an ox rather than ‘Zeeland’
Seringboomkraal : “syringa tree corral” [Afr]; an old kraal and nearby graves above the Rondegat river road, between Sandkraal se Kloof and Lela se Kloof

On the Sevilla Rock Art Trail: approaching Site 3

Sevilla : a farm in the Agter-Pakhuis, now part of Traveller’s Rest and the location for several cottages for hire as well as a famous rock art trail; the farm was bought by Piet Olivier while his daughter Haffie [Elsabe] Strauss was on a visit to Sevilla, Spain, and he renamed it accordingly – it was formerly known as Die Kloof

Sevilla Cottage at Traveller’s Rest

Sevilla Cottages : see above; the cottages for hire there

Site 5 on the Sevilla Trail, behind a truly ancient olive tree

Sevilla Rock Art Trail : see above; a rock art trail that visits nine sites with hundreds of paintings. The configuration of so many sites on such a short walk (about 2 km) is probably unique; the paintings are up to 8000 years old and many are still extremely clear

Sewegat se Kloof

Sewegat se Kloof : “seven holes’ ravine” [Afr]; a deep ravine west of Suurvlak se Kop that runs down towards Kriedouw; the name probably refers to the number of deep pools in the ravine
Sewegat se Nek : “seven holes’ nek” [Afr]; a nek south of the ravine above, and probably named after it
Sewevlei : “seven lakes” [Afr]; a kraal on the Tra-Tra Mountain plateau, north of the Citadel. The name possibly refers to the number of shallow, non-perennial pans in the area

The view south from Shadow Peak, of Langberg and Tafelberg; photo by Graham Bellairs

Shadow Peak : an 1890m peak south of Sneeukop and north of Langberg; there is a higher peak (1897m) to the north west of it which has no name on any maps; any offers?

On the Cederberg Shale Band, looking south to Tafelberg, the Spout and Consolation Peak

Shale Band : not a single place, nor really a place name, but included here because the various Cederberg shale bands are famous not only for the shapes that they impart to the mountains, but also because their flattish, gentle terrain allows easy access for pedestrians, donkeys and even motor vehicles to places deep into the mountains; and see Die Trap

Shaw’s Kloof, looking westwards towards Spitskop, from the Pakhuis Day Walk

Shaw’s Kloof : a long ravine through which the Kliphuis River runs down from the Pakhuis Pass area towards the Olifants, which it eventually joins; origin unknown
Shepherd’s Hut : an old stone hut near Visgat in the Red Cederberg, south of the Matjiesrivier
Siena se Duik : “Siena’s dip” [Afr]; the first dip in the road to Elizabethsfontein after it has turned off the R364, where by repute a lady named Siena was thrown off the back of a truck as it bounced through the dip. There is a double-entendre in the name because it could also mean ‘Siena’s dive’
Singkop : “sing hill; the hill of singing” [Afr]; a 606m hill just across the Tra-Tra river from the village of Wupperthal from the summit of which carols are sung on Christmas Eve, a ‘musical experience of great beauty’ (Slingsby and Coombe)
Sitkoppie : “little sitting hill” [Afr]; an area of rounded, flattish stones next to the Heuningvlei-Witwater road and almost exactly halfway between the two hamlets; the villagers from each place would meet here on Sunday afternoons to chew the fat and swop news and stories

Six Drop Falls, from the Agter-Kruis valley

Six-drop Falls : a series of six waterfalls on the same stream, in a shallow ravine to the east and below the ruins of Perdevlei, in the Heks River valley
Skaan se Holte : “Skaan’s hollow” [Afr]; a dip in the Rondegat River road, between Keurbos and Rooidraai. We do not know who Skaan was

Ken Howes-Howell’s 1931 photo of his mates standing on some of the extraordinarily weathered pinnacles, on Skerpioensberg

