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Cradock

This fairly off the beaten track pass is located on a farm link road - the P2394 - about 60 km WNW of Cradock. The pass is 9 km long and displays an altitude variance of 237m, producing an easy average gradient of 1:38, but most of the steeper action and sharper bends occur in the last 2 km where the gradient gets as steep as 1:10. You need to know your way around these farm roads and this pass is best tackled with a good GPS loaded with Tracks4Africa, otherwise you will probably get lost in the maze of farm roads to the south of the pass.

Belet is Afrikaans for forbid or prohibit, so the name of the pass no doubt at some point in it's history was a 'no-go zone' The road is suitable for all vehicles in fair weather and like all gravel roads is subject to rapid changes in condition after rain.

The Buffelshoek Pass lies on the R337 linking Pearston in the south with Cradock in the north-east. This rugged and beautiful pass offers sublime scenery towards the south over well wooded valleys and expansive plains packed with game. The pass quickly deteriotes in heavy rain or snow conditions and becomes dangerous for non 4WD vehicles, but in fair weather the road is perfectly suitable for all cars.

The pass is 3,9 km long and has an altitude variance of a 330m producing a challenging average climb rate of 1:12 with the steeper sections measuring in at 1:6. It's located just 15 kilometres north-east of Pearston.

Nearby Pearston dates back to the mid 1800's and is today one of the prime towns associated with hunting. The village is looking a little dog-eared these days with poverty and unemployment taking its toll on tourism.

Daggaboers Nek is a long tarred pass, located south of Cradock on the N10. The upgraded road is in an excellent condition, and features a double lane on the ascents of both the southern and northern approaches. Gradients are gentle and all of the corners have a wide radius, allowing motorists to easily maintain the designated speed limit of 100 kph. The pass offers beautiful views over the undulating Karoo landscape, particularly on the northern side once the summit has been crested. The pass has a history dating back to the 19th century.

This interesting little pass is named after the Plankfontein farm, which it traverses and forms part of the R61 tarred route between Tarkastad and Cradock. It's a mixture of a pass and a poort, with the first section displaying the big pass-like cuttings, whilst the second half after the bridge near the farmstead, displays more poort like characteristics as the road mimics the course of the river down the kloof.

It takes just 4 minutes to drive the pass, which is 3,5 km long and has an altitude variance of 128m, producing a comfortable average gradient of 1:27, but the steepest part, immediately after the start and summit is quite steep at 1:8. The pass lies about 15 km north-east of Cradock and is suitable for all vehicles.

The Swaershoek Pass (translated as Brother-in-laws Pass) is a major gravel pass located about 20 km south-west of Cradock. The pass is quite long at 8,1 km and has an altitude variance of  468m which produces an average gradient of 1:17, but there are many sections which are considerably steeper at 1:11. Despite the steep gradients and unpaved surface, the pass is well designed and is suitable for all vehicles in fair weather. The pass connects Cradock with Pearston 70 km further south.

This pass and its approach roads offer some of the best Eastern Cape scenery imaginable. Anyone willing to get a bit of dust on their vehicle will be richly rewarded travelling this route on the R337 which includes another great gravel pass much further south, called the Buffelshoek Pass.

This 15.6 km gravel pass runs on the North/South axis approximately parallel (and to the West) of the tarred N10. The road mainly serves the local farming communities as well as the Blomfontein wedding venue. Despite its ascent/descent range of 353 vertical meters, the average gradient is a leisurely 1:44 with the steeper sections being 1:20.

The pass is not a tarred pass, nor is it on the N10 as indicated by several well respected websites. Set aside at least an hour to drive the route, as there are several farm gates to open and close, plus the last few kilometres on the southern side have to be driven slowly, due to the rough nature of the road, beyond the Blomfontein farm.

You will have the opportunity to enjoy rugged Karoo mountain scenery in a harsh, arid part of South Africa, where every drop of water counts. At the southern end of the pass, you will see some of the water canals of the Orange-Fish Irrigation Scheme, one of the largest in South Africa.

As an added bonus, there is a disused rail tunnel that can be driven, but it's not easy to find or access.

This long pass of 16.8 km runs on the east/west axis between Graaff-Reinet and Cradock on the tarred R61 route. This is a high altitude pass summiting at 1768m ASL which puts it firmly into the Snow Belt. The average gradient is a mild 1:46, but there are sections where the gradients get as steep as 1:10, which translates into slow moving heavy trucks for ascending traffic.

The engineering is excellent and double lanes have been provided for most of the steeper ascending sections. The pass is named after the mountain range over which it passes. Most of the corners have a comfortable arc and the deep cuttings ensure that the gradients have been kept to a level which prevents blind rises. This is a wonderful pass to drive at any time of the year and is suitable for all vehicles.