Bainskloof Pass

Andrew Geddes Bain built this pass between 1849 and 1853 with convict labour and hand tools, cutting a ledge along the side of the Witte River gorge through the Limietberg, and its distinction is that it still runs on essentially the original alignment - most South African passes of that era have been rebuilt or bypassed, and this one has not, which is why it is a national monument. The pass runs some eighteen kilometres and tops out at 594 metres; it reopened in June 2022 after roadworks begun in 2018. The road is narrow with stone retaining walls, a few tight cuttings and a long open traverse high above the river. Below it the Witte River has pools that people swim in, and hiking trails run into the Limietberg reserve from the pass. Bain's son Thomas built many of the other Cape passes, so the family shaped how this whole region is crossed. It is a driving and cycling road, popular with motorcyclists, with rockfall and washaways closing it from time to time.

Highlights

• The 1853 alignment - a pass still on the route its builders cut by hand.
• The stone walls - original dry-stone retaining work along the gorge.
• The Witte River - pools below the road, reached from trailheads on the pass.
• The Bain lineage - a father and son who built most of the Cape's mountain roads.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Two hours to drive with stops.

Things to know

The road is narrow with blind corners and no barrier in places; it is not for caravans or nervous drivers. Rockfalls and floods close it periodically. Swimming spots get crowded and littered on hot weekends. Cyclists use it heavily.

Nearby

Wellington is at the western foot; Ceres is over the mountains via Michell's Pass.

Key facts