Mountain Passes News

Today, Cape Town has had it's first taste of summer! At last!!!!

Researching the history of the Piekenierskloof Pass was almost as enjoyable as driving it. Only recently opened to traffic after a 2 year revamp, the commercial  importance of this big pass on the main N7 route between Cape Town and Namibia cannot be underestimated. It started life as an elephant track over the neck in the mountains, then graduated slightly into a wagon route of extreme proportions, known as the Breakneck Pass.

The wild flowers are amongst the best in decades. We have just processed a little known pass East of Clanwilliam, called the Klipfonteinrant Pass. If you're in the mood to get into the spirit of sping, then this pass is a perfect destination where you are guaranteed to see more flowers than you can imagine. How to get there?

With school holidays and unseasonally cold weather in the Cape, many people will be heading off to see the snow at Ceres. We have some sage advice for you in terms of avoiding the traffic, choosing alternative routes and how to avoid being swept up in the Matroosberg hysteria.

Batten down the hatches. The winter of 2013 will be remembered for a long time in the Western Cape, with yet another severe storm, bringing icy temperatures and snow to the Cape. Friday's maximum temperature forecast is just 10C, whilst the Highveld is basking in 32C. Only in South Africa!

Bad weather also means it's time to get out into the country and experience nature at its raw best. If you own a 4x4 the country areas are your oyster. Why not head for the magnificent Cederberg, where you can find at least a dozen inspiring gravel road passes.

Our recommeded adventurers route is....

We're back from a 'dirty weekend' in the Tankwa Karoo in one of the worst weather systems in decades. It was exciting driving hundreds of kilometers over soggy, muddy roads with only 4x4's and bakkies to be seen. We managed to get nine passes filmed including