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The Swartberg mountains (black mountain in Afrikaans) make up a mountain range that runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of the semi-arid Little Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa. To the north of the range lies the other large semi-arid area in South Africa, the Great Karoo.
The Swartberg consists of two officially named ranges, the Smaller and the Greater Swartberg Mountains. Ironically, the Smaller Swartberg Mountains, the westernmost of the two, is the higher one, including the province's highest peak, Seweweekspoortpiek (Seven Weeks Gorge Peak) at 2325 m. The famous Towerkop (Bewitch Peak) towers over the Klein Karoo town of Ladismith at a height of 2189 m. The peak is so named for its cleft peak, that, according to legend, was split by a spell and subsequent bolt of lightning.
The Greater Swartberg is to the east, with the dividing line between the two ranges being the Gouritz river, which cuts a gorge directly through the range. This section, almost of a similar height, is however slightly lower in elevation, with the Tierberg (Leopard Mountain) at 2132 m being the highest. These mountains are home to the Cango Caves, the most famous subterranean system in South Africa, located just north of Oudtshoorn.
There are several passes through the Swartberg Range, and these are famous due primarily to the spectacular geology they disect as well as the engineering skill required in completing several of them.
Most famous of all is the Swartberg Pass which runs between Oudtshoorn in the south and Prince Albert in the north. The pass is not tarred and can be treacherous after rain, but offers spectacular views over the Little Karoo and the Great Karoo to the north, as well as astounding Geology.
The Swartberg is regarded as one of the finest exposed fold mountain chains in the world, and the Northern end of the pass shows this especially. The plant life along the pass is particularly interesting as many hundreds of species are found on the Swartberg. Also notable is the drystone work supporting some of its picturesque hairpin bends.
Much of the Swartberg is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Route 62 is a wonderful alternative to the N2 with its array of quaint villages, farm stalls, exquisite wines and home-grown hospitality. It is the scenic alternative route to the N2 highway to Oudtshoorn and the world-renowned Cango Caves and impressive Swartberg Pass.
The Swartberg Pass, a National Monument between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn, is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and best known mountain passes in South Africa. It is the masterpiece of the brilliant engineer and road builder, Thomas Charles Bain (1830 - 1893), and the last of the seventeen passes he built in the Cape Province.
The 27km Swartberg Pass is considered one of the finest mountain passes in the world. The untarred road winds its way to the summit some 1583 metres above sea level and offers breathtaking views at every turn.
Originally the routes through Meiring's Poort and Seven Weeks' Poort were the only links between the port of Mossel Bay and the towns and villages of the Great Karoo. The road through Meiring's Poort was often closed due to flood damage and rockfalls. The heavy flooding during 1875 caused the closure of these gateways for weeks.
In 1879 Thomas Bain (below with carriages on the pass c.1890) was commissioned to plan a new route over the Swartberg Mountain Range. The existing footpath over the mountain between Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn could only be negotiated on foot or on horseback. Due to the unavoidably steep gradients, Bain tried four different lines before he succeeded in finding a practical one. Bain's original master plan was approved by the Government in 1880.
The building of the Swartberg Pass proved to be a mammoth task. As Bain was building the Tsitsikama road, John Tassie's tender of £18120 was accepted. Employing 100 Mozambicans from Delagoa Bay he started construction from the Prince Albert side of the mountain in 1881, but after 13 months of toil he had advanced only 6 kilometres.
After Tassie was declared insolvent, construction came to a halt for a year, until Thomas Bain took over the building of the pass in November 1883. Using 200 to 240 convicts he tackled the job with great enthusiasm.
The pass was built with the use of pickaxes, spades, sledgehammers, crowbars, wheelbarrows and gunpowder. Boulders were split by heating them with fire and then dousing them with cold water. Rocks were broken into smaller pieces with sledgehammers and then carefully dressed by the convicts. The dry-wall method of construction was used to build the impressive retaining walls that supported the road against the precipitous slopes. A century later, travellers still wonder at this feat.
Meat, dried beans, soup and other kinds of food were cooked in large pots for the convicts. Fresh bread was baked and an ox and sixteen sheep were slaughtered daily to provide meat for everybody on the project. The convicts were divided into teams and the ruins and remains of the convict stations can still be seen in the Swartberg Pass.
Conditions during the winter were very unfavourable. During May of 1885 heavy rain and mud slides almost destroyed the convicts' camp. The nearly completed road was also badly damaged. The road through Meiring's Poort was completely washed away by the same flood.
The name of the pass was changed frequently during the construction phase. Originally it was to be named "Rainier's Pass" in honour of Prince Albert's then magistrate, George Rainier, who was responsible for petitioning a pass to the Cape Government.
Later the name "Luttig's Pass" was considered to commemorate J.R.G. Luttig's contribution to the completion of the pass. Other names up for contention were "Victoria Pass" or "Jubilee Pass" in honour of the British monarch's 50 years on the throne. The town councils of Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert finally settled on naming the pass "Zwartberg Pass."
The official opening of the Swartberg Pass was 10th January 1888. All the shops and offices in Prince Albert were closed for the day to allow everyone to participate in the festivities. At 7am that Tuesday the procession, consisiting of about 100 vehicles (spiders, capecarts and mule wagons) started off from Haak's Hotel on the 3 hour trek to the open terrain near the summit. It's estimated there were about 500 people present, including reporters from six newspapers.
The Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works, colonel F.X Schermbrucker, officially opened the pass. Miss Gertrude Schermbrucker broke a bottle of champagne at the summit of the pass, 1 585m above sea level, and a twenty-one gun salute concluded the ceremony.
On 5th May, 1888 a toll was proclaimed on the summit of the pass. From the eight tenders received, John F. Mackay was appointed the first toll official with a salary of £45 a year. Besides collecting the toll fee(4 pennies per wheel and 1 penny per animal), the official was responsible for maintaining the road in good condition. The official was also allowed to use collected toll fees to his own advantage.
Source: Swartberg Pass Masterpiece of a brilliant Road Engineer by Helena Marincowitz
Meiringspoort is identified by soaring cliffs and spectacular rock formations along the 25 km tarred road which winds along the gorge, crossing the Groot River no less than 25 times. Access to Meiringspoort is via Klaarstroom, 55 km east of Prince Albert en route to Oudtshoorn and the Garden Route coast.
Indigenous plants cling to the precarious rock faces and birds, baboons and smaller wildlife abound in the protected kloofs and crevices. Take a walk up to the impressive waterfall hidden in a deep ravine. The water cascades some 60 meters into a deep pool and legend has it that a mermaid lives here, so keep a lookout for her!
The Swartberg Nature Reserve lies in the Oudtshoorn district between the Great and Klein Karoo, forming a narrow but long stretch of 121 000ha. It is bordered by the Gamkapoort Nature Reserve immediately to the north (8000ha) and Towerkop Nature Reserve immediately to the west (51 000ha). These two reserves are not open to the public but are managed in conjunction with Swartberg Nature Reserve. The entire conservation area - a massive 180 000ha - is critical to the management of mountain catchments and water yields in the region. The nearest towns are Oudtshoorn (± 40 km), De Rust (± 5 km) and Prince Albert (± 5 km). The Swartberg Nature Reserve is also a proclaimed World Heritage Site.
Besides conservation, the reserve is concerned with the conservation of mountain catchments and the water yield thereof, and educational and recreational opportunities.
This area was clearly used by the San for many centuries, as evidenced by the numerous rock paintings and artefacts found in caves all over the reserve. During the 1700s European farmers arrived in the area, establishing small settlements and making roads. Three historic routes connecting the Great and Klein Karoo lead through the reserve: Toorwaterpoort is a train route; Meiringspoort is used by motorists; Seweweekspoort is a gravel road, and the untarred Swartberg Pass, built by Thomas Baines, takes one over the Swartberg and reaches a height of 1585m above sea-level. Gamkaskloof (Die Hel), which was first inhabited by farmers in 1830, was only accessible by foot until 1963 when a road was finally built into the valley.
This is an area of climatic extremes, with very cold winters, often with snow on the mountains and temperatures well below zero, while summers can be uncomfortably hot with temperatures reaching 40°C and more! Rain occurs throughout the year, peaking in early winter and spring, and with thundershowers in the summer months.
The Swartberg mountains are part of the Cape fold mountain range, and the geological formations are chiefly of the Table Mountain group and to a lesser extent of the Bokkeveld and Cango groups. Impressive rock formations may be seen in the Swartberg and Meiringspoort passes.
The reserve’s vegetation is remarkably diverse, featuring renosterveld, mountain fynbos, Karoo-veld, spekboom veld, and numerous geophyte species. Some species will be in bloom virtually throughout the year. Most plants flower in spring, but early autumn is the time that many protea species flower, attracting large numbers of sugarbirds and sunbirds. During mid-summer (December - February) many of the interesting plants on the higher Swartberg peaks are in flower, including the rare Protea venusta.
Mammals likely to be seen include klipspringer, grey rhebuck, kudu, baboon and dassie, and on the flatter areas at Gamkapoort, springbok. Leopard and caracal also occur in the area, but are seldom seen. More than 130 bird species have been recorded here, notably black, fish and martial eagle, Cape sugarbird and pied kingfisher.
The remote and isolated Gamkaskloof valley is about 90km from Oudtshoorn and 60km from Prince Albert and is only accessible via the Otto du Plessis Road, which turns off from the Swartberg Pass. The Otto du Plessis Road is only 52km long but the drive along this gravel road will take 2.5 to 3hrs.
The valley is of ecological, archaelogical and cultural-historical importance and is now managed as part of the Swartberg Nature Reserve.
Visitors to the Kloof have accommodation options of 10 restored cottages, a bushcamp and 10 campsites. Attractions and activities include picnicking, a Norwegian mill, angling in the Gamka River, and sightseeing and relaxing in this natural paradise as well as a 6 km interpretation hiking trail (3 hours).
The best times for hiking the Swartberg trails are April - May, and September - October with options ranging from easy day hikes to a demanding 5-day route past rock formations, incredible views and unspoiled fynbos. This trail has three alternative starting points with overnight huts at Ou Tol, Gouekrans and Bothashoek. Contact Cape Nature for further information.
One of CapeNature’s increasingly popular hiking trails – the 23,5 km, two-day Tierkloof trail located in the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve (a mere 35 km outside Oudtshoorn) - has been acclaimed as one of the world’s best walking trails in a recently published book Unforgettable Walks to Take Before You Die, by British authors Steve Watkins and Clare Jones. The trail is now placed alongside world renowned trails such as Peru’s Inca Trail, India’s Darjeeling Tea Trek, China’s Giant Panda Walk and Scotland’s West Highland Way.
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