Skerpioensberg : “scorpion’s mountain” [Afr]; a 1626m peak north west of Sneeukop, known for the extraordinary rock formations, mazes, etc. on its summit. The reason for the name is unclear as it does not appear to be a salubrious habitat for scorpions ...
Skerpioenspoort : “scorpion’s pass” [Afr]; the 1423m high nek north of Skerpioensberg, through which passes the path between Boontjieskloof and Crystal Pool
Skeurkrans : “torn cliff”  [Afr]; see Die Skeurkrans above
Skeurkrans Day Walk : as above + etc etc; the day walk from Algeria that passes below the Skeurkrans
Skilderklip : “painting rock”  [Afr]; an overhang with rock paintings at Tandekop, in the Pakhuis Mountains
Skilderkliphuis : “painting rock house”  [Afr]; an overhang with rock paintings in the Kromrivier valley, on the north bank of the Krom River; named by Gerrit Nieuwoudt in 1875 – his name and the date are painted on the cave wall

Skilpaddorp, with the school in the foreground

Skilpaddorp : “tortoise town”  [Afr]; a small settlement north of Bosdorp and the location for the Grootkloof Primary School, near Algeria; origin unknown

Skoenmakerspoort, on the road to Eselbank

Skoenmakerspoort : “shoe maker’s pass” [Afr]; a small but notable ‘gateway’ pass between rocks on the road between Eselbank and Wupperthal; it is said that there are rocks there that resemble a cordwainer’s  lasts (a cordwainer is a shoe maker; a cobbler is a shoe repairer)
Skoongesig : “pretty sight” [Afr]; a 1045m peak north of Kliphuis Peak and south east of Pakhuis Peak, in the Pakhuisberge
Skuinshoog : “at-an-angle rise” [Afr]; there is a small disagreement about this name; some hold that it is the name of the rise in the road between Cederberg Oasis and the Kromrivier/Matjiesrivier junction, at which point there is a turn off left to Kromrivier, while others hold that it is the name of the rise in the road to Kromrivier itself, after it has left the main road. Choose either!
Skurweberg : “rough mountain” [Afr]; a generic name for many mountain peaks and ranges that are extremely rocky and thus have a rough, rugged appearance; this one is a 476m hillock south of the Kriedouwkrans dam, in the western foothills of the Cederberg
Slagkloof : “slaughter or battle ravine” [Afr]; a small ravine south of the Elandskloof settlement; the origin is intriguing but unknown

Rudolf Andrag’s photo of the ruins of the cottage at Slangboshoek, where Dutch deserters hid during World War II

Slangboshoek : “snake-bush corner” [Afr]; ‘slangbos’ (Stoebe plumosa) is thought to be so-named because it somewhat resembles renosterbos (Elytropappus rhinocerotis), an infusion of which was sometimes used as an attempted antidote to snake-bite. As a place-name it is somewhat generic, referring to places where slangbos grows, often in dense stands; the pleasantly-scented plant can be used to make a very comfortable mattress. 1. a ruined cottage in a small ravine behind Rens se Kop at Kromrivier, that was used by Wit Andries Nieuwoudt to conceal two Dutch deserters during World War II; 2. a ruined, abandoned subsistence farm on the Ou Kaapseweg north of Zuurvlakte and south west of Apex Peak

Slangbos, Stoebe plumosa, in the Breekkrans valley; photo by Rudolf Andrag

Slangbossloep : “snake-bush gully” [Afr]; ‘slangbos’ as above; the gully is on the Old Wagon Road through Rocklands, on the Rocklands Day Walk

A black Cape cobra near Sas se Hoek

Slangfontein : “snake spring” [Afr]; a small hollow between the Heuningvlei River and the road to Witwater, opposite Lemoenhoog, that by repute frequently harbors Cape cobras (Naja nivea)
Slangholte : “snake hollow” [Afr]; a dip in the Rondegat River road between Jamaka and Rooikoppie that also by repute harbors Cape cobras, see above
Slangvlei : “snake marsh or valley”  [Afr]; a wetland north of Sederhoutstasie, at the summit of the Uitkyk-Duiwelsgat path
Slanting Rock : a rock on the Mountain Trail at Bushmans Kloof

