Tradouw Pass

Tradouw Pass follows the Tradouw River through a cleft in the Langeberg, linking the Overberg with the Klein Karoo and Route 62. Thomas Bain built it between 1868 and 1873 with convict labour, and it was one of his more difficult jobs - the gorge is narrow and the road had to be cut into the rock face with stone retaining walls, several of which still carry it. The name is Khoi and is usually translated as the way of the women, from a route used by Khoi people crossing the range. Unlike Bain's Swartberg Pass this one is tarred and easy in any car, and it takes about twenty minutes to drive, with picnic spots by the river and short walks off the road. Suurbraak at the southern end is a mission village founded in 1812 that has retained its layout, and Barrydale at the top is on Route 62.

History

In 1868 the Cape administration chose Thomas Bain to build a road through the pass, and Governor Sir Henry Barkly opened it on 27 October 1873 as Southey Pass, after the magistrate Robert Southey; that name never caught on, and Tradouw comes from Khoi words for women and the way through (Wikipedia, Tradouw Pass).

What you'll find

• The gorge cut - a road built into the rock face with Bain's stone retaining walls.
• The Khoi name - Tradouw, usually translated as the way of the women.
• The river picnic spots - stopping places beside the water in the gorge.
• Suurbraak - an 1812 mission village at the southern end with its layout intact.

When to go

All year. One hour with stops. Rockfall follows heavy rain.

Before you go

It is short - twenty minutes of driving. The gorge is narrow with limited stopping. Rockfall and flooding close it occasionally. There are no facilities on the pass itself.

Nearby

Barrydale and Route 62 are north; Swellendam is south-west.

Key facts