Okay, we all know about the big “semi-gration” of people from Gauteng to the Western Cape in recent years, the latter region becoming a popular lifestyle destination for many people from upcountry. So in April 2021, Paul Erasmus and I introduced cyclists a nice new route from Joburg to Blouberg….undertaking the inaugural “Joburg to Blouberg 1,000 Mile Challenge ride,… for those wanting to “semigrate” to Cape Town whilst saving petrol and helping to save the planet.
But then came the next question…..what do semigrant cyclists do once in the Western Cape so as not to get bored??? Well, my suggestion is that you mount your bike and take a splendid little tour around this lovely province, and to this end we introduce the Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler, an outing that we think could really appeal to some of the more adventurous Western Cape semigrant cyclists and others.
On 11 December 2023, Becky Sands and myself set out from Wellington NG Church, at around 4am, on the start of the inaugural ride of the Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler Challenge. The distance of the route was 1,627.5km, slightly longer than 1,000 miles but close enough.
Click on the link below for a video of the ride:
https://youtu.be/liQSeUcgbiI?si=yABjKOTFEgdPHwxr
The plan was to do the ride unsupported, and originally we had had a 10-day time in mind for this ride. But the main goal for the inaugural ride was to take a load of video footage and photos, and to make sure that the route “works” for others that follow (i.e. that all roads mapped are accessible, rideable etc….or any other practical problems).
A few minor tweaks have had to be made subsequent to this first ride (running into roads that turned out to be private and inaccessible for example), but by and large it worked well and the ride was a rousing success, albeit a little longer than envisaged, at 11 days 11 hours and 42 minutes.
Total riding time recorded was 118 hours and 11 minutes….which would be an average riding time speed of around 13.8km/hour over the 1,627.5km route (although there were some extra kms of riding as one rides off route to accommodation or resupply points periodically etc).
The trip was tough, with 23,390 metres of climbing and scorching heat (the mercury often over 40s degrees Celsius), but it was an absolute blast….and the route is highly recommended both to tourists and racing snakes.
As the name suggests, the aim of the route was that it would be a trip within South Africa’s beautiful Western Cape Province.
After a short lunch break at Dorp op die Berg it was on to the series of 3 passes, Buffelshoek, Middelburg and Elandskloof before completing the 1st day at Citrusdal around 170km in. The 1st day set the tone for most of the trip, i.e. long days, big climbs and plenty of vertical ascent. And so it was, that for the rest of the trip there was very little flat land, and much climbing and descending over some of the province’s most iconic passes. While we include a list of the 53 passes further on in this post, the most notable of these were:
- Bainskloof, a historic and iconic Andrew Geddes Bain pass.
- The stunningly beautiful rock formations of Seweweekspoort ;
- Swartberg Pass, the highest pass with the biggest vertical ascent - 838m vertical ascent, the 9th biggest altitude gain of any SA pass;
- The beautiful rock formations of Meiringspoort;
- Prince Alfred Pass, the longest pass in SA at 68.5km long ;
- Montagu Pass, the oldest unaltered pass in SA;
- Rooiberg Pass with its huge ascent of 509m;
- Franschoek Pass, the oldest properly engineeered pass in SA;
- And ending off with the lovely Jan Phillips Mountain Road along the side of Paarl Mountain with its massive rock.
There are few trees on this section, and the only shade to be found for a break was under a road bridge a few hours in.
Once we had “turned” at Knysna, and were “heading for home” in a westerly direction, we were more likely to benefit from the prevailing South Easter at this time of year.
We reached De Rust on the afternoon of day 6, De Rust being not far shy of the route half way mark at 784km.
We had given ourselves a 12 day time limit to finish the ride, needing to be home before Christmas festivities and all. While some onlookers were a little concerned at our being behind schedule at near the half way mark, the 2nd half of the route did get a little bit easier as it progressed. Firstly, there was day 7, not an easy day but with more downhill than uphill from De Rust to Knysna at sea level, we could do our 2nd longest day (189km…the longest being day 3 from Mount Cedar to Matjiesfontein at around 210km) and play some catch up. Then, later on around Swellendam the passes became far less frequent, and riding days became faster (or maybe “less slow”) with easier gradients. In short, doing the ride clockwise from Wellington it became easier later on in the trip.
