Western Cape Mountain Passes

An easy drive through a poort that follows the course of the Aapsrivier (Monkey's River). This connecting farm road forms a semi-circular loop that joins the R407 near Klaarstroom with the northern end of Meiringspoort and is labelled as the P1721. With typical poort statistics, the road only ascends 89m over 4,66 km producing an easy average gradient of 1:54. The road is suitable for all vehicles and was receiving a major upgrade at the time of filming in May, 2015.

The Akkedisberg Pass translates from Afrikaans into Lizard Mountain Pass. It's an easy drive along this tarred coastal pass on the R326 links the small farming town of Riviersonderend with the quaint coastal hamlet of Stanford and the coastal road to Hermanus. The original gravel road dates back to 1776 and is amongst the very oldest passes in South Africa.

The pass had mild gradients and only 13 bends, corners and curves, none of which are particularly sharp or dangerous. It's a fairly long pass at 12,5 km and produces a gentle average gradient of only 1:86 with the steepest sections getting up to 1:18. The views are lovely with the tall mountains keeping watch over the green valley on the right. There is at least one excellent wine estate that leads off the pass.

This pass is in reality just the initial climb leading from the Dwyka river to the start of the Rammelkop Pass. There are many references to the two passes being one pass, but the initial part of the climb traverses the farm Allemanshoek, thus causing plenty of confusion. To keep things simple, we have treated these as two separate passes.

This spectacular and very steep pass is well known to many locals who have been up to the top of the mountain on the popular Protea Farm Tractor ride. This takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but on any other day of the week, it's possible to book a self-drive trip up the mountain (at a fee).

The views are some of the best you will experience anywhere in the Western Cape, where from the summit you can look down on the town of Robertson and eastwards towards Worcester. The opposing view is over the Keisie Valley with its backdrop of tall mountains and neat orchards.

The road is mostly concrete strip paved, so traction is not a problem and it is possible to drive up in a normal car, but a reasonable level of ground clearance is important.

The statistics are impressive too. You will climb 540m over just 4.1 km which produces an average gradient of 1:8 but there are some sections which are as steep as 1:4

This road is not recommended for inexperienced drivers or acrophobia sufferers.

This short gravel pass comes as something of a surprise after the long, flat coastal plains between Riversdale and the coastal town resort of Jongensfontein. It's about 23 km due south of Riversdale on a minor gravel road, the P1523. It's of average length at 4,7 km and displays an altitude variance of 125m, with the steepest parts near the summit getting as steep as 1:7. There are some dangerous corners on this pass with negative banking. It was being rebuilt on the day of filming and many of the dangers have now been re-engineered to make for a safer traverse.

This steep, narrow and twisting gravel pass is located on the P1661 route between Van Wyksdorp and Calitzdorp. It is frequently mistakenly called the Rooiberg Pass - and with good reason, as it forms the western section of the much bigger Rooiberg Pass, the latter which is separated from the Assegaaibosch Pass by a substantial plateau. The pass is just 3 km in length and displays an altitude variance of 178m, which converts into an average gradient of 1:18, but there are one or two steep sections which get as steep as 1:5

The pass is single width along certain sections which means passing is impossible and one of the vehicles will need to reverse back to a wider point. The pass contains 22 bends, corners and curves which includes two full hairpin bends. The road gets quite rough in places and whilst we recommend a high clearance vehicle, it is possible to drive it in a normal car (cautiously) in good weather.

This is one of the great historical gravel passes which winds its way through the Outeniqua Mountains north of Mossel Bay. It has subsequently been replaced by a significantly more convenient, tarred pass (Robinson Pass). Attaquaskloof Pass is now frequented mostly by die-hard 4x4 enthusiasts and a few local farmers.

However, the 22,3 km of gravel road is definitely worth each and every meter of its history-rich length! A permit is required to drive this route and there are locked gates. Keys are obtained on issue of your permit at the start point, which is the Bonniedale farm. Note - this route can only be driven in one direction (west to east).

30th May, 2017 - News just in from Bonniedale farm: "The Attaquaskloof is part of the old Ox-Wagon Route from Heidelberg to de Vlugd. There is a section of it (20km) that goes through the Attaquaskloof to the R328. Unfortunately Cape Nature has now closed their section of the road. You can still do part of the Trail on Bonniedale. (As well as other 4x4 Trails on Bonniedale), but you are not able to go all the way through. You can however use the alternate route (public road), from Bonniedale to the R328, and meet up again with the Ox-Wagon Route from there again."

The Bain's Kloof Pass (R301) provided a more direct route from the town of Wellington to the more northern towns of Ceres and Worcester, in the Western Cape. It was a much loved route by the wagoneers who appreciated the gentle gradients that the oxwagons could manage. It remained the main road to the north for almost a hundred years, before the Du Toits Kloof Pass was constructed from 1940 till 1946.

It is 26,8 km in length from the bridge over the Breede River to the outskirts of Wellington. Built circa 1849 by Andrew Geddes Bain, this pass was a tough nut to crack, working with convicts and raw, rough materials and methods. As always seemed to be the case with Bain, he oversaw a marvellous job of the pass which, having stood the test of time, is now a national monument.

The more dramatic, northern section of the pass roughly follows the course of the Witte River, a raging torrent during the wet winter season. There are many points of interest along the pass including the two toll points (Eerste & Tweede Tol), Dacre's Pulpit, Bell Rocks, Pilkington bridge, Borcherd's bridge, Gawie se Water, Bain's Ruins and Bain's Tunnel.

Editors Note: This page is currently under reconstruction. The new four part video series will be uploaded between Oct 29th and Nov 7th, 2022.

This scenic pass is located roughly midway between Ashton and Swellendam on the tarred R60 route. It offers beautiful and sometimes dramatic views in every direction and more or less follows the east-west axis of the Langeberg Mountains on its southern side.  We apologize for the half completed road refurbishment project in the video clip, but Stop/Go's are a part of our daily lives and we endure them happily in the sure knowledge that the authorities are working on vital infrastructure like roads.

The pass is in excellent condition and of average length at 4,4 km with a modest altitude variance of 100 metres. It is suitable for all vehicles and the latest realignment project on this pass has removed all the dangerous corners and blind rises, which were present on the old road. The R60 is becoming a popular alternative road to the N2 a little further to the south, and as such you can expect to find heavy trucks and buses on this road.

This little pass is an absolute gem, but the pass falls on private property and only owners, guests and other authorised personell may drive this road. About 30 luxurious homes grace the hillside overlooking Ballots Bay and the endless blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The road is a two spoor paved road, in good condition. It also offers access to another residential area, Carmel Valley, at a split in the road about halfway down the descent. The scenery is breathtaking, but the road is very narrow and exceptionally steep along much of its length. On this road you will find some the sharpest hairpin bends in South Africa, where longer vehicles might have to do 3 point turns or at the very least full lock to make the turns. There are two sliding gates requiring remote codes at the start and about two-thirds of the way through the pass.