Say “Bloukrans” and most South Africans immediately recognize the name. This is the spot where the adventurous and somewhat crazy do what is reputed to be the highest bungee jump in the world. It is an adrenaline-pumping jump into the gorge and to the river a whopping 216 meters below.
Aerial view of the new N2 bridge over the Bloukrans gorge / Photo: Panoramio
Somewhat forgotten though, is that Bloukrans has something else to offer, something that should be an even bigger draw card for tourism, but is sadly neglected. The absolutely spectacular Bloukrans Pass. The old, original pass.
I rode this pass with my motorcycle about two decades ago and even though it was badly in need of maintenance even then, the sheer beauty of this road took my breath away. Because of the neglect and lack of maintenance the road was closed soon after and blocked off on both ends with a large heap of gravel.
Fast Forward to 2024 and the Western Cape Government decided to repair the pass, all the way to the Western Cape Province border, which, sadly, is only about half of the pass. It does present a wonderful opportunity though to access the pass and enjoy is splendour, without having to negotiate a lot of traffic as the Eastern Cape side is still blocked off (as of December 2024).
When the government first started considering a coastal road between Port Elizabeth and Plettenberg Bay in the 1880’s it was the Master pass-builder, Thomas Bain, who was tasked to plan a route through both of the formidable obstacles of the Grootrivier and Bloukrans gorges within the Tsitsikamma Forests.
Back then the only route between Port Elizabeth and George was via the Langkloof and over the Outeniqua Mountains, via the Montagu Pass, as the Tsitsikamma forests were thought to be impenetrable. In 1869, after a series of fires laying vast tracts of forests to waste, the perfect opportunity presented itself for Bain and his team with to plot a suitable route as an alternative to the journey over the Outeniqua Mountains via the Langkloof.
It is with great excitement I approached this pass from the still blocked Eastern Cape side. Here you can still see the heap of gravel blocking the road and the evidence of someone having to have an abrupt stop because of it.
There is a small gap on the right where a bike or small car can easily pass and get access to the closed pass. But note – this road is dangerous. It is overgrown to the point of single and traffic, the road did fall away in places and there is even evidence of recent rockfalls.
As I entered the pass I encountered two motorcycles with sidecars heading the other way, but we passed each other easily. Riding through here in a sidecar must be a unique perspective on its own! I also encountered two vehicles from the front, but like myself they were going slowly and we saw each other in plenty of time.
Driving though the forest on an abandoned road like this is almost Jurassic-like. If feels like the forest is watching you and you seem to expect to see wildlife with every corner you turn. The air is fresh and the ambient temperature much better than the hot day I experienced on the motorway.
Just as you settle into the experience you turn another corner and see the beautiful bridge over the Bloukrans River. This is the Bloukrans Gorge and I got here in a much better and more enjoyable way than jumping off a bridge!
You are now entering the Western Cape Provence and what a difference it makes! The old pass has been beautifully restored and the road surface is a pleasure to ride. The going is still slow, with lots of photo stops, even though no photo can do this scene justice.
And all to soon it’s over. The pass exits close to the N2 toll gate, unfortunately. So heading west on the N2 you’ll still have to pay Zacchaeus* his toll or, if you have time, you can continue to Natures Valley and keep exploring this wonderful area.
On a side note – when we plan and discover routes (yes, you can discover routes on a map – read here) we use the Tracks 4 Africa and Slingsby Paper maps. These are an investment in your adventuring life and well worth it.
Another investment well worth it, that we’d like to endorse (and no, we are not paid for this promotion – I recommend these purely because I myself found it to be extremely useful) is a subscription to www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za. It has a wealth of information on every pass and I fully agree with them when they say: “Bloukrans pass is surely worthy of National Monument status!”
* Zacchaeus was a chief tax-collector at Jericho in the Bible.
Article: Johann van Tonder