A special feature of the Western Cape 1,000 Miler, besides its many passes, is its towns. Whereas the Joburg to Blouberg 1,000 Miler route goes through some rather depressed and decaying towns, the Western Cape towns are largely “touristy” and vibrant, with lovely accommodation and cuisine options in many. The tourist traffic in Prince Albert Main Street , just after Swartberg Pass descent, was quite astounding….and the towns nearer the coast were in full December holiday mode.
This does make them generally more pricey than on the Joburg to route, however. Important, too, is not to be put off by a lack of towns on the earlier stages of the route. Many beautiful accommodation options were not in towns, for instance our stay at Mount Cedar Lodge on night 2 in the Cedarberg, Wagendrift Lodge on the Seweweekspoort Road, and Aloe Valley Retreat in the Matjiesrivier area just before Swartberg Pass.
This is different, too, from the Joburg to Blouberg route where there is less accommodation outside of the towns. This is important, because if one looks carefully on Google Maps, one sees that the accommodation options are quite plentiful despite towns sometimes being a little scarce, apart from on the Tankwa Karoo stretch where there is very little accommodation.
Readers will have noticed mention of the extreme heat. We knew that this would be the case at this time of year. However, riding the route in Winter comes with a different challenge in the Western Cape, due to winter being that region’s rainy season. This can bring about muddy roads, unpleasant wet riding, and sometimes flooding rivers. Indeed, October’s Rhino Run race, which runs much of the same route as this 1,000 miler between Knysna and Stellenbosch, experienced a flooded Sonderend River near Riviersonderend, requiring the diversion of the route and the rescue of one rider stuck in the flooded river. In December we experienced no such issues. Heat was our challenge. So, I would say that the optimal time to do this route, if one has the luxury of choosing, would be around March/April, when temperatures have likely dropped a few degrees, but are not bitterly cold, and the big winter rains have not likely arrived yet (although there are no certainties here).
Alternatively, in summer one can do more night riding, although this does take away some of the scenic experience of the route. We started most mornings around 4h00, and the first few ours of riding before the heat was sheer pleasure. Starting even earlier may be an appealing option to some. The argument for starting early and ending the day’s ride early is enhanced by the fact that many towns and businesses along the route are not “24 hour” towns, and often close down quite early in the evening. Reaching the supermarkets, eating places and accommodation by late afternoon/early evening is therefore practical.
The scenic beauty never really stopped right until the end point back in Wellington in front of its beautiful NG Church.
Then there was the Knysna area, including the famous Knysna Forest, a splendid view from our accommodation in Knysna of the Knysna Lagoon….and the lovely 7 Passes Road to George.
Oudtshoorn, the ostrich farming capital of the world, has its own unique Little Karoo flavor.
Besides ostriches around Oudtshoorn, a highlight is some of the huge tortoises that one finds in the Karoo.
And right at the end when the legs are tired, the scenic beauty continues as we find ourselves riding through the very popular Cape Winelands towns of Franschoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl (via that big rock on Paarl Mountain).
And the contrasts in vegetation along the route could not be greater, from the dry and barren Tankwa Karoo to the dense Knysna Forest, where one needs your vehicle lights on in the middle of the day so thick is the vegetation….to the Cape Winelands.
Finally, the issue of technical support. In the Cedarberg, a spoke on my back wheel came loose and caused some damage to my derailleur, chain causing a buckled when and loosening of a 2nd spoke. Fortunately, the damage didn’t render the bike unrideable….the buckled wheel could still work (but for how long?), the chain could be repaired and the derailleur bent a bit until it worked. I say “fortunately’ because after Ceres (which is very early in the ride), the next bike shop as far as I am aware is Arno Botha’s Prince Albert Cycles bike shop in Prince Albert….714km into the trip. This was thus the 1st opportunity for me to do something about my buckled wheel, and he was very helpful in providing me with a different wheel with which I could finish the trip at less risk of further technical breakdowns.
