101 Trail Guide | 2010

The Old Postal Route

The Old Postal Route is said to follow the footpath of a young postal worker who once walked between Wuppertal and Elandsvlei. Come rain or shine, she walked for two days to deliver the mail to the isolated mission station before walking all the way back.
The trail initially follows the same course as another 4x4 route, the Kliphuiskloof trail. Climbing slowly northwest into the mountains above the canyons, it splits some 20 km later, after the Karretjies signboard on the Elandsvlei farm.
The track moves with the undulating terrain for some 20 km and then slowly starts rising. Tracing the plateau, it heads towards Agtersfontein and Waboomkop, demanding increasing concentration as you rock climb towards the eastern borders of the Cederberg. A patient 4x2 driver with a good navigator should get through this section unscarred. The climb continues and the vegetation gets quite overgrown in sections, but the track doesn’t deteriorate and remains firm, if rocky.
The track stalls at Agtersfontein’s closed farm gates and from there, rock obstacles shrink to pebbles as the trail cuts through rooibos tea plantations. A right turn brings you to Kraaiberg Pass, and a precarious 700 m descent into the Biedouw Valley – the end of the trail.
Choose a low gear and let engine compression take you safely down the pass; it has perilous angles and twisty hairpin-bends. Once back on terra firma, a 45 km dirt track takes you to the R364 to Wuppertal.

What you need to know

Accommodation:
You can stay at the Koeskap, Tra-tra House and Cobus se Gat cottages on Elandsvlei, and for the more adventurous, there’s camping in numerous places along the river. Near the end of the trail, there are cottages at Mertenhof (027 482 2845) and Enjolife Nature Farm (027 482 2869).

What else?
Spend a day birding; visit Wuppertal or the picturesque Heuningvlei.

Contact:
Ferdi Kotze 
027 341 2131;
073 062 4959;
mvoa@telkomsa.net

Nearest town to the trail’s start? Calvinia (120km), Ceres (150km) or Clanwilliam (145km)

Nearest town to the trail’s end? Wuppertal (45km) or Clanwilliam (90km)

Best time to go: All year, but mid-winter can get extremely chilly.

Route distance: 65km

How long will I be driving? At least 6 hours

GPS: S32.30255 E19.52356

Full Review | Philip Sackville-Scott (June 2008)

We’re back at the seemingly insignificant junction just after Karretjies on the farm Elandsvlei where a right turn will see you heading east to the Kliphuiskloof trail and left will lead you onto the Old Postal Route. This time we’re taking a left.

The Old Postal Route is said to follow the footpath of a young female postal worker who once walked the old mail route between Wuppertal and Elandsvlei.

Come rain or shine, she would walk for two days from Elandsvlei to deliver the mail to the isolated mission station before walking all the way back.

The trail is neither difficult, nor as diverse in splendour as other trails in the area, but if you are prepared to take the time, and lose yourself for a little while, this walkway back in time is well worth it.

Touch the sky
The trail initially follows the same course as the Kliphuiskloof trail. Climbing slowly northwest into the mountains above the canyons, it splits off some 20 km later, after the Karretjies signboard, to trace the plateau of Agterfontein se Kloof.

The track rises and falls uneventfully with the terrain for some 20 km and then slowly starts rising, revealing the trail’s constantly changing beauty.

Low-lying shrubbery evolves into fully-fledged mountain fynbos, draped in a mass of water-coloured proteas. The vast sky is the only constant.

Tracing the plateau, the track heads towards Agterfontein and Waboomkop, increasingly requiring concentration as you approach the eastern borders of the Cederberg. Progress is slow but steady as the driving involves more rock-climbing.

Ancient, uniquely-eroded sandstone rock formations salute your passing like prehistoric soldiers called to attention, all elegantly clad in their individual attire – red, ochre and bright orange in the morning sun. A patient, experienced 4x2 driver with a good navigator should get through this section unscathed.

The trail continues to climb and the vegetation thickens to the point where it gets quite overgrown in sections.

The track, however, doesn’t deteriorate and remains firm, if rocky, throughout.

Baboons and rooibos
The track suddenly stops at Agterfontein’s closed farm gate. Don’t panic – access is allowed on condition you leave all gates as you found them. 

The electrified barbed-wire fence around the upcoming farmhouse is just to keep baboons out, so open the gate, drive through the werf and out the gate on the other side. (Plans are afoot for the trail to also start from this side.)

Continue on the “Private 4x4 Route” indicated on Slingsby’s map. Rock obstacles progressively shrink to pebbles as the trail cuts through rooibos tea plantations.

A right turn at the next T-junction brings you to the Kraai¬berg Pass and a precarious 700 m descent into the Biedouw Valley.

Be warned − choose a low gear and let engine compression take you safely down the potentially perilous angle and hairpin-bends of the twisting pass.

Once back on terra firma, a 17 km dirt track takes you to the R364 to Wuppertal.

Drive Out says: The trail’s difficulty rating shouldn’t deter hardened 4x4ers as it is a most enjoyable drive.

Download: 

DO_Trails Old Postal Route.pdf