Swartberg

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Swartberg Mountains near Oudtshoorn, after a dusting of snow in July

The Swartberg mountains (black mountain in Afrikaans) make up a mountain range that runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of the semi-arid area called the Little Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa. To the north of the range lies the other large semi-arid area in South Africa, the Great Karoo.

There are several passes through the Swartberg Range, the most famous of which is possibly the Swartberg Pass that runs between Oudtshoorn in the south and Prince Albert in the north. The pass is not tarred and can be a little treacherous after rain, but offers spectacular views over the Little Karoo and the Great Karoo to the north. The plant life along the pass is particularly interesting, many hundreds of species being found on the Swartberg, as is the drystone work supporting some of its picturesque hairpin bends.

To the east of the Swartberg Pass, the Meiringspoort provides tarred road transit through the Swartberg along a river. The 'poort runs north out of the town of De Rust. The Meiringspoort offers a spectacular drive through incredible rock formations, and is the setting for an annual half marathon that ends in the town of De Rust.

Much of the Swartberg is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[edit] The Two Ranges

Small (Klein) Swartberg Ranges from the Laingsburg area

Most of the Swartberg Mountains are above 2000 m high, making it the tallest range of mountains in the Western Cape province, it is also one of the longest, spanning some 230 km from south of Laingsburg in the west to between Willowmore and Uniondale in the east.

The Swartberg however consists of two officially named ranges, the Smaller and the Greater Swartberg Mountains. Ironically, the Small Swartberg Mountains, the westernmost of the two, is the higher one, including the province's highest peak, Seweweekspoortpiek (Afrikaans: Seven Weeks Gorge Peak) at 2325 m. The famous Toverkop (Afrikaans: Bewitch Peak) towers over the Klein Karoo town of Ladismith at a height of 2240 m. The peak is so named for its cleft peak, that, according to legend, was split by a spell and subsequent bolt of lightning.

The Greater Swartberg is to the east, with the dividing line between the two ranges being the Gouritz river, which cuts a gorge directly through the range. This section, almost of a similar height, is however slightly lower in elevation, with Tierberg (Afrikaans: Tiger (meaning leopard) Mountain) at 2132 m being the highest. These mountains are home to Cango Caves, the most famous subterranean system in South Africa, located just north of Oudtshoorn.