After Prince Albert, Knysna would likely be the following town with bike shops, whereafter one should get frequent technical support in towns such as George, Oudtshoorn, Swellendam, Greyton, Franschoek and Stellenbosch.
In short, this really was an awesome ride. Comparing it with the Joburg to Blouberg 1,000 Miler, which yours truly launched in April 2021, the contrasts are huge. If you want to set land speed records, the far flatter Joburg to Blouberg route is the one for that. The Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler is about lots and lots of climbing. This one is also about scenic beauty and spectacular views, while also offering huge vegetation constraints along the route. It is also about beautiful and thriving touristy towns along the way…with often high quality cuisine and accommodation. It makes one wonder whether the Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler wouldn’t be a bit wasted by those wanting to do it at speed. Nevertheless, I do want to see some racing snakes attempting records on this route. If I can speculate on future FKT (fastest known time) attempts on this route, I would say that a sub-7 day Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler feat would be the equivalent of a sub-5 day ride on the Joburg to Blouberg 1,000 Miler route. But that is for someone else to come and prove me right or wrong.
APPENDIX:
The Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler Route
The Western Cape 50 Passes 1,000 Miler is the 3rd 1,000 Miler route to be added to the Miler Club's repertoire….and its a truly stunning one.
It is a 1,628km “round trip” route, which as the name suggests is full of passes and thus anything but flat. The majority is gravel road, although there are significant tar sections, and it has 23,390m of vertical ascent over the entire route.
The loop/round trip format to the route means that one can start and finish this Miler at any point, as long as the start and finish are the same point, and do it in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. This makes the logistics significantly easier than a point to point route.
Click on link below for route map and downloadable GPX file
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43199552
Click on link below for an introductory video:
https://youtu.be/2fjQ_XGSks0?si=lFM0Qa-BMpB-glF2
The aim is to take the rider through some of the Western Cape's most popular mountain areas with the focus on key mountain passes in the province. Notable mountain ranges include the Cedarberg and Swartberg, areas with some of the province's finest passes, and some popular tourist destinations.
Although we round off the name to “50 passes”, From what we count on the Mountain Passes of South Africa website, our route actually has 53 official passes. The most significant of these, for various reasons, are:
- Bainskloof: Historic, as one of the early constructed passes connecting Cape Town with SA's upcountry hinterland...built by famous pass builder Andrew Geddes Bain in 1854
- Franschoek Pass: Historic, as the the oldest properly engineered pass in SA
- Montagu Pass: Historic, as the oldest unaltered pass in SA, taking the rider up from George over the Outeniqua Mountains into the little Karoo
- Prince Alfred Pass: The longest pass in SA at 68.5km
- Swartberg Pass: One is SA's most popular passes, built by famous pass builder Thomas Bain, Swartberg Pass has a vertical ascent of 838m. This is the pass with largest vertical ascent of any pass on the route, and the 9th biggest vertical ascent in SA.
- Seweweekspoort: The pass through a mountain cutting next to the Western Cape's highest peak, i.e. Seweweekspoort Peak
- Rooiberg Pass with a vertical ascent of 509m
- And many more
The route also takes the rider through some of the Western Cape's finest tourist attractions, including:
- The main road through the middle of the Cedarberg, past the mountains where the Wolfberg Cracks, Maltese Cross and Wolfberg Arch are found, and are popular hiking and camping areas
- The Tankwa Karoo
- The historic Lord Milner Hotel at Matjiesfontein
- Seweweekspoort Pass and Seweweekspoort Peak, the highest peak in the Western Cape
- The Knysna Forests
- Seven Passes Road from Knysna to George
- The ostrich farming capital of the world, Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo
- And the beautiful winelands towns of Franschoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl
The route starts and finishes at the NG Church in the centre of Wellington.
