Swellendam

This scenic pass is located roughly midway between Ashton and Swellendam on the tarred R60 route. It offers beautiful and sometimes dramatic views in every direction and more or less follows the east-west axis of the Langeberg Mountains on its southern side.  We apologize for the half completed road refurbishment project in the video clip, but Stop/Go's are a part of our daily lives and we endure them happily in the sure knowledge that the authorities are working on vital infrastructure like roads.

The pass is in excellent condition and of average length at 4,4 km with a modest altitude variance of 100 metres. It is suitable for all vehicles and the latest realignment project on this pass has removed all the dangerous corners and blind rises, which were present on the old road. The R60 is becoming a popular alternative road to the N2 a little further to the south, and as such you can expect to find heavy trucks and buses on this road.

This pass is located close to the western side of Swellendam on the tarred R60. It should be viewed in conjunction with its sister pass Bakoondhoogte which starts where this one ends, making it, to all intents and purposes, one long pass. The scenery is exceptional as the road runs along the foothills of the Langeberg Mountains. The Leeurivier (Lions River)  has cut a deep gorge through the mountains and the eastern hills of this gorge are named Leeuriviershoogte (Lions River Heights), after which the pass is named.

Moodies Pass is not known by many and taken for granted by those who use it on a daily basis. It is situated on the gravel road designated as the R322, and connects the Moravian settlement of Suurbraak to the West with Heidelberg to the East. It primarily serves the farming community and those adventure and nature lovers wanting to access the Boosmansbos Wilderness area and Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. The pass is on the short side at 3,34 km but it rises a substantial 185m vertical meters over that distance to produce an average gradient of 1:18 with the steeper sections being at 1:6.

The Remhoogte Pass (Brake Heights Pass) is one of three back to back passes on the R60 between Swellendam and Ashton. The other two are the Bakoondhoogte and Leeuriviershoogte Passes. This is the biggest of the three in terms of altitude gained  and when summiting from the eastern approach, it provides exceptional views over the valley around Ashton with the vista of a semi circle of mountains to the right and ahead.

The Tradouw Pass (which means Womens Path in the old Khoi language) is a 16 kilometer drive through an altitude range of 219 meters through some of the most beautiful and rugged mountain scenery on offer in the Langeberg. This pass is undoubtedly in the Top 20 tarred passes in the Western Cape on an overall rating.

It joins the towns of Barrydale and Swellendam and was originally built by Thomas Bain. Extensively revamped in recent times, the engineering teams did an outstanding job of preserving the environment and retaining Thomas Bain's character in the design and supporting stonework. This is truly one of those mountain passes that you must drive. This one ticks all the boxes.