Eastern Cape Mountain Passes

This short, but scenic gravel pass is located on the same road as the Qora River Pass, but a little further east. Its short at just 1,7 km and sports and average gradient of 1:14 with the steepest parts reaching 1:9. Despite its relatively small altitude gain of  118m, the pass offers very attractive views over the surrounding countryside of Wild Coast hills and pasturage. 

The pass is named after the village that it services near its summit and forms the eastern ascent over a long spine which eventually leads into the Qora River Pass. The two passes will always be driven in tandem. 

The usual Eastern Cape cautionaries apply of being aware of the high likelihood of finding livestock and pedestrians on the road.

The Kumajaba pass is quite a climb, ascending 562m over 9 km producing a stiff average gradient of 1:16 with some sections being as steep as 1:9. It's named after the mountain and village of the same name, which are both traversed by this pass.

This is a typical B-grade gravel road found in the Eastern Cape and drivers can expect corrugations, ruts and washaways. During the summer season mountain mists are a regular occurence, when visibility can be reduced to just a few metres. With a summit height of 1509m snow falls occur during the winter season.

Apply common sense and be practical about what your vehicle is capable of. In addition to the above, always expect livestock on these roads, as well as slow moving vehicles, children and pedestrians.  The mountains below and above the pass are dotted with widely spread tribal villages, so keep your speed down and stay sharp.

This tough little gravel road pass has some seriously steep sections, and could present a significant challenge in the ascending mode for both adventure bikers and 4x4 enthusiasts, particularly during or after inclement weather. The pass is located south of Cala on an unnamed dirt road in the backwaters of the Eastern Cape, on the access route between the KwaGoniwe Tyaliti Pass and the Kwaaimans Pass, and takes its name from the river which marks the eastern extremity. It is worth seeking out if you enjoy the peacefulness and beauty of rural South Africa, but we recommend that you make use of a high-clearance or 4-wheel drive vehicle.

It is unclear how the Kwaaimans Pass acquired its name, which translates from Afrikaans as “Angry Man”. There is an area called Kwaaiman in South Africa, but this is located far from the pass, south-east of Umtata near Coffee Bay. The pass is situated on an unnumbered gravel road which runs on a north-south axis linking Cala in the north with the R61 near Tsomo in the south. The road is in a reasonable condition and shouldn’t present too many issues in dry weather, but a high clearance or 4x4 vehicle is recommended. Hazards include all of the usual rural Transkei problems, primarily free-roaming livestock. This is considered to be a high-crime area, and it would be advisable to tackle this route with at least two vehicles.

This relatively unknown tarred pass forms part of four passes along the R410 route between Queenstown and Elliot in the the high altitude region of the Eastern Cape - the others being from west to east the Nonesi's Nek Pass, the MacKay's Nek Pass, this pass and finally the Cala Pass forming a set of huge stepping stones towards the highest region of the Eastern Cape and the gateway to all the major gravel passes close to the southern Drakensberg and Lesotho. The pass offers lovely mountainous scenery and a traverse alongside a river filled with white water during summer. It's modern, well engineered and is suitable for all traffic. It's 12,3 km long and has an altitude variance of 323 vertical metres to summit at 1566m ASL producing an average gradient of 1:38 with the steepest section being at 1:11 The pass is subject to winter snowfalls.

This is the newest major tarred pass in South Africa with a 2008 construction date. The pass descends an impressive 751m down the escarpment through the Langeni Forest. It has an average gradient of 1:22 but most of the southern portion is fairly steep at 1:10. Modern engineering is evident throughout this pass, of which probably the most impressive feature is the 235m long viaduct over a section of the indigenous forest, which is built at the same gradient as the road - steep! The road connects Ugie in the north with Mthatha in the south-east.

This smaller, but very steep pass is located in between the two big Baviaanskloof passes of Holgat and Grasnek. Due to its very steep gradients of 1:5 the road has been partially paved to assist with traction. The pass connects the Doodsklip campsite in the east with Smitskraal camping area in the west and offers a wide variety of scenery and some technical driving. It is, in fact, the paving on this road, which has presented drivers with some unexpected challenges.

The pass is short at 4.9 km and despite its misleading average gradient of 1:42, this little pass is packed with sharp corners, steep gradients and technical driving. On the flip-side, it offers fabulous scenery and several river crossings before, during and after the pass.

The river crossing at Smitskraal can often be quite deep. Drivers need to be aware of this and follow the standard procedure for deep water crossings (see information lower down).

We recommend that first time visitors to the Baviaanskloof first watch the Baviaanskloof Orientation Video

This is one of the shortest passes on our database at just under 1 km - (881 metres to be exact), but it offers magnificent and rugged scenery, despite being so short. It's name is something of a misnomer, as the topography and statistics are those of a poort and not a pass. Judging by it's name, lions no doubt once roamed this path.

What makes this drive even more dramatic is the obvious path of the substantial river which charges through this kloof after good rain, making this road a potential death trap as can be clearly seen in the video footage. The final river crossing on the northern side is the most dangerous spot. For the vast majority of the year, the river is nothing more than a dry, stony path as this is after all, the Karoo, but every adventure traveller should know and understand that the Karoo rivers are prone to flash floods, so if the weather is looking ominous, drive with your wits about you and dont take unneccesary risks.

This lovely pass with its sweeping curves around the buttresses of the Lootsberg, lies in the heart of the Great Karoo some 70km north of Graaff-Reinet on the tarred N9. It is the highest pass in the Karoo and was named after Hendrik Loots who died on the old pass, after his carriage overturned.  It is the first of a string of poorts and passes starting from the north-east near Middelburg, with the final one being the Potjiesberg Pass to the south of Uniondale taking travellers from the high grounds of the Great Karoo down to the Little Karoo towards Oudtshoorn and George. The pass was originally constructed by Andrew Geddes Bain in 1858.

This gravel pass is one of the great gravel passes of the Eastern Cape and is held in awe by adventure travellers to the same extent as Joubert's Pass, Naude's Nek, Carlisleshoekspruit, Volunteershoek, Bastervoetpad, and Otto du Plesses passes. Lundin's Nek (which is also often spelled as Lundean's Nek) is a much bigger pass technically than any of the others and must rank as the most underrated big gravel pass in South Africa.

Not that many people have driven this pass as it really doesn't lead to anywhere significant, other than the Tele River border post with Lesotho. The pass is steep and peppered with 101 bends, corners and curves including four hairpins, several unbridged stream crossings and very steep, unguarded drop-offs. It's also long at 14.5 km and concentration levels need to be maintained throughout. The pass is not suitable for normal sedan vehicles. Whilst we recommend a 4x4 for this road, it is possible to complete it in a high clearance 4x2 vehicle in fair weather. It connects the small farming community of Wartrail with the Tele River border post at Lesotho.