gravel poorts

This poort is the for more serious pass hunter. It's is a rough, two-spoor jeep track suitable for high clearance 4x4 vehicles only. The 7,7 km long poort sweeps in and around several low mountains in the far north-eastern segment of Namaqualand. This is a quintesessential 'road to nowhere'. Carry two spare wheels and be prepared for any emergency on this desolate and lonely road. The poort descends a total of 94m producing typically easy poort type gradients of 1:82 with even the steepest parts being a fairly mild 1:20.

Biesiepoort is located just to the south of the N10, the national road which connects Upington with the Namibian border post at Nakop. The word “biesie” translates from Afrikaans to English as “bulrush”, but it could also refer to any of the family of reeds which are used to weave indigenous household items such as sleeping mats or wicker furniture. The poort itself, although very pretty, is quite insignificant, but the area in which it is located typifies the Kalahari landscape and is an unforgettable drive.

The road is in a good condition and can be traversed in any vehicle, although there are large patches of soft sand. Watch out for small animals such as mongooses, and be particularly careful not to run over the large monitor lizards (leguaans) which are commonly found moving slowly across the road.

This short, minor poort is located in the southern ridges of Grootrivierberge, near Steytlerville. The poort is named after the farm over which is traverses. It's a very short poort of only 1,8 km and displays an altitude variance of 46m producing an easy average gradient of  1:39.

There are many poorts along these east-west running ridges and this is a good example of one of the smaller ones. Many of these poorts look similar due to the consistent nature of the topography, yet each one has it's own unique character. The roads here are quiet and dusty, so you will always find the time and space element, despite the relatively minor nature of the statistics.

Both the nearby towns of Willowmore and Steytlerville have fascinating histories and worth spending time in.

This remote little poort is difficult to find and is located approximately 40 km south-east of Springbok. Bobbejaanpoort translates from Afrikaans into Passage of the Baboons. The road is not much more than a sandy jeep track these days and if you're heading here in summer, you'll need to deflate your vehicles tyres as well as engage 4WD drive to cope with the soft sand. The poort is 3,2 km long and has the typical easy gradients synonymous with poorts at 1:49 with some of the gradients near the summer getting to 1:14. The scenery consists of fairly flat,sandy plains dotted with low scrubland and peppered with low granite hills. At the summit, which is reached after 1,1 km, there is a sturdy, locked farm gate, which means one has to turn around at the summit and retrace your route.

This short poort is located on a minor gravel road between Victoria West and Loxton. It's only just over a kilometre long and has a small altitude variance of 33m. It's a very long drive locating this little poort and only the most dedicated pass hunters will make the big effort to drive it.

To make up for its relatively unimpressive statistics, you will experience an intense of isolation and the wide and barren expanses of the Karoo always has landscapes of note to enjoy.

The usual gravel road cautionaries apply of corrugations, ruts and washaways as well as loose gravel on the corners. IT's best to expect to get a puncture. If you don't have two spare wheels, travel with a repair kit and know how to use it. A portable compressor is a useful addition to your tool kit.

Unlike most other poorts in South Africa which are generally quite flat, Debruinspoort does have a significant altitude gain of 225 metres. It is located on the gravelled R344 road between Adelaide and Grahamstown, just south of the crossing of the Great Fish River at Piggott’s Bridge and to the west of the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. Other than some wash-board corrugations, the pass is well maintained and in a good condition, and should present no problems for any type of vehicle.

This scenic gravel poort is located about 10 km to the south-east of Springbok on the gravel R355 road to Loeriesfontein. It's named after the Eendoring farm near the western end of the poort. The R355 is a wide, gravel road which is generally maintained to a good standard, but it is prone to corrugations. The poort lies just south of the well known Goegap Nature Reserve and is 5,5 km long with an easy average gradient of 1:51, but there are one or two short sections where things get as steep as 1:11. The scenery is excellent, regardless of what time of year you drive along this road. The wide, sandy plains, interspered with jumbled granite peaks and ridges, perfect northern sunshine and the ubiquitous kokerbome, provides photographers with ample opportunities for great photography and for the rest - simply a place to enjoy the peace and tranquility.

The Indwe Poort was formed by the powerful Indwe River and forms a steep sided poort through the mountains south of the town of Indwe. The road, whch carries the route label of R396 connects the town of Indwe with the main tarred road, the R410 just south of the poort, where the Indwe River continues flowing southwards to feed into the large irrigation dam - the Lubisi Dam. The Indwe River provides a lifeline of water to this region as just north of the poort it feeds another large dam - the Doringrivier Dam.

The road follows the course of the poort along it's western side for almost 10 km and is generally an easy drive with gentle gradients. There are two very sharp corners in excess of 110 degrees that need to be approached with caution, but the biggest dangers on this road are corrugations and livestock. Be aware of this before you tackle this poort. The road has a minor summit towards its northern end, followed by no less than 5 smaller false summits along its length.

This rugged poort is located on the P2272 about 50 km south-east of Calvinia and 25 km WNW of Middelpos (as the crow flies) and paralells the north/south running Roggeveldberge, which form the western side of the Tankwa Karoo. Not many people know about this poort which with a length of 5,6 km, and an altitude gain of 144m hugs the western side of the Kareehoutrivierpoort. A huge bush fire had swept through the poort just days before we filmed it, leaving the poort looking barren, blackened and stony, but normally this is a fairly well watered poort offering lovely scenery and some greener vegetation.

With an average gradient of 1:39 this poort offers easy gradients and is suitable for all vehicles, but the road in its entirety is not suitable for normal cars. High clearance is recommended. 

