leisurewheels.co.za
A THIRD OF THE SEVEN PASSES
ROAD: BERGPLAAS TO GEORGE,
THEN ON TO BLANCO
Background: the name of this route was coined by
Peter Slingsby, well-known cartographer whose
maps are a must for embarking on any of the trails
described in this article. This back-roader bucket-
lister is about two-thirds reasonable gravel and the
rest tar. Nico adds some background on its rich
history: “From 1863, Thomas Bain and his brother-
in-law Adam de Smidt, the local district engineer,
battled through dense forests and deep river gorges
to survey a route. They argued so seriously over the
route that they never spoke to one another again.
“Work started in 1867; De Smidt from the
George end and Bain from the Knysna end. The
great fire of 1869 made work easier, but still the
seven passes route took 20 years to complete and
was handed over to the district council in 1887.
This was the ‘N2’ until 1952 when the coastal
national road was built.
“An interesting short detour is to the Millwood
gold rush town high in the Outeniqua Mountains.
In 1886, this was a bustling town with shops,
banks, hotels, a police station, a post office and
several newspapers. Today, there is little left but
you can stay in an original 1800’s corrugated iron
self-catering guesthouse, visit the small museum or
even take a guided tour down one of the old mines.”
Difficulty: Relatively easy but watch out for
oncoming traffic in the narrow sections and around
blind corners.
Vehicle requirements: Normal sedan vehicle with
reasonable ground clearance.
Length of the whole route: 65km from Knysna to
George; 41km of which is dirt track. We did only
the section from Bergplaas to George after driving
the Old Voortrekker Pass, and then on to Blanco,
a total distance of 36km of which 12km was on
gravel roads.
Time required: 40 minutes
Permit required: No
Cost: Nil
More information:
http://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.zaVEHICLE USED
ISUZU D-MAX 2.5 TD DOUBLE CAB 4×4 X-RIDER
SPECIFICATIONS:
Engine: Four-cylinder turbocharged diesel
Power: 100kW @ 3 400r/min
Torque: 320Nm @ 1 800r/min
Ground clearance: 225mm
Claimed fuel consumption: 7.9l/100km, actual recorded: 8.9l/100km
Approach angle: 30 degrees
Departure angle: 22.7 degrees
Wading depth: 600mm
Tyres: 255/60/R18 General Grabber ATs
Driver aids: ABS, EBD and BAS; traction and stability controls; hill descent
control and hill start assist and diff-lock.
Service intervals: 15 000km
Price: R 479 600Like: Styling and build quality; dirt track handling; 4×4 track ability; relatively low
fuel usage; visibility; rock sliders and under-body protection.
Dislike: Lack of power when overtaking; fussy Bluetooth connectivity; flimsy
rear roll-bar connections to body and limiting departure angle.Left: After the ascent from the Louvain farmstead, the old Voortekker Pass runs along
the spine of the mountain for a while. Below: Anatomy of a Grade 3 trail: the Duiwelskop
4 ×4 Trail (aka the Old Voortrekker Pass) accessed from Louvain Farm.SEPTEMBER 2019 51