The Kingscote Cutting is an average length pass with gentle bends and doesnt present any real dangers. It's named after the nearby Kingscote farm and lasts for 4,3 km ascending a total of 260 vertical metres, producing an average gradient of 1:17. It's located on the tarred R617 route between Kokstad and Underberg with sublime views of the Drakensberg for most of the distance.
Despite this little pass having the title 'cutting' in its name, The reality is that they are not particularly steep or impressive. Rather shift your focus onto the lovely KZN Midlands scenery. The only cautionaries for this pass is the likelihood of finding livestock on the road and of course thick mountain mist is common in this part of KZN, which can reduce visibility to just a few metres. Switch all your lights on!
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Note: Conditions can change over time. These guides are designed for planning and familiarisation, so there are fewer surprises on the day.
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