anglo boer war

A 5 km long long climb through a nek with fairly easy gradients along the tarred R76 road between Steynsrus and Lindley in the Eastern Free State - Lindley was a significant historical Anglo-Boer war battle site where the British 47th Imperial Yeomanry were routed and captured by the Boer forces. Lindley was once the seat of power of the Free State. It was also the birthplace of South-Africa's most famous rugby player - Dr. Danie Craven.

The Mpate Mountain looms above Dundee on the northern side of the town, and the pass is basically an access road to the host of telecommunication towers erected on its summit. Spectacular views over the town and the surrounding river valleys make this a very worthwhile traverse, as does the scenery all along the access route as the road winds its way up the side of the mountain. The gravelled section of the road is in a fairly good condition for the most part, and can be driven in any normal vehicle that has a reasonable ground clearance. This pass should be avoided in bad weather. It should not be confused with the nearby Mpate Heights Pass.

This beautiful pass, which is situated midway between Clarens and Fouriesburg in the eastern Free State, is well-known and much-loved by motorists and motorcyclists alike. The road surface is extremely good, the corners are cambered correctly, and the views over the entire length of the pass, in particular near the summit, are breathtaking. This is also the location of one of the most defining moments of the Anglo-Boer War, after which this pass is named.

Legend has it that the name of this pass, which translates as “Guinea Fowl Street”, is not derived from these wild birds, which are plentiful in the area, but from the nickname of the fellow that first pioneered this route, who apparently had a rather unfortunate spotty complexion. Although not particularly steep or difficult, it is extraordinarily beautiful because of the stream which tracks the length of the pass, the lush vegetation, and the multitude of animals that are usually encountered along the road, such as baboons, warthogs, klipspringers, bushbuck, and other small antelope. The road is gravel and in a fairly good condition but there are a few difficult sections, so ideally it should be driven in a high clearance vehicle.

Named after the little town of Van Reenen, which seems to stand guard at the top of this majestic pass which winds its way through the Drakensberg mountains between Ladysmith and Harrismith along the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg. Unfortunately, the only record that the pass can lay claim to is that of the most dangerous pass in South Africa. Despite this, the long pass provides beautiful scenery as it descends towards Ladysmith in the KZN Midlands from the Free State.