Cedarberg Kloof (Magaliesberg)
verified
Ungraded
High flood risk
Rustenburg, North West
The steepest kloof in the MCSA-owned Tonquani complex, with the Frog Gully abseil at the bottom end and Help-Help Pool's polished traverse as the technical cruxes.
Distinct from the better-known Western Cape Cederberg (the wilderness area north of Cape Town); this Cedarberg Kloof is in the Magaliesberg near Pretoria/Johannesburg. Access crosses other landowners' property via MCSA-negotiated agreements, and breach risks permanent closure. No bolting and no fires permitted. Muggings have been reported in the surrounding area; the MCSA explicitly advises vigilance. About 1 hr 20 min drive from Pretoria via Buffelspoort Dam.
Logistics
| Manager | Mountain Club of South Africa, Magaliesberg Section (MCSA-owned land) |
|---|---|
| Permit | MCSA members free with current card and may bring one guest. Non-members must purchase a permit from MCSA Johannesburg section (admin@jhb.mcsa.org.za, 061 461 8259). No permits issued to non-members on the first full weekend of the month. Parking R60 cash at Calabash gate. |
| Distance | 6.4 (10.3 km) for the standard Tonquani circuit |
| Elevation | ~1,480 ft gain |
| Time | 3.5 to 4 hr standard circuit, 6 to 8 hr for full kloofing traverse |
| Technical | Part of the Tonquani-Cedarberg-Boulder kloof complex, the grandest kloofing terrain in the Magaliesberg quartzite belt. Cedarberg Kloof is the steepest of the four. Frog Gully at the bottom end has an abseil that takes 30 to 45 minutes to negotiate; described by MCSA as steep and slippery especially when wet. Kloofing the Upper to Lower Tonquani traverse goes via the Help-Help Pool, where the polished rock above the pool is the crux. Crystal clear pools throughout for swimming. Over 120 trad climbing routes overlap the kloof. |
| Season | Year round (water in the kloof all year); rains Oct to Mar make rock dangerously slippery |
| Flood risk | Moderate to high during summer thunderstorm season; smaller catchment than Cape kloofs |
| Vehicle access | 2WD to the Calabash car park; no 4WD needed |
| Crowd | Light to moderate; restricted by MCSA permit caps and the first-weekend members-only rule |
| Coordinates | -25.7833, 27.5333 |