Stay on the rock. Rocklands accommodation lines one road, the R364 over the Pakhuis Pass in the Cederberg, Western Cape. Five basecamps sit inside the bouldering: Kliphuis, de Pakhuys, Kleinfontein, Rocklands Basecamp and Traveller's Rest. Between them you get camping, cabins, caravans, cottages and backpacker rooms. Book well ahead for the winter peak, and buy your permit online before you drive up.
| Place | From Clanwilliam | Type | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kliphuis | ~17 km | CapeNature campsite · self-catering | Permit office · Campground sector on site |
| de Pakhuys | ~25 km | Camping · cabins · cottages · glamping · backpackers | Permit office · pad hire · own bouldering |
| Kleinfontein | ~30 km | Self-catering chalets · two tents · camp sites | Five bouldering spots on the farm |
| Rocklands Basecamp | ~30 km | Climbers' campsite · caravans · glamping · one cottage | Pad hire · guiding · sport crag on site |
| Traveller's Rest | ~34 km | Cottages · cabins · backpackers · restaurant & farmstall | Pads via Padadise, collected here |
Distances are each property's own figure, by road on the tarred R364, and a normal hire car is fine. CapeNature names Kliphuis, de Pakhuys, Traveller's Rest, Agter Pakhuis and Kleinfontein as the land Rocklands covers; Rocklands Basecamp is a private campsite in the Agter-Pakhuis valley. Checked against each business's own website on 13 October 2026.
Signal drops on the pass and most people arrive after dark, so save the pin before you leave Clanwilliam. de Pakhuys −32.1204, 19.0594 (Maps) · Traveller's Rest −32.0708, 19.0756 (Maps) · Kliphuis (Maps). Kleinfontein is on the left just after the pass. Confirm the last turn with each place.
Which Rocklands basecamp is right for you?
Traveller's Rest if you want a restaurant and a cottage, de Pakhuys if you want range, Rocklands Basecamp if you want a climbers' camp, Kliphuis if you want CapeNature's own site. They all sit on the same road inside the bouldering, so this is a question of style and budget, not logistics. Buy your permit online whichever you pick: only Kliphuis and de Pakhuys say they sell them on site.
Kliphuis (CapeNature)
The first you reach, ~17 km out, just before the top of the Pakhuis Pass. CapeNature's own site, with camping and self-catering, and the Campground sector is on the site itself, so you can boulder without starting the car. Booked through CapeNature rather than direct. Report to the office when you arrive: it is open 07:30-16:00 on weekdays, and after hours you report to the manager's house across the road.
Contact: CapeNature bookings 087 087 8250 · reservation.alert@capenature.co.za · Kliphuis office 027 482 2403
de Pakhuys
The widest range anywhere here, ~25 km out in the Agter-Pakhuis valley: an informal campsite of eleven sites that needs no booking (you register and pay at the campsite shop), cabins on the campsite, a backpackers in the old Vleiplaas farmhouse about 1 km away, cottages, glamping cabins and a B&B. Its own bouldering, developed from 2005, is within walking distance of the campsite. It sells permits at the office and campsite and rents crash pads, which it asks you to book well ahead. It also offers a lift from Clanwilliam if you arrive by bus.
Contact: +27 71 840 4867 (calls) · WhatsApp +27 72 748 4598 (chat only) · bookings@depakhuys.com
Kleinfontein
A quiet farm about 30 km from Clanwilliam, on the left just after the Pakhuis Pass. Three self-catering chalets (Witkaree sleeps four; Klipspringer and the off-grid Berg-Kaya sleep two), two tented units that sleep three, and camp sites with shared ablutions. Five bouldering spots are on the property, including Hatchling and Sky. It does not sell permits itself: it sends you to the Kliphuis office, the Clanwilliam Information Centre or de Pakhuys. Check-in is 15:00-18:00 and no pets are allowed.