However, being a loop means that riders can complete this Miler challenge by starting anywhere on the route, as long as they finish at the point where they started, and can also choose either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
The route distances between towns and significant resupply points are as follows, going in a clockwise direction from Wellington:
Town/Village Distance from start (distance from previous town in brackets)
- Wellington 0km (0km)
- Ceres 56km (56km)
- Prince Alfred Hamlet 66km (10km)
- Dorp Op Die Berg 100km (34km)
- Citrusdal 172km (72km)
- Cedarberg Algeria Campsite 216km (44km)
- Hartnekskloof Farm Accommodation 338km (122km)
- Tankwa Padstal Turnoff 340km (2km) (approximately 2km off the route)
- Matjiesfontein Lord Milner Hotel 470km (130km) (1km off route)
- Laingsburg 514km (44km)
- Zoar 606km (92km)
- Calitzdorp 632km (26km)
- Prince Albert (5km off route) 714km (82km)
- Klaarstroom 761km (47km)
- De Rust 784km (23km)
- Uniondale 886km (102km)
- Avontuur 897km (11km)
- Knysna 973km (76km)
- Rheenendal 991km (18km)
- Karatara 1,007km (16km)
- George 1,051 (44km)
- Herold 1,072km (21km)
- Oudtshoorn 1,116km (44km)
- De Hoop 1,135km (19km)
- Van Wyksdorp 1,209km (74km)
- Suurbraak 1,330km (121km)
- Buffeljagsrivier 1,342km (12km)
- Swellendam 1,351km (9km)
- Riviersonderend 1,426km (75km)
- Greyton 1,462km (36km)
- Franschoek 1,537km (75km)
- Stellenbosch 1,569km (32km)
- Klapmuts 1,593km (24km)
- Paarl 1,604km (11km)
- Wellington 1,627.5km (23.5km)
A list of the passes located on the route:
Wellington to Ceres:
1. Bainskloof
2. Mitchell’s Pass
Ceres to Citrusdal:
3. Gydo Pass
4. Buffelshoek Pass
5. Middelburg Pass
6. Elandskloof Pass
Citrusdal to Algeria:
7. Nieuwoudt Pass
Algeria to Tankwa Padstal:
8. Uitkyk Pass
9. Grootrivierhoogte Pass
10. Blinkberg Pass
11. Klein Cedarberg Pass
12. Katbakkies Pass
13. Peerboomskloof Pass
Laingsburg to Calitzdorp:
14, Rooinek Pass
15. Witnekke Pass
16. Kouveld Pass
17. Seweweekspoort
18. Huisrivier Pass
Calitzdorp to Prince Albert:
19. Kruisrivierpoort
20. Huis se Hoogte Pass
21. Doringkloof Pass
22. Swartberg Pass
Prince Albert to De Rust:
23. Kredouw Pass
24. Meiringspoort
De Rust to Uniondale:
25. Wapadsnek Pass
26. Kammanassie Pass
Uniondale to Knysna:
27. Uniondale Pass
28. Prince Alfred Pass
29. Kom se Pad
30. Gouna Pass
Knysna to George (vie 7 Passes Road):
31. Phantom Pass
32. Homtini Pass
33. Karatara Pass
34. Hoogekraal Pass
35. Touw River Pass
36. Silver River Pass
37. Kaaimansgat Pass
38. Swartrivier Pass
George to Oudtshoorn:
39. Montagu Pass
40. Paardepoort
Oudtshoorn to Van Wyksdorp:
41. Rooiberg Pass
42. Assegaaibosch Pass
Van Wyksdorp to Swellendam:
43. Kliphoogte Pass
44. Gysmanshoek Pass
45. Wadrift Pass
46. Seekoeigat Pass
47. Doringkraal Pass
48. Boosmansbos Pass
49. Moodes Pass
Swellendam to Riviersonderend:
50. Stormsvlei Poort
Greyton to Franschoek:
51. Franschoek Pass
Franschoek to Stellenbosch:
52. Helshoogte Pass
Stellenbosch to Paarl:
53. Jan Phillips Mountain Road
For info on these passes, see Mountain Passes of South Africa website. Click on link below:
https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/
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