Maltese Cross

The Maltese Cross is a pillar of Table Mountain sandstone standing about twenty metres high on a gentle slope in the southern Cederberg, with projections partway up that give it the cross shape and the name. It has been left standing while the softer rock around it eroded away, and the isolation is what makes it striking - there is nothing else of that height for some distance, so it reads as deliberately placed. The walk from Dwarsrivier is about seven kilometres return on a marked path with moderate ascent, which makes it far more approachable than the Wolfberg Arch and a good half-day for people who want a Cederberg formation without a full expedition. The path passes through mountain fynbos with proteas and, in the right season, Cederberg endemics; snow occasionally dusts the surrounding peaks in winter.

What you actually see

• The twenty-metre pillar - sandstone left standing with lobes forming a cross shape.
• The isolation - nothing else of comparable height nearby, which is the effect.
• The marked path - about seven kilometres return, easier than the Wolfberg routes.
• The fynbos - proteas and Cederberg endemics along the walk.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Half a day. Start early in warm months.

Honest expectations

A permit is required and is bought at the farm or booked ahead. There is no shade and no water on the route. Summer heat here is severe. Access roads are gravel. Climbing on the formation is prohibited.

Nearby

The Wolfberg Arch is north; Sanddrif and Dwarsrivier farms are the bases.