parys

  • This pretty little pass is located on the R500 regional road between Fochville and Parys, in the North West province. The small hill on the western side does not have an official name, but for many years it has been known as “Ertjiesberg”, because this is where legendary South African cyclist Ertjies Bezuidenhout first honed the climbing skills that would make him so famous later in life. The road is quite bumpy and narrow, but overall is in a good condition with only a few potholes. There are just four corners on the pass, but it does have a fairly substantial 126 metre height difference over its 4.8 km length. Excellent views over the valley formed by the Vaal River are presented on the southern side.

     

  • Although this six kilometre gravel pass is fairly ordinary and has no particular characteristics to make it stand out above the rest, the roads around it and its location make this a very special pass. It is situated inside the Bergland, a contorted series of hills and mountains that were formed by what was probably the most apocalyptic event ever to befall this earth. Despite the approach roads being mostly gravel, they are usually in a good condition, and this route can be driven in any vehicle, subject to the weather. It is also a great route for adventure motorcyclists.