The endless road to Wupperthal

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The magical Nguni on the descent to Wupperthal.

So we’re leaving the marvellous mountains of the Cederberg and heading east back to the Karoo, and a couple of klicks up the pike I notice my right back bakkie tyre has gone a tad flat.

No worries. I consult a map. Being Old School means no GPS anywhere in the cab. It says we should reach the settlement of Wupperthal in 17 km. That should be no problem, I reckon. A mere 34 km return trip back to this spot where I am. Even with photo stops, we should make it back here in an hour.

Ha. That’s what happens when you look at a line on a map and nothing else. The drive down to Wupperthal village, which straddles the Tra-Tra River (have you ever heard of a sweeter name for a flowing piece of water?) is interesting, to say the least.

The long and winding road down to Wupperthal.

My bakkie is a long-time veteran of back roads. It definitely rates the Wupperthal Descent as a major challenge. And when you hear of how they come down here in winter slush and snows, it’s pure white-knuckle stuff.

But we make it down the pass, just taking things slowly. En route, the Universe gifts me for choosing this less-trodden path to the tiny village in the Cederberg with the sight of a handsome Nguni beast in lovely light, craggy mountains in background.

The Nguni patiently waits for me to emerge, yank out a camera from piles of stuff on the back seat and get the focus thingy going. After a dozen frames or so, he seems to wink and me and moves off into the distance.

It’s a public holiday, and the village slumbers. But the white-washed houses look inviting, so I knock on a door and ask about air in the tyres.

Refuelling schedule at the local petrol station.

“We don’t have that facility in the village,” I am told. “The men around here fix their own tyres.” I sigh and make for the mountain heights, doing the round trip in more than two hours. But I’ll go back one day...

Wupperthal is a Rhenish mission village established in 1830 and subsequently famous for its rooibos farming and its hand-made velskoens – fine leather footwear.

Wupperthal - a village lost in time.

Category: Culture & History