Mountains as far as the eye can see

En route to the Bosch Luys Kloof Private Nature Reserve north of the Seweweekspoort in the Swartberg Mountains one is treated to this view.

There is a sign marking the spot where two horsemen, Thomas Bain and a Dr Atherstone, had stopped way back in 1868 to admire this view. There were at least three doctors Atherstone in South Africa during the 19th century, an immigrant father and two sons. Thomas Bain, great South African builder of mountain passes like his father Andrew Geddes Bain, did not build the pass through the Seweweekspoort; his brother in law, AF de Smidt did, completing it in 1862.

The sign at this lookout point says that a sketch was made of the scene in 1869 by Sophia Gray, artist, architect, horsewoman and wife of the bishop of Cape Town. In our time mountain views like this one, not changing much in 150 years of progress, are a blessing to be treasured (Hilton-Barber, 2016).