Nearest town Prince Albert | ||
 | ||
The Gamkaskloof [χɐmkɐskloəf] (also known as 'Die Hel') is a narrow isolated valley about 20 miles long with a maximum of 600 feet wide located in the Swartberg mountain range.
Contents
History
The Gamkaskloof was discovered in the early 19th century by farmers, but the first permanent settler was Peter Swanepoel, who settled in the valley in the 1830s. Later, the Marais, Cordier and Joubert Nel Mostert families settled in the valley, growing to a community of around 160 individuals. The residents used donkeys and walked across the Swartberg mountains to reach Prince Albert and Calitzdorp. Later a school was established, with the teacher also leading the Sunday church.
They farmed grain, vegetables, fruits, tea and tobacco, along with distilling witblits and brewing beer made from wild honey.
The residents had petitioned the government for many years to build a road into the valley. Eventually in 1962 a road was completed which led to the depopulation of the community. The children attended high schools in the nearby villages and most of them did not return to the subsistence life in the valley. The elderly retired to retirement villages outside the valley and the number of residents diminished until all but one person sold their homes to the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board in 1991.
The valley was declared a national monument in 1997 and was included into the Swartberg Nature Reserve. Subsequently the cottages in the valley have been renovated and equipped with solar power and bathrooms.
Die Hel
Nobody is sure where the 'Die Hel' name came from. One popular story is that a Piet Botha (an animal inspector) visited the valley in the 1940s and used a particularly difficult route known as the 'die leer' into the valley. He described the experience as "hell".
The residents have never liked the name and prefer to refer to themselves as 'Kloovers' (canyon dwellers).
Activities
Gamkaskloof's desolation makes it popular among sports enthusiasts. Apart from hiking there is the popular To Hell & Back mountain bike race and the trailrun known as the MadScientists' Midnight Hell Run (formerly the Moonlight Hell Run). A number of adventure races also used Gamkaskloof as part of their route.