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Tarkastad

This high altitude pass is a little difficult to find, but offers rich rewards to the traveller seeking out the more remote passes. It lies to the east of a deep valley between Cookhouse and Tarkastad and connects a range of farms from the Bedford side with the R344. The pass has a significant altitude gain of 289m over a distance of 4.9 km producing an average gradient of 1:17 with the steeper sections measuring in at 1:14

This is one of those remote farm roads, less travelled, where the more adventurous traveller will be rewarded with wonderful scenery and quiet roads where you are unlikely to see another vehicle over the entire route. The road is generally maintained to a good standard and can be driven in any vehicle.

The Skaapkraalpoort is a fairly minor gravel pass located just north of Tarkastad on the R344 route and connects Tarkakastad in the south with Sterkstroom 65 km further north. The pass only has 7 bends, corners and curves, two of which are sharp and in excess of 70 degrees.  With a fairly low altitude variance of 49 m and a total length of 4,5 km this little pass presents and average gradient of a very gentle 1:92