MINI-METHS, Jamaka
Organic Farm , CEDERBERG, Western Cape, South Africa – 14-17 November 2022
More of a micro-meet, with just the three of us: Mike (‘Mad-Mike’) and Verena (‘Muesli’)
Petzold, and Dave (‘Shooting-Stick’) Leishman (leader), but I think I hold the
record for the smallest of all: Luwawa Lodge, Viphya, in 2004,
with me pitching up and joining George (‘Wardrobe’) Wardlow,
who promptly, after giving me hiking tips, disappeared on business, leaving me
to wander where I would, lonely as a …
Jamaka sits plumb centre in the northern Cederberg,
5km north of the Cape Nature base at Algeria, and is in a Swiss-type valley,
approached from the main N-S route from Cape Town to Namibia on a dirt road
rising to the Grootberg Range via Nieuwoudt’s
Pass, from which spectacular views up and down the Grootkloof
valley are had. The pass is named after one of the first Dutch families to
venture into this wilderness and start farming, in 1755, and our most
hospitable and amusing host, Jannie, with his wife Katrin, is a direct descendant.
The land around the actual farmstead and reception is orchard, chiefly
mango and rooibos with some citrus, interspersed with guest cottages, in one of
which we dossed. The valley bottom contains the Rondegat
River with its vast and well-treed camping grounds.
The social side of things was foreground – I hadn’t seen Mike and Verena
for many a year - with some efforts made at exercising, Mike and I on a shortish tramp round the back of the farm up towards the Middelberg Range one day, and all of us on a longer day up
the trail beyond the Rondegat River and camp sites,
pretty well empty pre-season, to the Grootberg Range
and the Rooiberg Pass, at nearly 600m (c.
2,000’) between Rooiberg
and Wolfberg tops, where splendid views are had over
to the distant N7 in the valley that contains the great Clanwilliam
Dam. Muesli’s recovering from a shoulder injury, but proved well up to the
climb, and more so, the treacherous descent on rubble-strewn paths, achieved
without any more tumbles.
The two full evenings – Mike and Verena had arrived mid-evening on the
Monday – comprised, of course – what else, in South Africa? - A lekker braai, followed the next by
a 25km trip to Clanwilliam where a rambling and most
inviting bar-restaurant, obviously the social hub of the dorp,
suitably quenched thirsts and filled bellies.
M&V are hopeful of a
return, this time with many more members present.
Shooting-Stick
© METHS, 2022