Slaweboom is approximately the area where the blue gum trees are, below Bosdorp

Slaweboom : “slave tree” [Afr]; a place on the east bank of the Rondegat River, between the Bosdorp and Skilpaddorp where, by repute, there was a giant wild olive tree that was used in the days of slavery as a midday resting place by slaves tilling the fields there; the tree unfortunately no longer exists
Slaweboom se Hoogte : “slave tree heights”  [Afr]; a rise in the Rondegat River road that looks down on Slaweboom
Sleepad : “sled track”  [Afr]; a generic term in forestry areas, this one refers to a track north of Heuningvlei used to haul firewood and other commodities on sledges pulled by mules, to the Noodpad to Pakhuis

Sleepad Hut, looking north west

Sleepad Hut : as above + hut; the hut is situated next to the jeep track on the Shale Band south of Sneeukop, but refers to the sled-haulage track for cedarwood logs that used to meander across Grootlandsvlakte towards Algeria
Sleepad View Site : as two above + view site; a view site with a fixed telescope situated at the intersection of the Sleepad and the Noodpad, north of Heuningvlei
Slypsteen : “whetstone”  [Afr]; an 1187m outcrop resembling a whetstone south east of Zuurvlakte, in the southern Cederberg
Smal se Plek : “Smal’s place” [Afr]; a rock next to the Rondegat River road and close to the Rooidraai cottage where one Smal, a donkey-driver, always rested his donkeys, and sometimes overnighted
Smalberg-Oos : “small mountain east” [Afr]; For many years there has been confusion over the name ‘Smalberg’ on the official maps of the Cederberg. Because the actual peaks are on or close to the overlap between the two sides of the map, the name was frequently incorrectly applied to the wrong peaks. Smalberg-Oos is a 1324m peak that appears as a block-like peak immediately west of the hairpin bend on the Uitkyk Pass
Smalberg-Wes : “small mountain west” [Afr]; see above; Smalberg-Wes is a 1403m peak about 2km west of Smalberg-Oos

Sneeuberg, from Piekenierskloof Pass: living up to its name in September, 2013

Sneeuberg : “snow mountain” [Afr]; at 2027m, Sneeuberg is the highest peak in the Cederberg, and only exceeded in the Koue Bokkeveld-Cederberg complex by the Koue Bokkeveld Sneeukop to the south, which is 2070m high. Sneeuberg is one of the ‘iconic’ peaks of the Cederberg, being a recognisable feature in the view from many different places. Because of its comb-like shape, from east and west it appears as a broad arch-shape, whereas from north and south it appears as an almost impossibly-narrow point

Sneeuberg Hut

Sneeuberg Hut : as above + hut; a mountain hut between Sneeuberg and Hoogvertoon, on the path from Eikeboom

The Cederberg Sneeukop, living up to its name

Sneeukop : “snow peak” [Afr]; a 1930m peak due west of the hamlet of Eselbank. The name is generic and applied to many Western Cape peaks that enjoy snow in the winter months, eg Somerset Sneeukop, Groot Wellington Sneeukop, Koue Bokkeveld Sneeukop, etc etc.

Sneeukop Hut, the most exposed hut in the Cederberg

Sneeukop Hut : as above + hut; a lonely, exposed hut on the Shale Band north east of Sneeukop, it was once a fire-lookout connected to Algeria by telephone. It is now one of the least hospitable huts in the area

Soldaatskop, off the Pakhuis Pass

Soldaatskop : “soldier’s head” [Afr]; a rock formation off Bain’s old Pakhuis Pass, just west of C. Louis Leipoldt’s grave, so named for its remarkable resemblance to a soldier in 17th – 18th century dress
Sonop : “sunrise” [Afr]; a farm west of the N7, just north of Petersfield
Sonop Motors : as above + motors; a popular filling station across the road from the above

