About the Swartberg Pass

After a good night's sleep, we were already at breakfast at 08:15 this morning because we had a lot planned.

We started at 09:00, first refueling in Oudtshoorn, and then the R328 led us towards the Swartberg Pass, with Prince Albert in the great Karoo as our destination. The distance from Oudtshoorn to Prince Albert is about 72 km.

After about 30 km, just before the Cango Caves, we had to turn left, and shortly after that, the paved road ended. The next 22 km were on a dirt road, mostly uphill.

It was the rougher part of the road where we climbed towards the pass, but the view compensated for the bouncing and potholes. Shortly before the summit, we stopped briefly at the sign and enjoyed the view. On the final stretch before the pass, we encountered a passenger van with a large bicycle trailer coming towards us. Then we made it. The descent towards Prince Albert was flatter, and the surface of the dirt road was also better. We arrived in Prince Albert around 11:15, where we treated ourselves to an espresso and something cold.

After a short break, we continued towards Klaarstroom on the R407 and then back to Oudtshoorn via De Rust on the N12. Along the way, we followed a truck transporting ostriches.

We quickly changed at our accommodation for the Cango Caves, and at around 14:00, we headed to the caves. So practically the same 30 km from the morning again. To cut to the chase, it was worth it. The caves and the guided tour were wonderful. We arrived back at our accommodation in Oudtshoorn just before 17:00 and were able to rest a bit.

In the evening, we walked to Nostalgie for dinner (only a minute away), and the ostrich was great, as was the salad or camembert for starters. No food porn today.