The Great Kei River Pass has an unenviable record of serious accidents. The section of road both east and west leading down to the Great Kei River is also known as the Kei River Cuttings. The pass is located between the towns of Butterworth and Komga on the tarred N2 highway.

There are 31 bends corners and curves compressed into its 11,8 km length and the 422m altitude drop when travelling from south to north is what causes the momentum gaining problems for heavy vehicles, where brake failure has been the common denominator in most of the serious incidents on this pass.

There are two arrestor beds constructed on the southern descent. The first is at the 2,2 km mark and the second makes an appearance at the 5,2 km point.

Like the Great Fish River Pass, this pass can easily slip by unnoticed as one travels over the beautifully built N2 highway between Peddie and King William's Town. It's actually a fairly big pass and is long by national standards at 12.3 km displaying an altitude variance of 145m.

It only has 16 bends, corners and curves and none of them are dangerous. The pass is suitable for all traffic, but do be cautious when the mountain mists roll in, which can reduce visibility down to just a few metres. The locals don't seem to worry about this and carry on driving at high speeds. This presents the only real danger on this pass and of course, the possibility of finding livestock on the road.

Killian's Pass is located in the high mountains between Dordrecht and Barkly East on gravel R396. It's a fairly short pass at just 1,3 km and presents an altitude variance of 64m, which produces an easy enough average gradient of 1:20. The pass is generally maintained to a reasonable standard and is suitable for all vehicles, except in very muddy or snow conditions, when a 4WD vehicle would be a better option. The tiny settlement of Rossouw is reached just 2 km from the summit on the northern side of the pass.

Kingo Hills Pass is situated just off the R67, about halfway between Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape. Also known as Douglas Heights and (incorrectly) King Hills Pass, it is named after Kingo Hill, the summit (581 metres ASL) of which is located just north of the pass summit coordinates. The road is badly maintained, with major ruts and corrugations, and it is not recommended that you drive this pass in a normal car, although a four-wheel drive vehicle would not be required except in wet weather.

This impressive gravel pass has a typical inverted profile with the lowest altitude in the middle of the pass. It descends and ascends over the  Kobonqaba River valley and offers fabulous scenery of green clad hills and a deep winding river gorge.

The pass contains 29 bends, corners and curves within its 8,5 km length and exhibits what initially appears to be an easy average gradient of 1:44 but as is the case with all passes that have both and ascent and descent in its length, the averages are always easier than passes with a single incline. This pass gets very steep with gradients at 1:6 (closer to the approaches ot the river crossing) and might present traction issues for non 4WD vehicles in very wet weather.

We recommend driving this road in a small convoy of two to three vehicles in case of emergency. Be aware of personal safety at all times and make sure you leave the nearest town with full fuel tanks and that your vehicle is serviced and reliable.

This attractive pass lies on the N2 national road between Colchester and Grahamstown. It can be quite confusing as the Komgha River is in fact nowhere near the town of the same name, much further north east by almost 200 km as the crow flies. It should be noted that the spelling of Komgha River includes an 'h" whereas the town is spelled without the 'h'.

The pass offers some nice twists and turns, impressive cuttings and sweeping views over the river valley. It's 6.3 km in length and displays an altitude variance of 194m with a classic inverted vertical profile. The gradients are fairly comfortable with the steepest parts near the river never exceeding 1:11. The road is so well engineered that a speed limit of 120 kph is valid for most of the pass, but in the sections with the sharper corners, the speed limit is reduced to 100 kph.

Cautionaries: Thick mountain mists, livestock on the roadway.

This lovely pass decends and ascends the beautiful Kouga River valley. It of average length at 4,6 km and has a substantial altitude drop of 181m producing an average gradient of 1:25, with the steepest sections measuring in at 1:8. The pass connects the farming areas to the north of Kareedouw with the R62 and offers exceptional views over the Kouga River gorge, regardless of which direction you drive it.

At the lowest point, where the river is crossed via a low level concrete causeway, there is a beautifully sited timber chalet right on the banks of the river (built on raised pylons) which is for hire and makes for an idyllic and quiet overnight spot.

The road carries very little traffic and is also the access road to both Moodenaarskloof Pass to the east as well as Meidenek to the west and after that the start of the Baviaans-Kouga 4x4 Trail. The road is suitable for all cars, but the condition can vary considerably depending on when last maintenance was performed as well as recent rainfall.

This attractive and sometimes challenging pass is named after the two river valleys which it traverses on its way to Brandhoek north of Joubertina in the Langkloof. It's a typical farm road and forms a long loop starting just east and ending 10 km west of Joubertina which includes the much longer Brakkloof Pass. Both have to be driven in tandem. Allow about two and a half hours to complete the loop. You will be treated to exceptional mountain views, several river crossings, deep gorges, riverine forests and multiple fruit farms.

This 8,2 km long pass has 42 bends, corners and curves which include two hairpins, of which the second one is severe and requires cautious driving at 20 kph. You will need a high clearance vehicle to drive the route as the road can get rough in places, but a 4x4 is not mandatory, except in wet weather.

This beautifully scenic, high altitude, modern tarred pass is located on the R58 between Barkly East and Lady Grey. The 10 km long pass descends steadily through majestic mountain scenery to cross the dominant local river, the Kraai River (Crow River) at approximately the halfway point. The descent down the western side offers fabulous views of the Kraai River which has carved a series of serpentine like bends through the landscape. This is a safe, well-engineered road, providing the speed limits are adhered to, but dangerous when there is snow or ice on the road.

This minor poort is 1,9 km long and displays a small altitude variance of 39m. As is typical of all poorts, the road follows the course of the river sweeping through a single S-bend with big changes in direction and corners exceeding 150 degrees radius. It is named after the Kranskop farm through which it traverses.

The Pienaarspoortrivier that has carved this path through the mountain ridge forms a confluence with the dominant river in the region - the Grootrivier, which has a huge drainage area and drops through many more major poorts before joining the Kouga River east of Patensie, where the name changes to the Gamtoos River.