Pretoria

A small little suburban pass just to the north-east of Pretoria along the northern side and parallel to the Magaliesberg range. This pass called Baviaanspoort (Poort of Baboons) should not be confused with it's more famous namesake in the Eastern Cape - Baviaanskloof. The pass is only 1,7 km long and rises or descends a total of only 48 vertical metres producing an easy average gradient of 1:35.

A short easy pass gaining only 60m in altitude over 2,7 km producing an average gradient of 1:45, but there are some fairly steep sections just before and after the summit at 1:7. The pass climbs up a side ravine of the Magaliesberg range opposite the mountain called Donkerhoek. The road is labelled as the R104 and is the old main road between Pretoria and Bronkhorstspruit and is located approximately halfway between the two. The pass is relatively safe providing the speed limit of 80 kph is complied with. The road is suitable for all vehicles.

Fort Klapperkop is one of four forts that were built near Pretoria at the end of the 19th century, just before the outbreak of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War. It is named after the hill upon which it is situated, which in turn derived its name from the Afrikaans word for Strychnos pungens, a tree which grows natively on the hills in the area. At just 2.2 km long and with a height gain of only 100 metres, this is a minor pass, but the spectacular views over the city of Pretoria and the beautifully preserved fort at the summit make the small effort to get there more than worthwhile.

The road is named the Jan Rissik Drive.

The gently-graded, tarred Horns Nek Pass (M17) cuts through the picturesque and much loved Magaliesberg mountain range just west of Pretoria. At 3.8 km in distance, it rises at a moderate gradient of 1:20, from 1312m ASL to 1452m, but there are some steeper sections near the summit at 1:14. Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa's provinces geographically, but it has a dense population statistic and is also the seat of economic power. The province was established on the rich gold reefs originally discovered in the Johannesburg area and led to a massive sprawling complex of towns and cities covering a vast area, which does not have much in terms of big mountain ranges and consequently (other than the Magaliesberg), there are few official mountain passes in this province.

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.

This attractive and well-known little pass is situated in the heart of the leafy northern suburbs of Pretoria, appearing as a welcome surprise to those not familiar with the area. The pass is very steep at an average gradient of 1:8, causing some vehicles to labour heavily as they make their way up the pass in the rarefied Highveld air. This is also true for the runners which take part in the Tom Jenkins Challenge, an annual event which features the pass and which finishes at the nearby Union Buildings.