The Kleinfontein Poort is in very close proximity to the Kleinfontein Pass - separated be just 500m. Despite its relatively short length the little poort has a lot to offer in terms of some very tight corners, but the real attraction here is the magnificent succulent plant life that flourishes in the poort.

The poort is just 2.1 long and contains 11 bends, corners and curves, including four very sharp and tightly radiused bends in excess of 90 degrees each.

The poort (like it's twin - the Kleinfontein Pass) falls within the boundaries of the Kleinfontein farm, itself located in the very heart of the Klein Karoo about midway between Vanwyksdorp and the R328 near Oudtshoorn. This is a very quiet and remote road but it is doable in any vehicle with decent ground clearance (in fair weather).

This minor poort is 1,9 km long and displays a small altitude variance of 39m. As is typical of all poorts, the road follows the course of the river sweeping through a single S-bend with big changes in direction and corners exceeding 150 degrees radius. It is named after the Kranskop farm through which it traverses.

The Pienaarspoortrivier that has carved this path through the mountain ridge forms a confluence with the dominant river in the region - the Grootrivier, which has a huge drainage area and drops through many more major poorts before joining the Kouga River east of Patensie, where the name changes to the Gamtoos River.

Kranspoort is a beautiful little poort located to the west of Fouriesburg, a small town situated very close to the Lesotho border in the eastern Free State. The scenery in this area is breath-taking, with magnificent sandstone mountains interspersed with rivers, dams, pastures, orchards, and the ever-present poplar trees which seem to have made this corner of the country their special domain.

The road through the poort is in a relatively bad condition and is poorly maintained, like so many other backwater roads in the Free State, but can still be driven in any vehicle provided that there has not been heavy weather. The poort is named after the original farm through which it traverses.

Metzpoort is a minor pass located in the south-eastern corner of the Free State province, fairly close to Jagersfontein and Fauresmith. It is unlikely that you would find this poort unless you actively look for it, as it is situated on an obscure road in the middle of a huge farming area.

Like many backwater roads in the Free State it does not appear to be regularly maintained, and at the time of filming the surface was plagued by severe corrugations, but it can be driven in any vehicle and in most weather conditions. The poort was named after the original farm on which it is located.

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.

Naauwpoort is a minor but very scenic poort located just off the R24, a regional road which connects Rustenburg in the North West province to Krugersdorp in Gauteng. It is relatively close to the Olifantsnek Dam (21 km) and to Magaliesburg, which is 26 km away. The gravel road is in a good condition and appears to be regularly maintained, but an all-wheel-drive vehicle might be required in very wet weather. Like most poorts, Naauwpoort is generally quite flat and only has a height difference of 59 metres. There are 17 bends, corners and curves on the pass, but, other than one sharp corner of 90 degrees, most of these are very shallow and will not cause any problems, provided that you stick to a speed of 60 kph or less.

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 attractive poort slices through the Nougashoogte mountains about 25 km south of Touwsrivier. The mountain consists of a series of peaks between 1100 and 1300m high, joined together by a string of necks running along the east-west axis. The 4 km long poort has a relatively small altitude variance of just 51m, which is par for the course for poorts. It provides perfect scenery of Cape Fold mountains on both sides of the road and there are a surprising number of bends considering how flat the terrain is on either side of the poort. The poort is surrounded by nature reserves on three sides. If you enjoy gravel travel, hop off the N1 and try this lovely option.

Paardepoort, which carries the road number P0413, is a long gravel road connecting three distinct poorts that cut through the east-west running ridges just north of the R75 main road between Kirkwood and Jansenville. It services a number of farms and provides a lovely gravel alternative from Kirkwood to the Darlington Dam and similarly an enjoyable return route after completing the Bedrogfontein 4x4 route.

It's a long poort at 16.4 km but the ever changing scenery between tall moungtains and craggy outcrops in the poorts to the open farmland between each of the poorts, provides a wonderful variety of scenery. Allow about 40 minutes to drive the poort, excluding stops. It's best to drive on deflated tyres (1.4 bar recommended) for improved traction, a softer ride and a reduced risk of punctures. But do not drive faster than 80 kph on soft tyres and reinflate as soon as you are back on tar.

There are a number of game farms and upmarket hunting lodges in the area, including Koffylaagte.

This rough poort of 1,7 km in length traverses a natural gap in the mountains about 24 km east of Klaarstroom. Some of the ascending up the northern side has gradients of 1:10, but once the middle point is reached at the 0,6 km point, it's fairly level from there onwards. There are wonderful views of the Groot Swartberg mountains to the south as you crest the summit. The road leads to the Haggas farm, about 1,5 km beyond the southern end of the poort. This is a poort for the more serious pass hunter and forms an out and back route, although are there a number of circular options if you want to explore the area in more depth.

This is a basic farm road and is sometimes little more than a jeep track. We recommend being in a 4WD vehicle or at least in a high clearance bakkie. This is a dead-end road, so you will need to retrace your route back to the R407.

Pienaarspoort is a north-south running poort through the local mountains north-west of Touwsrivier, which run along the east-west axis. It's slightly longer than an average poort at 5,8 km, but so typical of a poort, only has a small altitude variance of 97m. The poort is beautifully remote, despite it being only 20 km west of the busy N1 highway. You are highly unlikely to see another vehicle on this road, which will provide a sense of solitude and isolation. The surface is very stony and rough and we don't recommend this road for low clearance cars, but a 4x4 is not mandatory.