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Gravel Passes

De Waalskloof Pass was no doubt named after the first Dutch settler that farmed the valley at the foot of the pass. This little known pass is not difficult, but the surface is rutted, rocky and bumpy. It will take 30 minutes to cover the 5.5 km distance. It's of average length and runs along the east-west axis along a valley on the northern side of the Didima Range and the Katberg Mountain.

Although fairly old, the road is well designed and presents an even gradient throughout of 1:13. This pass forms a western approach to the summit of the Katberg Pass and is a perfect approach for those wanting to drive the Katberg Pass in the descending mode. It also provides access to the summit of the Devil's Bellows Pass, which is currently in a very poor state and we don't recommend driving north over Devil's Bellows Pass, unless there are a minimum of two vehicles with recovery equipment and drivers with experienced off-road skills.

The road can get tricky in wet weather where a 4WD vehicle will be mandatory, but in fair weather most 4x2 vehicles with reasonable ground clearance will manage the road. However if you intend descending along the Katberg Pass, you will definitely need a high clearance 4WD vehicle with low range. You will be treated to excellent high altitude scenery. The usual gravel road cautionaries apply - mountain mists with low visibility, electrical storms in summer, high rainfall, snow in winter, rock falls, washaways, deep ruts, loose rocks and livestock on the road.

This beautiful pass is located on a minor gravel road, the R386, between Niekerkshoop and Prieska in the Northern Cape. It has two distinct sections; the northern half is a steep and twisty true pass, and the southern half is much more poort-like. The road is in a good condition and is well maintained, but some severe corrugations are evident, mainly on the steeper parts and on the sharper corners. Although it is situated in the transitional zone between the Kalahari and the Karoo, there is more greenery around than one would expect; this is because the mighty Orange River flows through this area just a few kilometres away from the pass.

“Die Noute” translates directly into English as “The Narrows”, and this pass is probably named as such because it climbs up the mountains through a narrow kloof. But the term is often used idiomatically in Afrikaans, as in “as jy in die noute beland” which loosely translates to “if you have to tighten your belt”, so it could also refer to hardship and trouble. The pass is just 1.1 kms long and has a height difference of only 36 metres, but it traverses neatly through dense riverine forest, and in some ways is briefly reminiscent of the 7 Passes road between Knysna and George.

This scenic pass of 4,16 km descends through the attractive Diepkloof - a hidden kloof in the Swartberg and Skimmelberg mountains a few kilometres due west of the N7 and the Olifants River Valley approximately halfway between Citrusdal and Clanwiliam. The pass has some very steep gradients of 1;5 but these only last for short distances and will not present many problems for normal cars. The road does have some very sharp corners though, where caution needs to be exercised. This is a connecting farm road with low traffic volumes and offers a sublime drive for the less hurried traveller who enjoys gravel road driving. Best time to visit is June through to October.

The Richtersveld National Park plays host to six official passes and many more unofficial ones. Of the six official passes, the Domorogh Pass is easily the most technical, as well as being the shortest. The pass connects the upper plateau area of the Richtersveld with the Gariep River valley and was originally built by hand by a small handful of local men to create an access route down the small escarpment for their livestock to move between the winter and summer grazing areas. The pass is 1,4 km long and has an altitude variance of 139m of producing a steep average gradient of 1:10 with the steepst parts being at 1:4. This pass should not be driven in any vehicle other than a high clearance 4WD vehicle with low range. We issue a 'danger' cautionary for this pass, especially in the descending mode.   

This relatively unknown pass is located on the farm road designated MR00363 between the Swartberg Pass and Calitzdorp, just to the east of the Kruisrivier settlement. It offers marvellous scenery with the mighty Swartberg Range looming ever present to the north. With a moderate length of 4.7 km and an equally modest altitude gain of 156m it produces an easy average gradient of 1:30 but there are a few sections that do ramp up 1:8.

There are a number of passes to the north-east of Calitzdorp which mainly follow the many river courses that flow down from the Swartberg Mountains. These include the Kruisrivierpoort, Huis se Hoogte, and Coetzees Poort. There are a number of cautionaries for this pass, despite it's modest statistics. These inlclude some very sharp corners, steep drop offs, loose gravel on the corners, ruts and washaways as well as a strong possibility of finding livestock on the road.

A fairly steep gravel pass on a minor farm road between Verkykerskop in the south and Vrede in the north. The pass has an altitude variance of 175 vertical metres over 2,4 km to summit at 1949m, producing an average gradient of a stiff 1:13. This one will be slippery when wet and lethal when it snows.

