This steep, tarred pass connects Graaff-Reinet with the village of Nieu-Bethesda. Rubidgekloof was named after the Rubidge family that have been farming in the area since 1838. It lies on a tarred road (P0605) to Nieu-Bethesda, about 35 Km North of Graaff Reinet. It has a stiff average gradient of 1:15, with the steeper parts being at 1:10. The pass has an altitude variance of 283m over 4,28 km and with a summit of 1535m, you can expect plenty of snow on this pass during the winter frontal systems.
This steep, high altitude gravel pass is situated between the N9 route and the village of Nieu-Bethesda, where artist Helen Martins turned her Karoo home into a fantastical landscape, with concrete and ground-glass sculptures of owls, camels and angels. The town was established in 1875 and is dominated by the peak known as Kompasberg (Compass Mountain) which is the 6th highest mountain in the Eastern Cape and forms part of the Sneeuberg range. The town is very secluded and as such has become something of a retreat for artists and writers.
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