The Langeberg Range is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

in the Western Cape province of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. Its highest peak is Keeromsberg at 2,072 m that lies 15 km northeast of the town of Worcester. Some of the highest peaks of the range are located just to the north of Swellendam, in a subrange known as the Clock Peaks whose highest point is the 1,710 m high Misty Point. Local lore states one can tell the time by means of the shadows cast by the seven summits of the Clock Peaks.

Etymology

The name is Dutch and means "long mountain"

Physiography and geology

The range runs roughly NW/SE in its western part and in an east-west direction in its mid and eastern section and is approximately 250 km long, from Worcester, past Robertson, Montagu, Swellendam, Heidelberg and Riversdale to the proximity of George. The Langeberg's most westerly point is located 5 km east of the town of Worcester; the range ends some 20 km North of Mossel Bay in the east. The open plains of the Little Karoo border the north of the mountain range, while to the south lies the Agulhas Plain and the Overberg

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

belt. The Langeberg Range is composed mostly of Table Mountain Sandstone and the range is part of the Cape Fold Belt.

Ecology

On the southern slopes of the range mountain fynbos can be found, with Afromontane forest patches found in deep secluded gorges, while on the drier northern slopes karroid scrub is found.Swellendam Hiking Guide
/ref>

Protected areas

There are the following

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

s along the range: *The Marloth Nature Reserve, in the area where the highest peaks are found *The Boosmansbos Wilderness Area, which includes the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve near Barrydale *The Garcia State Forest

Mountain passes

The range is traversed by four mountain passes, from west to east, they are: * Cogmanskloof Pass, linking Montagu with Ashton. * Tradouws Pass, linking Barrydale with Swellendam and

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

* Garcia's Pass, linking Riversdale and Ladismith, Western Cape * Cloetes Pass, linking Mossel Bay with Ladismith, Western Cape

References