23 – 30 May 2025
9 Days, 8 Nights
Estimated cost: R 11 664 – 12 700 per person
Details in Application Form
Registration closes 16 May 2025
Also called the ‘Thomas Bain Experience’, it includes many Bucket List dreams! From Graaff-Reinet to Baviaanskloof, Prins Alfred’s Pass, Seven Passes Road, Montague Pass, Seweweekspoort, Swartberg Pass and The Hell. These are only some of the 39 Passes and Poort’s we Experience!
We Experience some of the most sought-after rides. Awesome gravel roads, interesting short water splashes, long water crossings, and steep inclines. Join us for gravel passes galore with some tar roads inbetween!
Join us as we experience the magnificent passes built by Thomas Bain. We ride the splendid mountain passes and stunning roads of the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape.
Thomas Bain built 24 passes and we ride some of them……
Day 1
We meet at 18:00 in Graaff-Reinet, get to know each other, discuss the next day’s experience and retire to our first night’s accommodation. Dual Sport Adventure (DSA) has a backup vehicle and trailer available for this experience.
Day 2
We eat breakfast at 07:30, leave at 08:30, and head to Patensie, passing the Addo Elephant National Park. Patensie is the gateway to Baviaanskloof. We arrive at our evening’s accommodation, braai and discuss the next day’s experience. Tomorrow it is Baviaans!
The word Baviaanskloof, although derived from the Dutch “valley of baboons”, is associated with pristine nature, narrow gorges with flowing streams, steep mountain passes, vast plains with waving grasslands and views of unspoilt wilderness.
https://www.baviaans.co.za
Nature has taken its course over thousands of years to create what is today universally recognised as the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site. Few other places in the world hold evidence of the footprint of human history spanning over a million years.
Day 3
After breakfast, we depart for Baviaanskloof. The timeframe of this tour was chosen because the water levels of the rivers we cross are at their lowest. We take our time on the 196 km trip of the day. After enjoying the Place of Baboons, we arrive in Willowmore for the evening’s accommodation. Again we discuss the next day’s experience awaiting us.
Baviaans is done! We surely will be celebrating this one!!
Thomas Bain and his construction techniques had an impact on the development of the Cape Colony (Western Cape) and South African history. He was a very skillful man and knowledgeable in engineering, geology, cartography, accounting, writing and art.
Day 4
Today we ride the longest pass in South Africa !
Hoping for a sunny day! After breakfast, we head in the direction of Uniondale with its stunning passes to a town called Avontuur. We turn off to Prince Alfred Pass, the first by Sir Thomas Bain on our route.
Enjoy the stunning views towards Knysna of the mountains and forests with their huge Yellowwood trees.
Moving further, we start off with Phantom Pass on Seven Passes Road, heading in the direction of George. We travel through George and take the Montague Pass (built by Australian road builder Henry Fancourt White). The pass was opened in 1848 and replaced the old, very steep ox-wagon pass called Cradock Pass. We ride past the small village of Harold. (Possible stop).
Then we head to the tar road and take the Paarde Poort (Perdepoort) Pass. This dirt road leads towards Oudtshoorn (Place of the Big Birds) for our stopover. It will be our base for 3 nights. Today we rode some amazing passes and saw stunning views! We discuss the next day’s Experience.
Day 5
Do whatever you want day!
See the Cango Caves, Ride the Big Birds or Ride to Wilderness and the ocean. Oudtshoorn is known for its sweet dessert wineries if you enjoy a Muscadel.
That evening, we eagerly await the experiences/stories our buddies had on the day and discuss the next day’s experience awaiting us.
Day 6
After breakfast, we travel the N2 – R62 in the direction of Calitzdorp and pass through the beautiful town towards Seweweekspoort – a Thomas Bain bucket list pass.
Seweweekspoort is one of South Africa’s most beautiful 18 km stretches of gravel road. It has multiple river crossings, easy gradients, and amazing geology. The mountain pass is located along the R323 regional route running from Zoar to Laingsburg in the western Little Karoo of the Western Cape Province. The highest point in the Western Cape, Seweweekspoort Peak, is located close to the pass.
The ravine or poort is a combination of some of the most beautiful vertical rock folds in the country, combining to form a narrow little pass through which a road winds.
The road is narrow, winding for roughly 17 km through incredible mountain scenery, crossing the little river that follows the poort floor no fewer than 23 times.
Seweweekspoort did not always have a road. The pass that now allows vehicles was an engineering feat that involved Thomas Bain, a team of convicts and a lot of time to achieve. At the northern end of the poort, you can still find what remains of the original toll-house.
We ride through the Poort, turn around and do it again!
We travel back to Calitzdorp for a possible breakfast stop and do some shopping – tonight we braai!! (Remember to pack your foldable cooler box.)
We head out on the Kruisrivier road, heading towards the Swartberg Pass. There is a mystique around this old pass, which was officially opened on 10 January 1888. It was built using more than 200 convicts, sledgehammers, crowbars, wheelbarrows and gunpowder. Swartberg Pass is the last road Thomas Bain built. After reaching the top, we ride down to Gamkaskloof, also known as ‘Die Hel’. Otto du Plessis Road (Hell Road) was only opened in 1962.
The road down to The Hell includes 201 bends, curves and corners along a 36,6 km stretch of road. It averages 18 bends per kilometer – excluding the 8km flat section along the valley.
The road will climb a total of 1049 meters and descend 1854 meters over a series of small and big passes in a general trend from 1441 meters ASL (ascending slope line) in the east to 570 meters ASL at the bottom of the Elands Pass.
We overnight in old houses used by the original farmers. There is a shop and restaurant on the site, but the houses we stay in have no electricity or cell reception. We spend the evening around the braai fires and discuss the next day’s experience awaiting us.
Day 7
We return up the Otto Du Plessis Road to Swartberg Pass.
Heading towards Prince Albert town, we enjoy a late breakfast or early lunch and ride the Swartberg Pass from Prince Albert. A totally different experience! (68 km to Oudtshoorn). Travelling to Oudtshoorn, we stop at “Kobus se Gat” for a celebratory drink, proceed to Oudtshoorn and return to our evening’s accommodation. On the way we pass the well-known Cango Caves and High Gate Ostridge Farm. We discuss the next day’s experience.
Day 8
After an early breakfast, we head in the direction of De Rust, a beautiful little town just before Meiringspoort. Riding the Poort, we stop to see the waterfall.
We proceed towards Beaufort West and our last pass for the 39 Passes and 2 Poorts Experience!
The trip is done! You may now take the turnoff to Willowmore, then Bloemfontein or ride to Kimberley or Cape Town.
Possible Travelling Option
Your own arrangement and cost:
Get your bike transported to PE or George and back, fly to PE/George and back – you save 2 days of riding! Meet us at Patensie and leave us at Meiringspoort on the last day.
Thank you for choosing the Dual Sport Adventure (DSA) 39 Passes and 2 Poorts Experience!
We will send the information as soon as possible
Image Credit: Canva / Brink Jordaan
Brink Jordaan@2024 All rights reserved.