The famous string of elephants at Upper Sonya’s Cave

Sonya’s : two overhang-caves (lower and upper) and rock art sites at Bushmans Kloof, named after the potter Sonya Girling by Hyme Rabinowitz, Percy Sieff and Townley-Johnson, who visited the area frequently in search of rock art
South African War Trenches : two parallel trenches several hundred metres long and built of rough bricks, situated above Onderbaadjie se Draai on the R364, just west of the Englishman’s Grave; we assume these are part of the same fortifications built to guard the Cape from marauding Boer commandoes in about 1901 (see below). These trenches were ‘discovered’ by Koos Strauss, late farmer at Traveller’s Rest; one day he and his labour were burning veld in the area when several old bullets exploded, thus revealing the trenches

The SA War Blockhouse at Bakleikraal

Remains of the SA War Blockhouse at the summit of the Uitkyk Pass; pic and info by Ernst Hartwig

South African War Blockhouse : during 1901 the Cape was threatened by commando raids led by Boer generals such as Smuts, Maritz, etc; the British fortified a line from the Cederberg to Lambert’s Bay in an attempt to keep the Boers at bay. Blockhouses/forts (the terms seem to be interchangeable) were built at the summit of the Pakhuis and old Uitkyk Passes (now totally destroyed); in the Krakadouw Pass off the Clanwilliam Boskloof (extant); the Citrusdal Boschkloof (extant but ruined) and at Bakleikraal above Kromrivier (half ruined); many of these have nearby caves which housed the off-duty guards

SA War Blockhouse in Krakadouw kloof

South African War Fort : see above
South Peak : an 1843m peak south west of Sneeukop, in the Cederberg
Spaansrietkop : “Spanish reed hill” [Afr]; a 624m hillock between Boskloof and Grootkloof; we have been unable to identify the origin of the plant or indeed the name
Speelkloof : “play ravine” [Afr]; a small ravine east of Grasvlei; origin unknown

The Sphinx, looking towards Tafelberg and Consolation Peak; photo by Ken Howes-Howell, 1934

Sphinx : a sharp peak of about 1780m in the ridge north east of Shadow Peak, that is reputed by mountaineers to resemble the Sphinx – it may do so from some angles
Spinnekop : “spider” [Afr]; a 1615m peak north west of Sandfontein Peak known for the spidery weathering of the summit rocks

Spinnekop Arch

Spinnekop Arch : as above + arch; a ‘delicate’ looking sandstone arch on the above peak

Two Spitskoppe: [top] Spitskop south of Kriedouwkrans; [bottom] perhaps the better-known Spitskop, on the Clanwilliam side of the Pakhuis Pass

Spitskop : “pointed hill” [Afr]; a generic name for pointed hills, mountains, buttes and pinnacles throughout Soth Africa and probably the most commonly-occuring mountain name in the entire country. 1. a 520m hill north west of the R364 as it ascends the Pakhuis Pass, between Patrysvlei and Klein-Kliphuis; 2. a 463m hill north of Kriedouwkrans farm and the drift over the Olifants River; 3. a 425m hill south of Boschkloof and east of Citrusdal
Spoelkloof : “flush or rinse ravine” [Afr]; a ravine with a tributary of the Rondegat River that runs down the eastern flank of Suurvlak se Kop, possibly where wagon drivers took a sip, ie rinsed their mouths, after the long dusty haul up the valley from Algeria

Spookpoort. Or Rooipoort. Or Oupoort. Your choice.

Spookpoort : “ghost pass” [Afr]; see also Rooipoort and Oupoort, a short pass on the R364 between Kleinfontein and Traveller’s Rest that is by repute haunted in various ways. A favourite story is of the motorcyclist who found a baby lying in the road at the top of the pass. At a loss for what to do, he secured it behind him inside his jacket and proceeded slowly down the road. Towards the bottom of the short pass he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find himself staring into the face of a wrinkled old man. In his fright he left the road; when he had recovered from the crash there was no sign of either baby or old man. He was all right but his bike was, of course, a total write-off

Spout Cave: pic by Graham Bellairs

Spout Cave : a cave on the side of the Spout, a favourite with climbers ascending the Tafelberg

Square Tower: a block of rock. Pic by Graham Bellairs

Square Tower : a 1579m peak west of Wolfberg and overlooking the Shale Band above Kalkoenfontein

Staan-Staan-Drink

Staan-Staan-Drink : lit. “just stand and drink” [Afr]; a permanent spring and small waterfall at the roadside a few metres north of the hairpin bend on Uitkyk Pass

The main Stadsaal cave; graffiti on the left go back to the 19th Century

Stadsaal : “town hall” [Afr]; an extraordinary set of ‘open’ caves and wildly improbable rock formations at Pienaarsvlakte in the Matjies Rivier Nature Reserve; the Stadsaal is known for its historic graffiti, with signatures going back to the nineteenth century; recent signatures attributable to former President P.W. Botha and his visiting party have unsurprisingly been defaced

Steenrugkloof, near Algeria

Steenrugkloof : “stone ridge ravine” [Afr]; see below; the ravine leading to the west off the peak, on its northern side
Steenrugkop : “stone ridge peak” [Afr]; a 1310m peak due north of Algeria; mystery surrounds the fact that so many earlier maps spelled the name ‘steemrug’, which has no meaning at all

Sterrebosbank – the shale band north of Sneeuberg

The sterrebos or star bush – Leucadendron nitidum

Sterrebosbank : “star-bush bank” [Afr]; this lovely name, sadly not recorded by ‘official’ maps, is given to the Shale Band as it wraps around the northern end of Sneeuberg; the ‘sterrebos’ is Leucadendron nitidum, which has been boringly named by the otherwise brilliant Protea Atlassing Project as ‘Bokkeveld conebush’. I ask you – this is not even the Bokkeveld! Marie Vogts, with infinitely greater sensitivity, writes that “it is during the months of mid-winter that this protea – covered with shiny yellow involucres glistening like stars through the dull grey curtain of a snowfall – can provide an unforgettable sight for visitors to Die Trap in the Cederberg.” The sterrebos is uncommon amongst Leucadendrons in that its seeds are distributed by ants

The Stewelklip in Van Zylsgatpoort

Stewelklip : “boot rock” [Afr]; a boot-shaped rock in Van Zylsgatpoort, between The Anvil and Vanzylsklip
Stinkrivier : “smelly river” [Afr]; a small farm west of the N7, slightly north of the intersection with the R303
Stonehaven : a cottage for hire at Petersfield farm, off the N7 north of Citrusdal
Studenthof : “student garden” [Afr]; an area on the Brandewynrivier upstream of Sevilla and Bloutuin. I have not been able to find any explanation for this name; it appears on official maps but the farm owners at Traveller’s Rest have no knowledge of it

The Sugarloaf, from the Maltese Cross path

Sugarloaf : a 1445m hill that arises from the Shale Band north of the Kromrivier
Suikerberg : “sugar mountain” [Afr]; see above, the Afrikaans name for the same hill

The ruins at Suikerbergwerf, with Dwarsrivierberg in the distance

Suikerbergwerf : “sugar mountain farmstead” [Afr]; the ruins of an abandoned shepherd’s kraal on the eastern side of the Sugarloaf
Suikerbossie : “little sugar-bush” [Afr]; a farm stall at Koedoeskop farm on the N7 north of Citrusdal

Summit Cave on Groot Krakadouw

Summit Cave : a shallow, habitable overhang on the summit of Groot Krakadouw
Summit Pinnacle : a pinnacle rock at the summit of the Krakadouw pass