This short, steep pass is located 7 km north-west of Leliefontein and 14 km ESE of Kamieskroon on a minor gravel road - the P2943 in the mountainous part of Namaqualand and is a prime wild-flower spotting zone. At just 1,4 km the pass is fairly short, but it climbs 96 vertical metres, producing a stiff average gradient of 1:14, with the steepest parts being just before the summit, where things get as steep as 1:5. During wet weather, light front wheel drive cars will experience traction issues here, but at all other times of the year, the pass is suitable for all vehicles. The pass is named after the Draaiklip (or Turning Stone) which can be seen on the right hand side (west) of the road, just after the sharp left hand bend.

This moderate pass of 3,5 km is located on a side access farm road, the OP 06104, which connects with the bigger gravel road, the P0294 exactly at the point where the Langkloof Poort becomes the Ouberg Pass. The road runs along the east west axis and follows the course of a small ravine along the Salmonswater river. The road provides access to several nature and game reserves, which include African Game Lodge and Mont Eco Nature Reserve.

It has an average gradient of 1:19 but those numbers are fudged by some fairly steep sections towards the eastern end where things get as steep as 1:7. The road can get quite rough after rainy periods, but on the day of filming it had recently been scraped and was in good condition. It is suitable for all vehicles in fair weather. Please note that this is an out and back route, so the pass has to be driven first ascending, then descending returning to your starting point.

Duiwelsnek is located just on the outskirts of the lovely Northern Cape town of Kakamas, very close to the banks of the mighty Orange River. There is no indication on the official topographical maps as to how this pass was named, but there is a good chance that the rocky hill on the northern side of the summit is called Duiwelskop, or something similar. The road is in a good condition and should not present problems for any type of vehicle, except perhaps in wet weather. There are few hazards on the pass other than the usual livestock and farm vehicles, but beware of the local farmers that seem to drive a little faster than they should!

This steep pass is 5,9 km long and lies just a few kilometres east of it's twin pass, the Buwani Pass. The Dungu pass is longer and has a bigger altitude variance, but both join up in a common road along the northern bank of a big loop in the Umzimvubu River, about 57 kms SSE of Mount Frere in the heart of the old Transkei region.

It forms a perfect circular loop where both these passes can be driven in tandem. The Dungu Pass has an exceptionally steep average gradient of 1:10, but some sections get very steep at 1:5. In wet weather this pass should only be tackled in a 4WD vehicle.

Panoramic scenery, steep cliffs, deeply wooded mountain slopes and birds eye views of the Umzimvubu River valley are all on the menu. There are 59 bends, corners and curves which include 2 tight hairpins and 4 corners greater than 90 degrees.

We issue our standard cautionary for all Eastern Cape rural roads, and especially those in the old Transkei area: We recommend driving this road in a small convoy of two to three vehicles in case of emergency. Be aware of personal safety at all times and make sure you leave the nearest town with full fuel tanks and that your vehicle is serviced and reliable.

This relatively unknown pass is located high in the mountains about 15 km south-east of De Doorns. It's of above average length at 5,3 km and descends 338m producing an average gradient of 1:16 with the steepest parts reaching 1:7. It offers exceptional mountain scenery as well as four very sharp bends in excess of 100 degrees. The oddly named Dwars in die Weg translates roughly into 'Transversely across the Way', with reference to a stand-alone peak Dwarsberg [1025.4m] which blocks the view near the western foot of the pass.

The road leads to the Keerom Dam. (Turnaround Dam) which is aptly named as this is the end of the road and the route has to be retraced back to the R318. The road is quiet and thoroughly enjoyable to drive. Please read the section on public access carefully in the main body of text lower down, so that you understand exactly at which point the road changes status from public to private.

Cautionaries: Sharp bends, loose gravel, very tight bends, steep unguarded drop-offs.

This unusual gravel pass is located on the coastal plateau between Albertinia and the coastal road connecting Gouritzmond and Stilbaai. The pass has a classic inverted profile (High-Low-High) and traverses a riverless valley called Canca se Leegte. It has some very sharp and awkward (incorrectly banked) corners which can be lethal if your speed is too high.

At 2,6 km it's a short pass (well below the national average) but it packs plenty of variety into that distance. Some of the gradients are steep at 1:7 and the pass zig-zags its way past two prominent rocky outcrops called Eilandskop, after which the pass is named. The pass is best driven in a high clearance vehicle or very carefully in a normal car.

