Bastersnek has an almost perfectly symmetrical up-and-down profile, but in miniature; the pass only gains a total of 40 metres in height, and is just 1.2 km long. It is situated 11 kilometres from the well-known N1 junction town of Colesberg, on the R369 to Petrusville. The road is tarred through the section where the pass is located, is in a good condition, and can be driven in any vehicle. It is difficult to establish when, how, and after whom the pass is named. Other than the Hunter’s Moon Safari Lodge (private) and the Doornkloof Nature Reserve, there is not much else along this road, so it is best driven as an out-and-back route. A couple of minor skirmishes took place here during the second Anglo-Boer War.
The small pass is also sometimes referred to as Plessispoort or Bastershoek Pass.
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