Surings – Oxalis pes-caprae – in the Cederberg

Suringkop : “sorrel hill” [Afr]; a small hillock at Kromrivier farm, south of the river, probably so-called for the presence there of Oxalis pes-caprae, a yellow-flowered sorrel with sour, edible stems and commonly known as ‘surings’
Suurkop : “sour hill” [Afr]; a 653m hill north of the Pakhuisberg and west of Lorraine farm
Suurlemoenboom : “lemon tree” [Afr]; an abandoned farm on the Boskloofsrivier north of Citrusdal
Suurrug : “sour ridge” [Afr]; a tiny settlement north of Kouberg and east of Heiveldt, on the Wupperthal mission lands
Suurvlak se Kloof : “sour flats ravine” [Afr]; a shallow ravine between Suurvlak se Kop and Vensterberg South through which passes the Kruispad to the Heks River Valley
Suurvlak se Kop : “sour flats hill” [Afr]; a 1618m peak south west of Algeria, also known as Zuurvleiberg
Suurvlakte : “sour flats” [Afr]; a plateau in the southern Cederberg about 1100m above sea level, so-called for its acid (‘sour’) sands which support an unfortunate growth of exotic pine trees
Suurvlakte Peak : as above + peak; a 1451m peak south of Suurvlakte which used to have the (post-apartheid unacceptable) name ‘Kafferkop’
Suurvlakte Ridge : as above + ridge; a ridge of hills that includes the above peak and runs to the south east of Suurvlakte
Suurvlei Dam : “sour marsh” + dam [Afr]; a dam at Suurvlakte, see above
Suurvleirivier : “sour marsh river” [Afr]; the river which runs down from Suurvlakte past Tuinskloof and Ysterplaat farms to join the Middeldeurrivier, in the southern Cederberg
Suurvleistroom : “sour marsh stream” [Afr]; the headwaters of the Suurvleirivier, arising on Hamerkop and running into the suurvlei Dam above
Swart Kliphuis : “black rock-house” [Afr]; a prominent cave on Bain’s Old Road between Kriedouwkrans and Rondegat farms, also referred to by Leipoldt as the ‘Travellers’ Cave’

Swartgat Hill on the Noodpad, with rising mist over the Agter-Pakhuis

Swartgat Hill : “black hole” + hill [Afr]; a steep hill on the Noodpad from Heuningvlei to Pakhuis; in this context the descriptive but rude name of a donkey that came to grief there
Swartkrans : “black cliff” [Afr]; a prominent cliff in a side-ravine on the eastern side of the Moordenaarsgat, north of Martiensrus

Swartpoort, off Amon se Vlak

Swartpoort : “black pass” [Afr]; a large ‘gateway’ or gap between huge boulders west of Amon se Vlak, off the Old Wagon Road at Rocklands

The Swemgat near the Anvil, after a fire

Swemgat : “swimming hole” [Afr]; a generic name for any swimming place, but in the Cederberg context this one specifically refers to the pool at the junction of the Crystal Pool path with the Van Zylsgatpoort path that leads from Skerpioenspoort to the Vogelgesangvallei
Swiet se Graf : “Swiet’s grave” [Afr]; Swiet was a buchu collector who died here as a result of sudden acute appendicitis early in the 1900s, and was buried by his companions at this lonely place, on the path between Bakleikraal and Syferfontein

Sydekel, Tandjiesberg or the Citadel, peeping out above its shale band

Sydekel : lit. “citadel”, a corruption of the English name; see Citadel above

The curious rock painting at Syfer

Syfer : “seep” [Afr]; in this instance, a rock art site at Bushmans Kloof near the old farm of that name; the painting there is famous for its apparently almost-unique depiction of the ground upon which the rather curious, bent-over skeletal figures are standing
Syfer Dam : as above + dam; a dam near the rock art site above

Syferfontein, where the farmstead once stood; its removal is regrettable

Syferfontein : “seep spring” [Afr]; an abandoned, once thriving subsistence farm high in the hills on the old track to Perdevlei, between Bakleikraal and Boschkloof in the south western Cederberg