the village of Op-Die-Berg. Meaning
‘on the mountain’, this is the last reli-
able fuel stop you have, so make sure
to top up your tank. Just past the vil-
lage you turn right at the signs that
lead you to the Cederberg road. Then
you have just 17 kilometers of tar left,
so enjoy it.
The road has a right turn that leads
to the Kat Bakkies pass, but you steer
passed this turn and hit the dirt as you
enter the Cederberg conservancy.
Almost immediately the landscape
is transformed into something that
would not look out of sight on a Star
Wars movie set. Jagged rock forma-
tions stand proud all over the alien
landscape announcing how they have
beaten the elements. The road has a
little corrugation, so beware around
the bends. I have seen even the most
experienced riders go down here
when feeling over confident. This is
not something you want, as the near-
est hospital is far away back in Ceres
and around you is nothing but rocks,
mountains and bush. Don’t stress
though, if you ride cautiously, the
road is navigable regardless of what
you are riding. I have done it many
times on my old Vespa scooter. As
you veer around the tights corners,
expect both loose gravel on the road
[damn those 4x4s] and quite often
small sharp edged rocks that have
tumbled down the cliffs. This sand-
stone can be super sharp and unless
you are on an old two stroke Vespa,
you most likely won’t have a spare
wheel.
Now without sounding like the
grim reaper, let me warn you that this
stretch of dirt is not best to ride after
dark. There are wild leopards, snakes
TRAVERSE 48
and scorpions, and most importantly,
there is no cell phone signal for much
of the route.
After some time on the dirt, and as-
suming that you did not miss the split
in the road where you have to follow
the signs to the left, you will pass the
entrance to a resort called Mount Ced-
er. Then you cross a floodwater bridge
and a dry river bed before starting a
big climb. The road is steep for this
section so low gear riding will be
best. Watch out for the loose rocks.
They have also been known to cause
some earth kissing. At the top of the
rise you pass over a cattle grate where
the views of nothing but arid land all
around you are awe inspiring. Wipe
the dust from your visor and take a
moment to enjoy the view.
Just minutes later, you will reach
your destination for the weekend and