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Farm Roads

Although all official sources list the name of this pass as “Koeisehoogte”, it is far more likely that the correct spelling should in fact be “Koei Se Hoogte” (Cow Heights). The pass is located on gravelled farm road, just off the N2 highway close to Heidelberg in the Western Cape. It is quite long, at 7.4 kilometres, with an altitude variance of just 107 metres, and traverses an area of lush pastures consisting mainly of cattle farms, thus further justifying the name.

This attractive and sometimes challenging pass is named after the two river valleys which it traverses on its way to Brandhoek north of Joubertina in the Langkloof. It's a typical farm road and forms a long loop starting just west and ending 10 km east of Joubertina which includes the much longer Brakkloof Pass. Both have to be driven in tandem. Allow about two and a half hours to complete the loop. You will be treated to exceptional mountain views, several river crossings, deep gorges, riverine forests and multiple fruit farms.

This 8,2 km long pass has 42 bends, corners and curves which include two hairpins, of which the second one is severe and requires cautious driving at 20 kph. You will need a high clearance vehicle to drive the route as the road can get rough in places, but a 4x4 is not mandatory, except in wet weather.

This gravel pass is fairly long at 8,5 km but quite easy to traverse. It is suitable for most vehicles with the possible exception of cars with low clearance. It is only the first 1,6 km which has two sharp bends, stiff gradients and some rough and stony sections. Once through that section the going is easy. The pass has a substantial altitude variance of 286m, but due to it's length the average gradient is an easy 1:30 with the steepest parts being at 1:10. The pass lies on a minor gravel road (P2398) that connects Nieu Bethesda with the tarred R63 road near the summit of the Oudeberg Pass. This is primarily a farming road that serves the local farming community to the west of Nieu Bethesda.

This is a minor little poort of 1,5 km tucked into an east-west running ridge called Rooirant just off the R381 between Beaufort West and Loxton in the Great Karoo. It's quite a mission finding it, involving complex navigation through a number of farm roads. The poort only has a 10m altitude variance, so don't expect exciting driving through this one, as the average gradient is a very gentle 1:150 and the steepest section is at 1:16.

However, it's often the complete sense of solitude that brings the greatest rewards on these far flung farm roads and perhaps the opportunity of spotting some rare bird or animal not normally seen on the busier roads, that bring the greatest rewards.

Naroegaspoort is a gentle drive with easy gradients synonymous with typical poort statistics. It includes two crossings of the Plessisrivier, which is usually a bone dry river bed. These crossings mark the start and end points of the poort. There are only two wide corners and the rest of the poort is a straight-line drive through the rugged poort, which forms a passage through the east-west axis Grootrivierberge about 50 km east of Willowmore in the Karoo. The poort squeezes the road and the railway line into its confines and both parallel each other for most of the distance through the poort. This is an arid, water-scarce part of South Africa, where much of the vegetation consists of succulents.

This is a short, but very scenic gravel road that follows the poort of a small river. The exposed and almost vertical rocks on the southern side of the kloof are dramatic and some of the rock formations are well worth exploring. The road crosses the (usually dry) riverbed four times in rapid succession. The pass is just under 2 km in length and only has one steep section near the eastern end, where the gradients are at 1:6.

This short and rough pass is surprisingly scenic and requires a high clearance vehicle to drive it. At just 2,1 km it displays an altitude variance of 68m, producing an average gradient of 1:31 but there are several sections that are as steep as 1:6, but these are short-lived. The pass traverses a rocky plateau where the main agricultural activity is sheep farming. The pass forms part of a public servitude road that connects with the R354 just north-west of Middelpos and traverses two big farms along the way - Droekloof and Otterkuil.

At the foot of the pass at a farm gate (which is usually open) there is a large sign, depicting a rifle and a 'Trespassers will be prosecuted / Private Property' message. This board creates the impression that this is a private road, which it is unlikely to be. The farmer  has clearly suffered stock theft in the past and the sign is there to discourage strangers from traversing his farm. This pass is incorrectly marked on some maps as Prinseshoogte.

This is an easy gravel poort in the heart of the Sandveldpotato growing region that connects a range of local farms. It has a minor change in altitude and a single S-bend in the middle of the poort. Typical of a poort, it sports an easy average gradient of only 1:30 and the steepest section is a mild 1:16. The road is suitable for all cars, bearing in mind that gravel roads can change quickly in wet weather. In the dry season, the road is subject to corrugations, so adjust your speed accordingly. The road runs through a gap on the southern side of the Heerenlogement mountain, which plays host to the famous 18th century traveller's cave of the same name.

This is another of those Northern Cape passes, which leaves one wondering how this ever became an official pass, as there is really not much to it all with an altitude variance of only 16m and an average gradient of 1:150, it's hardly going to get the adrenaline flowing. The countryside is however, well worth any distance you will have travelled getting there and offers space, tranquility and the most wonderful sense of timelessness that only the Karoo can offer. In addition this is the perfect area to test your navigation skills as many of the intersections are unmarked, so getting lost here is a piece of cake.

