This historical gravel road pass was built between 1867 and 1869. It's a long pass at almost 17 km and it has a substantial altitude variance of 383m which produces a fairly mild average gradient of 1:44, but the vast majority of the steeper gradients occur on the eastern side of the pass, where there are some steep sections at 1:5.
Fortunately it seldom rains here, so the road is generally quite safe for non 4WD vehicles. The scenery along which the road traverses is exceptionally dramatic with towering rock faces and a generally bone-dry river bed in view most of the time. This road is not suitable for cars lacking good ground clearance. This pass should be viewed in tandem with the Wildeperdehoek Pass as they are inseparably linked, both geographically and historically.
The rest of this article is for members.
Join for R575 per year and unlock 936+ pass pages, including:
- Full mountain pass history and photos
- Drive-through video filmed by Trygve Roberts (so you can virtually drive the route and know what to expect)
- Fact file (GPS start/summit/end, gradients, elevation, surface, distance, time, date filmed, nearest town)
- Google Maps directions link + downloadable KMZ route file (Google Earth and most GPS software)
You will also receive our bi-weekly newsletter, packed with the latest interesting passes and tour news.
Note: Conditions can change over time. These guides are designed for planning and familiarisation, so there are fewer surprises on the day.
Subscribe Now (1 year) Subscribe Now (Lifetime)
Already a member? Log in to view the full article.
See 5 open pass pages as examples:
