steytlerville

This is not a lazy Sunday afternoon drive. This rough, steep gravel pass crosses the Grootrivier on the northern side of the Baviaanskloof Mountains via a river crossing just below a weir, without a bridge. Whilst the pass itself is a mere 5 km long, it is the access roads which make the driving of this pass, something of an adventure. First things first - You will not be able to drive this pass without being in a 4x4 vehicle with good ground clearance. 'Soft-roaders' will not have sufficient ground clearance. Adventure bikers will need to be experienced to handle this road, as it is long, rough, steep and dangerous over many sections, including the entire eastern exit section between the pass and Patensie.

This poort runs along the north-south axis through the mountains approximately halfway between Willowmore and Steytlerville. It's gravel and it's rough and we dont recommend this road for non 4WD vehicles or vehicles with low ground clearance. The 4,38 km long poort gains only 95m in altiitude, producing an easy average gradient of 1:46. This part of the Eastern Cape offers some of the best gravel roads in South Africa for the adventure traveller.

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.

The dramatic poort traverses a gap through the Grootrivierberge (Great River Mountains), which has been carved out by the Heuningkliprivier (Honey Stone River) which runs along the north/south axis, but via a convoluted path approximating the natural course of the river. It only climbs 58 vertical metres over 14km producing an easy average gradient of 1:241 - The beauty of this pass is its rugged, mountainous scenery.

April, 2017 - Information just received is that this road has been closed off by a locked gate and marked as 'Private'. We don't know if this road has been officially deproclaimed, but we will investigate and publish our findings here. [Source: Pieter Laubscher]

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.

This scenic 4,5 km gravel poort has a classic ascent/descent profile, but as poorts go, this one also doesn't have much of an altitude gain at just 88m. The average gradient pans out at a very gentle 1:51, but there are a couple of sections with slightly steeper gradients. The pass meanders along the course of a tributary of the Grootrivier, which itself has a massive drainage area sourcing in the Great Karoo. The poort lies 30 km WNW of Steytlerville in the Eastern Cape. The attraction of this poort is its complete feeling of isolation in the heartlands of the Karoo.

The Grootrivier has spawned several exceptional gravel passes, besides cutting itself out a canyon of great length, depth and beauty from the highlands of the Karoo all the way to the confluence of the Gamtoos River at Patensie, this is the same Grootrivier that you will traverse on the Antoniesberg Passfurther south and it also plays host to the fabulous Grootrivier Poort, which is the final pass at the eastern end of the Baviaanskloof. 

This is one of many poorts in the mountainous region between Steytlerville and Willowmore in the Eastern Cape. It runs along the NW/SE axis and is unusual in that it is much wider than most poorts in South Africa at between 1,2 and 1,4 km. Topographically it looks much more like a valley than a poort. In addition it doesn't display the one key element of all poorts in that there is no river bisecting it.

It's an official poort, so it gets indexed here, regardless of how small or insignificant it might appear. It's 4,5 km long and displays an altitude variance of 68m producing an average gradient of 1:66 with the steepest section just east of the summit, measuring in at 1;14.

Noorspoort  is a short  winding poort just north of the lovely Karoo town of Steyterville. The poort is perhaps best known for it's painted flags on the rock faces on the eastern side of the road and the town of Steytlerville is a shining example of how to rejuvenate an old town, which is immediately evident as one drives down the neat, broad streets filled with neat Victorian houses, lovingly restored replete with broekie-lace and shady stoeps. Down the cenrtre island of the main road the lamp posts are decorated with heraldic emblems and family crests from all sectors of the local community. The Noorspoort is 3,1 km long and has a minor altitude variance of just 24m, making for an easy drive, but don't get too transfixed by all the flags. The poort was carved out by the Grootrivier - a very long river which winds its way all the way down through the Baviaanskloof to form a confluence with the Gamtoos River near Patensie.

This easy gravel poort is located roughly midway between Steytlerville and Willowmore. It is the first pass or poort on this pleasant gravel road (the P1861) which is followed by a number of poorts of various lengths. The gradients are very easy through this poort, which average out at 1:178 which is about as close to flat as you can get. The road carries minimal traffic (mainly local farmers) and you will immediately experience a sense of solitude. Watch out for animals on the road - both domestic and wild animals.

The road is in reasonable condition, but like all gravel roads, it is subject to corrugations, washaways, loose gravel and flash floods. We recommend tyre deflation to 1.4 bar for improved traction, a softer ride and a reduction in the chance of getting a puncture.

This fairly easy gravel pass is well off the beaten track about midway between Kleinpoort in the east and Steytlerville in the west and bears the oddly out of character name of Seekoeinek (Hippopotamus Neck). This is in a very dry part of the Karoo and it's hard to believe that there were ever hippos in this part of South Africa. The pass is located on a secondary farm link road, the P1852, and can be used as an alternative route to get to Steytlerville via the tarred R329. The road is signposted as Haaspoort (Rabbit or Hare Ravine), which is a much more likely animal to find in these parts.

The road condition is reasonable and can be driven in any vehicle. As is the case with all gravel roads, beware of corrugations and washaways and we recommend you lower tyre pressures to 1,4 bar to improve traction and to provide a softer ride, as well as reduce the risk of punctures.

This short poort offers surprisingly beautiful scenery after the flat approaches on either side over the vast Karoo plains. The 3,2 km long poort has 8 bends, corners and curves, several of which exceed 140 degrees radius and two are very sharp, requiring a reduction in speed. The poort offers wonderful scenery of contorted and twisted rocks set amongst steep sided mountains. With an average gradient of 1:50 these are typical poort style statistics and the steepest section is a very easy 1:17. The poort is on the tarred R329 and connects Steytlerville in the south with Jansenville, Klipplaat and Wolwefontein to the north-east.