Elandshoogte is a long rambling pass on the R396, which connects Maclear with Rhodes. The pass traverses the majestic forested intermediate area between the lower escarpment and the high mountains of the Drakensberg range. The road is usually in a reasonable condition and in fair weather can be driven in most vehicles, but in heavy rain or snow, a 4WD vehicle will be mandatory.

The pass contains 61 bends, corners and curves within its 10.7 km length and of those 16 are greater than 90 degrees and one is a full hairpin of 180 degrees. The road presents as an undulating road with no less than 3 false summits and routes through a commercial forestry zone, so please drive with your headlights on at all times to make your vehicle more visible to forestry vehicles that commonly use this road.

The road precedes the Naude's Nek Pass when driving from south to north and is itself preceded by the Pot River Pass. Cautionaries include dense mountain mists with poor visibility, slippery surfaces in wet weather, forestry vehicles, ruts, wash-aways and corrugations.

Elandskraal Pass is named after the tiny village on the eastern side. The settlement was established in the late 19th century, and its most prominent feature is the beautiful stone Lutheran Church, built in the 1920s. Funds to build the church were raised by organising a bazaar; this was so successful that a surplus was sent to Germany to look after children orphaned by the Great War (the 1st World War). The village and the pass are located quite close to the Anglo-Zulu battlefields of Rorke’s Drift, Fugitive’s Drift and Isandlwana. The road is in a surprisingly good condition and can be driven in any vehicle, but beware of the local drivers, who seem to view the traverse as their personal racetrack. All of the other hazards associated with rural South Africa also apply.

This very long pass of 26,3 km essentially is more of a poort than a pass as it faithfully follows the course of the Broederstroom (Brother's Stream) as it cascades down the kloof losing 463m of altitude. The average gradient of 1:59 is mild and regardless of whether you are ascending or descending this pass, you will find the change in altitude gradual. It has 33 bends, corners and curves but none of them are significantly dangerous or sharp.

The road is a farming road that forms a long crescent shape to the east of the N9 national road starting and ending at different points on the N9. The bulk of the pass falls within the borders of the farm, officially named Erasmuskloof 259 and this is obviously where the pass takes it's name from.

The pass is regularly maintained and despite the gravel surface is suitable for all traffic. This is mainly due to the arid climate where lack of rainfall ensures the roads remain in good condition.

We have not physically driven this pass ourselves as yet, so our description and research is based on available resources and government maps.

When you're on your way to Rhodes and heading for the major gravel passes in this mountainous part of the Eastern Cape, this is the first little pass that gets you off the R58 main route and into the remoter part of the southern Drakensberg. From here you won't see tar again for a long time.

At 5,7 km the pass is of moderate length, and it has an equally moderate altitude variance of 156m. The steepest parts are at 1:9 and should present no problems for any type of vehicle in fair weather. However, with a summit altitude of 2088m ASL this pass is regularly smothered under a thick blanket of snow. It's best avoided under those circumstances. On the day of filming, after heavy rain, the road was slippery requiring 4WD.

Flouhoogte is a moderate pass on a gravel road in the Overberg not far from the sleepy town of Stanford. It has a classic vertical profile with a central summit point. There are only four gentle bends on this pass as it climbs 145m to summit at 215m directly opposite the Flouhoogte farmstead, which is where the pass takes its name from.

Translated from Afrikaans it literally means Weak Heights, but as is the case with translations, it can also mean Faint Heights. The latter is the more likely meaning as in the previous century it would have been hard work getting goods up that steep hill using wagons, oxen and mules.

The pass offers wonderful pastoral scenery of cultivated farmlands, with sweeping mountain views on the left, with the ocean sparkling just 25 km away to the right. This pass gives access to Kleinrivier Kloof Pass, Sandy's Glen and Groenkloof passes.

This easy gravel pass of 5 km descends towards the N7 at Trawal on the western side of a long ridge like mountain known as Fonteintjiesberg with a substantial altitude gain/loss of 323m, offering lovely views over the Tierpoort with the Gifberg Mountain in the far distance. This is a quiet farm road with low traffic volumes. The road is suitable for most vehicles, but it can get quite sandy during the long, hot summer months, which will affect traction. This road provides a wonderful alternative to the N7 for the less hurried traveller who enjoys gravel road driving.

This beautiful, modern and well designed pass is situated just north of the small town of Stutterheim on the national N6 highway. The pass derives its name from the small fort and telegraph office built in 1878 towards the end of the 9th (and last) Frontier War, and which was named after General Sir Arthur Cunynghame, commander of the British forces in South Africa from 1874 to 1879. The pass presents magnificent views over the forests which abound in the area, holds no apparent dangers, and can be driven in any vehicle.