Stop next to a windmill under the shade of a thorn tree and allow the Rooihoogte to sink into your soul.

This long gravel pass is located along a narrow valley formed by the east-west mountain chain between Standford and Napier in the Overberg region of the Western Cape. It is also sometimes spelled as Sandies Glen Pass. Both versions are used on signage on the pass. The pass takes its name from the farm of the same name. It consists of a long, slow climb from the western side through a number of farms. The steepest gradients of 1:11 occur near the summit. The pass offers a variety of attractive scenery ranging from open meadows to dense stands of eucapyptus to open mountain-scapes.

It connects the tiny hamlet of Papiesvlei in the west with Napier in the east. The road is suitable for all vehicles and is mostly in a reasonable condition. The usual cautionaries for gravel roads apply and as always, conditions can change rapidly after rain. 

Schuinshoogte is a short gravel pass situated near Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, shaped like a back-to-front question mark when viewed from the south. It takes its name from a hillock on the northern side, which was the scene of a famous and decisive battle during the 1st Anglo-Boer War. The road is bumpy and rutted, but should not present too many problems for non-4x4 vehicles except in wet weather. The pass forms an access route from the R34 between Newcastle and Memel to the Schuinshoogte battlefield memorial site, which consists of numerous monuments and gravesites located on both sides of the road.

This unofficial gravel pass lies to the south of the Anysberg mountains along the course of the Touwsrivier where the Sewefontein farmlands form a ribbon of green pastures along the banks of the river. The pass descends into the valley from the west, then crosses the river and follows the northern bank for some distance before ascending up the eastern side. It's a fairly easy pass in terms of road surface and gradients, but there are a few dangers to be aware of.

This is a short, but steep tarred pass on an otherwise gravel road (the R722) which connects Memel in the east with Verkykerkop and Harrismith in the west. The road displays an altitude variance of 149 vertical metres in just over 2 km producing an average gradient of 1:13 with the steeper parts measuring out at 1:7. This is a high altitude pass with a summit height of 2023m ASL and is subject to winter snowfalls.

This is a lovely gravel pass on the little travelled back road that parallels the southern side of the N1 between Laingsburg and Touws River. It gives access to the Witteberg area and includes the beautiful Witteberg Private Nature Reserveas well as a number of farms that operate along this remote Karoo valley. The pass has an unusual profile in that it has a long plateau in the middle with steep ascents and descents on either end.

This is a minor pass on a gravel road through a neck, north-west of Memel, on a farm road with moderate gradients and no corners. The only time you need worry about driving here would be in heavy rain or snow conditions, as the summit occurs at 1853m ASL and it does occassionally snow here in winter, when temperatures are regularly well below 0C.

This very small poort is located in an east-west running mountain range 22 km north-east of Willowmore (as the crow flies). The poort lies on private farm land, but a polite request to drive the little poort will be granted by the farm owner. Please close any farm gates. At 1,2 km, this poort is very short but nontheless displays typical poort characteristics as it crosses the small stream once near the northern end, then follows the western bank till the turn-around point, where you have to retrace your route back to the farmstead. The road is rough and very basic and not suitable for cars lacking ground clearance. This poort will typically only be driven by the more serious pass hunter. For the rest, cyber drive it here and forget about it.

Volstruisnek is a relatively minor pass located on the R323/P315 road south of Laingsburg in the Karoo and forms part of a series of passes and poorts on this fabulous Karoo back road, which is peppered with game sightings and exquisite mountain scenery. This is the smallest of the five passes and has no apparent dangers, providing speed limits are adhered to. The road is suitable for all vehicles.

The Wasbank Pass which translates into 'Washing Bank', is a short gravel pass on the R323/P315 road about 30 km south of Laingsburg. It is one of five passes and poorts on this very scenic road and traverses the Rooikoof farm via a small ravine. The pass ascends 75 vertical metres over 1,24 km producing an average gradient of 1:17 with the steepest section being at 1:8

This scenic drive provides an interesting and easy traverse of the poort that has been carved out by the Trakarivier. Although the road is virtually flat with only a 20m altitude variance over the 4,1 km length, it does include 4 crossings of the same river. For 99% of the year, these bridgeless crossings are very easy as the river bed is usually bone dry. The road forms a complex network of farm roads that service the remote farms west and north of Willowmore through a range of ridges and hills 15 km north the Swartberg mountains. It's easy to get lost here and many of the intersections have no signage. Travel well prepared with waypoints pre-plotted in your GPS.

Cautionaries: Like all gravel roads, conditions can change very quickly during or after heavy rain. Rivers in the Karoo are universally shallow and wide and prone to flash floods. If you're trapped inside a poort during a flash flood, it could prove to be life threatening. There are many similar poorts in this region and most of them display the same geographical tendencies.