Located on the tarred R563 between Hekpoort in the north and Krugersdorp in the south, this is easily Gauteng's biggest pass in terms of distance, altitude gained as well as steepest gradient. It's well above the national average in terms of length at 9,2 km and offers some steep climbing near the summit at 1:10. It forms one of the most popular routes over the Witwatersberge into the Magaliesberg area for weekend adventure seekers.
When approaching Olifantsnek from the south, it is said that part of the mountain overlooking the dam looks like the head and trunk of an elephant, hence the name. Alternatively, it is quite possible that herds of wild elephant would have roamed this area long ago. It is the most westerly point of the “3 Dams” route, which is very popular with the motorcycle set as a breakfast run (the 3 dams being Hartbeespoort, Buffelspoort and Olifantsnek). This little pass is just 1.8 km long and gains only 39 metres in height, but what is lacks in statistics it makes up for in scenic beauty.
Located along a natural poort through the Magaliesburg close to Pretoria, it forms part of the R80 highway. The poort is short at just over 2 km, but climbs quickly through 76m of altitude producing gradients of 1:10. The road connects many outlying suburbs to the north of the Magaliesberg with the city of Pretoria.
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