Cedar Falls Private Nature Reserve is in the mountain wilderness of the Baviaanskloof. It’s best known to hikers as the home of the four-day Leopard Trail, but with comfortable accommodation, spectacular day hikes and lovely pools to swim in, the reserve is also perfect for shorter escapes.
There are two full-day hikes at Cedar Falls – the 8 km Cedar Falls Trail and the 12,7 km Gabriel’s Loop. The latter follows two of the most spectacular sections of the Leopard Trail and really showcases this diverse and pristine section of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
The loop starts at Cedar Falls reception, initially following the first day of the Leopard Trail. We’re soon climbing the ominously named Kickstart Hill. Fortunately, the rocky jeep track is never unduly steep and we top out on a plateau (about 250m higher) in under half an hour. Familiar chats and bokmakieries keep us company as we take in the views back over the Cedar Falls accommodation.
The path now rises gently to the 2,5 km mark, before we begin a gradual descent on a wide sandy track. Rocky peaks rise on both sides and mauve carpet flowers stud the veld. It’s easy going on a flowing trail and I begin to realise why this is such a popular route with trail runners. The wind blows back my hair and I just want to fly!
We leave the path briefly to inspect a ruin. Nearby is a gravestone to Gabriel Jakobus Petrus van Jaarsveld, a sharecropper of long ago, after whom Gabriel’s Loop takes its name.
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