Outeniqua Pass

The Outeniqua Pass climbs from George over the range to the Klein Karoo, and it exists because its predecessors were inadequate - the Montagu Pass of 1847 was too narrow and steep for modern traffic. Construction ran through the 1940s using, among others, Italian prisoners of war held in South Africa, and the road opened in 1951. It rises to about 800 metres in roughly ten kilometres with wide sweeping curves and several viewpoints looking back over George, the coastal plain and, on clear days, the Indian Ocean. The vegetation changes completely across the summit: fynbos and forest on the wet seaward side, dry Karoo scrub on the north. The older Montagu Pass runs parallel as a gravel road and is a national monument, drivable and much slower, which is the better option for anyone with time.

History

The pass was built between 1943 and 1951 to replace the Montagu Pass as the main road from George to the interior. Work began in the middle of the Second World War: from 1942 to 1945 about 500 Italian prisoners of war worked on it under the National Road Board, and after they were sent home to Italy local workers finished the road. A plaque on the pass remembers the Italian prisoners' part in building it (Wikipedia, Outeniqua Pass).

What to look for

• The 1951 road - built partly by Italian prisoners of war held in the country.
• The climb - about 800 metres of ascent in ten kilometres of sweeping curves.
• The vegetation split - forest and fynbos south of the summit, Karoo scrub north.
• The old Montagu Pass - the 1847 gravel predecessor running parallel as a monument.

When to go

All year. One hour with stops; longer if taking the old pass instead.

What to expect

It is a busy national road with trucks and limited stopping. Mist rolls up the seaward side and closes the view often. The viewpoints are laybys rather than developed sites. The old Montagu Pass is more interesting but slow gravel.

Nearby

George is at the foot; Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves are north.

Key facts