Rumour has it... CNC are going to be tarring roads in the Cedarberg.
There are many +'s and -'s to the road being tarred - If it does happen, is this a good thing or a bad thing - what yours take

Click here to read the full article: http://www.climbing.co.za/article.asp?id=34

I think it's dreadful idea, one of the reasons I enjoy going to Rocklands for example is that you feel isolated and away from the troubles of life.

I presume CNC are controlling the access to the area, and ensuring that the ecosystem is not dammaged by too many people entering the consurvation areas. Thus tar roads will not lead to any enviromental dammage.

The dammage is already done by building the gravel road in the first place.

I don't think I have ever heard anyone say \" I don't want to got to the ceaderberg because the road is bad\"

I think one of the main reasons for CNC to pave roads into the Cedarberg is to get more locals/tourists to the area, thus creating more revenue.

Similar to Table Mountain, I think main paths will be built for tourists to walk on and for the most part I reckon that is where they will be bound to. Day trips for tourists will also become a possibility and like Yosemite, tour buses will probably also arrive! Although I doubt we will have any traffic jams soon.

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Climb ZA - Administrator

Um. most of the roads that we know in the cederberg e.g. road to rocklands, over pakhuis and the road to Wolfberg are actually provincial roads. Doubt CNC are going to tar them with their current funding! Probably Province will - its lower maintenance in the long run given the rising volumes of traffic... and probably more environmentally friendly (no need to dig up the veld for gravel all the time).
Also much nicer for the local communities.

it probably will however mean more tourists as it becomes more accessible. But then the nice parts are those that one actually has to walk to and put some effort in.

Tarred roads hooray! The bus loads of tourists are there already (check out Stadsaal in summer). Dave I am one person who would visit much more regularly if the roads where better, not that they are that bad but my twenty year old chorrie thinks so! To think a hundred years ago it would take 4 days to get there by train, wagon and donkey, soon we will be able to get there in under four hours, cool. As Cheryl points out solitude is always there for those who can walk a little way off that road.

Yummie - bus loads of tourist chicks. When is this all hapening?

Update::

The tarring of the road passed Algeria is a reality. The road will be tarred from the N7 in the direction of Dwarsrivier for approximately 45km.
The engineers are busy with the final plans.
Opportunity for public participation will be allowed before the final approval is given. The process will be advertised in newspapers.

Regards

Rika du Plessis
Conservation Manager
Cederberg Wilderness &
Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve

So there's no road planned up to Kliphuis as yet?

Seemilngly not.
Since you're all logged in now, why dont a few of you hit the poll at the top of the page

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Climb ZA - Administrator

well they will probably do what they want to anyway, but for what it's worth I like dirt and just prefer the feel of dirt under my tyres

If you go fast enough the corrugated road is actually fun, move over Colin McRae, OneDog is on his way.

Seriously though, I think roads are one of the single biggest sins mankind has comitted agains nature. I think it has adverse effects on the movements of animals (where fencing has not already) and even birds are at the short end of the stick - I see many small eagles killed on roads(and even in busy areas such as Midrand) by cars - not sure how / why it happens but it does.

As for dirt roads, I believe the dust adversely affect the plant life as it covers the leaves which are vital to the correct functioning of the plant.

Other than that I'm opinionless, I don't have the solution and I don't know the area, I hope it works out well for you guys whichever way, good luck.

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Live fast, die young & leave a good looking corpse

For those that might have missed it see: Proposed Upgrade and Surfacing in the Greater Cederberg Wilderness Area

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Climb ZA - Administrator

NO NO NO NO NO!!!! Just the thought of busloads of tourists in the Cederberg make's me want to puke on myself.

Was searching forum for something else when I came across this old topic which reminded me that I hiked a while ago with an bloke from the Provincial Roads Dept who told me the the reason that they are going to tar the road is purely financial. A tarred road will be cheaper for them to maintain than a gravel road.

My Opinion...if you hate driving the roads...GET A 4X4! lots more fun!

Tarred roads suck!
If they tarr the roads to the cederberg and it does lead to more tourist then all the peace and tranqulity of the Cederberg will be taken away... as mentioned earlier, we go to the cedeberg to get AWAY from the depressions of city life,including the tarred roads and constant humming of cars driving by all night long.

Yes there has been damage by making the gravel roads in the first place but lets not do any more harm.