The Swartberg Pass
The Swartberg mountains (black mountain in Afrikaans) make up a mountain
range that runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of the semi-arid area
called the Little Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa. To the
north of the range lies the other large semi-arid area in South Africa, the
Great Karoo.
There are several passes through the Swartberg Range, the most famous of
which is possibly the Swartberg Pass that runs between Oudtshoorn in the
south and Prince Albert in the north. The pass is not tarred and can be a
little treacherous after rain, but offers spectacular views over the Little
Karoo and the Great Karoo to the north.
The plant life along the pass is
particularly interesting, many hundreds of species being found on the
Swartberg, as is the drystone work supporting some of its picturesque
hairpin bends. There has never been a need to tar this marvellous road.
In fact, the locals are dead against it. The Swartberg mountain pass has
extremely low accident levels and much of the Swartberg is part of a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
To the east of the Swartberg Pass, the Meiringspoort provides tarred road
transit through the Swartberg along a river. The 'poort runs north out of
the town of De Rust. The Meiringspoort offers a spectacular drive through
incredible rock formations.
The circle route, Oudtshoorn-De Rust-Meiringspoort-Klaarstroom-Prins
Albert-Swartberg Pass-Oudtshoorn, is approximately 4-5 hours drive
(that is to say if you once in a while stop to marvel at the wonders
the Swartberge has to offer).
Gamkaskloof
Gamkaskloof, or 'Die Hel,' as it is also known, can only be approached from
Oudtshoorn or Prince Albert via the Swartberg Pass and was until the 1900s
home to a small white community almost completely cut off from the rest of
the world. How and why they moved there seems to be purely speculative, but
they could have been part of the trekkers who moved away from British rule
in the 1830's and accidentally stumbled upon this remote valley. This
community lived in isolation for little more than a century, cut off from
the mind-cluttering mundane strife and struggles of modern day life and
were well on their way to develop a new nature-orientated culture, when
they were stopped in their tracks. The destruction here was as complete
and as deadly as if guns were used, but not a shot was fired. The death
knell of the Gamkasklowers was a silent malignant cancer called civilisation,
the road no longer led into 'Die Hel' but out of Gamkaskloof into conformity
and oblivion, the dissolution of this once-isolated community is almost
complete.
Access to Gamkaskloof is 15 kms from Prince Albert near the northern summit
of the Swartberg Pass. Visitors should allow almost a full day in a sturdy
vehicle to travel the 57kms to end of the valley and back.
Groenfontein-Kruisrivier
Oudtshoorn-Calitzdorp-Groenfontein-Kruisrivier-Matjiesrivier-Cango-Caves-Schoemanspoort-Oudtshoorn.
Visitors should allow almost 4-5 hours for this circle route.
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