Contact: +27 82 905 5837 · kleinfonteinrocklands.com
Rocklands Basecamp
A campsite built by climbers for climbers, opened in 2020 by mountain guide Alex Bester, ~30 km from Clanwilliam in the Agter-Pakhuis valley beyond the pass. It has 24 sites including two glamping spots, two caravans and Freeda's Cottage for two. The campers' kitchen has gas rings, fridges, a freezer and a wood burner, the showers run on gas and the WiFi is in the communal areas; power is solar, off the grid. A small shop hires bouldering pads and sells basic gear, and there are 60-plus sport routes on the farm's own Bester Crag. Alex offers guiding.
Contact: +27 76 997 8403 · rocklandsbasecamp@gmail.com · rocklandsbasecamp.co.za
Traveller's Rest
A farm ~34 km from Clanwilliam on the R364, over the Pakhuis Pass, with 29 cottages spread over a wide area, four two-bed cabins with a shared kitchen and an eight-room backpackers (the Albergue) with shared bathrooms. Many cottages are in the farm's game camp, and every unit is pet-free. The restaurant and farmstall on the Brandewyn River are open 08:00-18:00, with longer restaurant hours in the bouldering season; book dinner in the peak. Traveller's Rest asks you to buy your permit online before you come. Crash pads are rented through Padadise and collected here. 8 Day Rain, Danger Zone and Eland Camp are each roughly 2-3 km away in a straight line.
Contact: +27 82 554 9303 · charite@travellers-rest.com · office 08:00-18:00 · check in at the farmstall
Contact details and facilities are from each business's own website, checked 13 October 2026. Book directly with them; this guide takes no bookings.
Can you camp in Rocklands?
Yes, at Kliphuis, de Pakhuys, Kleinfontein and Rocklands Basecamp. It is the cheapest way to sleep in the thick of it, and for many climbers it is the whole point of the trip. Traveller's Rest lists cottages, cabins and backpacker rooms but no campsite; ask them directly if you want to pitch there.
| Basecamp | Camping | What else is on site |
|---|---|---|
| Kliphuis | Yes | CapeNature campsite with self-catering; Campground sector on site |
| de Pakhuys | Yes, 11 sites | No booking needed; cabins, backpackers, cottages; pad hire; permit office |
| Kleinfontein | Yes | Self-catering chalets and two tented units |
| Rocklands Basecamp | Yes, 24 sites | Glamping, caravans, a cottage; pad hire; sport crag |
| Traveller's Rest | Not listed | Cottages, cabins, backpackers, restaurant, farmstall |
Remember it is a winter season. Clanwilliam averages a low near 7°C (45°F) in June, July and August, and the boulders sit several hundred metres higher, so it is colder again where you are pitched — and June is the wettest month at about 64 mm (2.5 in). Bring a real winter bag, an insulated mat and a tent you trust in rain. See the packing list and the weather month by month.
Camping as published by each property. de Pakhuys says its campsite needs no booking; the others take bookings. Rates are theirs to set, so confirm directly.
Is there anywhere else to stay near Rocklands?
Yes. Two more sit in the same valley, and Clanwilliam itself, ~17 km before the first basecamp, has guesthouses, fuel and the last supermarket.
Alpha Excelsior
A family-run guest farm, winery and olive farm in the Agter-Pakhuis valley, about ten minutes past the top of the pass and near The Plateau. It has two Cape Dutch farmhouses, four cottages and the Rocklands Donkey Camp, seven self-catering retro caravans around a shared braai area. It rents crash pads and climbing shoes (half goes to the Rocklands Association for Development), and its Hen House coffee shop opens June to September.
Contact: +27 63 315 6560 (call or WhatsApp) · bookings@alphaexcelsior.co.za · alphaexcelsior.co.za
Rocklands Eco Retreat
One off-grid shipping-container cabin on a cliff, two adults, no children. Solar power and spring water; the track up is 4x4 only, or park at the bottom and walk a couple of hundred metres uphill. Right for a pair who want the quiet; wrong for a crew of five with pads. Listed on the booking sites rather than its own.
We list only places we could verify, have stayed at none of them, and take no commission — confirm facilities, prices and access directly.
When should you book?
Before you buy flights, for the June to August peak. Rocklands fills with international climbers and the closest, best-value beds go first. Outside the peak there is more room, but the good ones still go.
Last updated 13 October 2026 · booking links go to each place's own site — confirm rates and availability with them