Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
The hike to Perdeberg Peak (640 m ASL) from near the bridge across the Palmiet River is relatively easy, following a gradual gradient over some 11.8 km there and back. It rewards one with spectacular views: south-west over the Bot River mouth, south down to the Palmiet estuary, north into the farmlands of the Elgin Basin and west over the Palmiet River as it winds through the core Kogelberg Nature Reserve.
As I have mentioned before, I have a special affinity with the Kogelberg: a 5-day forced march through this area during my army conscription thirty-seven years ago is still indelibly etched in my mind. It was hard, the instructors were nasty, but the extreme beauty is what I remember most. Everytime I go back, I retrace familiar paths, remember long-forgotten comrades, one S/Sgt de Montfort, the apples that farmers left for us, the unequalled sea and mountain scapes and always the tapestry of fynbos. The reserve is still recovering from frequent fires in recent years. The veld is young, which makes hiking easier.
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