Formosa Peak
| Formosa Peak | |
|---|---|
| Peak Formosa | |
 Ridge leading to Formosa Peak (marked) in the Tsitsikamma Mountains | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,675 m (5,495 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 33°51′50.8″S 23°42′12″E / 33.864111°S 23.70333°E[1] |
| Geography | |
  Formosa Peak | |
| Location |  South Africa |
| Parent range | Tsitsikamma Mountains |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Scrambling |
Formosa Peak or Peak Formosa is the highest point of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, a coastal range located along the Garden Route in South Africa, and forming part of the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve.
Background
[edit]
The peak was first mapped in 1576 during a voyage by the Portuguese navigator and cartographer, Manuel de Mesquita Perestrelo, when his ship put in at Plettenberg Bay, which he named Bahia Formosa or "beautiful bay".[2] The peak, which is visible from the bay, had been named Formosa by the earlier Portuguese explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, in 1488. This was corrupted to Moses, a name still used for the region north of the mountain.[2] Perestrelo, a survivor of the 1554 wrecking of the Portuguese carrack, the São Bento off Msikaba on the Wild Coast, wrote an account of the disaster.[3]
Because of its elevation and sweeping views, Formosa Peak is a popular hiking destination, the normal road approach being from the north via Langkloof and farm tracks.[1] Although not technically difficult and requiring only steep scrambling, the hiking route follows a narrow ridge with precipitous drops on either side and along some sections, a fall would prove fatal. A recent death on 2 January 2013 was that of Ken Webb, a 72-year-old experienced hiker from Plettenberg Bay, who fell while descending the mountain.[4][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Climb Formosa Peak". Garden Route Adventure Guide. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ a b Standard encyclopaedia of Southern Africa / 4 Dev - For. Cape Town: Nasou. 1971. p. 643. ISBN 978-0-625-00320-4.
- ^ "SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY HISTORY and GENEALOGY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PORTUGUESE IN SOUTH AFRICA". SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY HISTORY and GENEALOGY. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Knysna-Plett Herald: Peak Formosa claims a life
- ^ Aeromed 2 (2 January 2013). "Hiking accident at Peak Formosa". AEROMED 2. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
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