Rooihoogte Pass
Pathfinda says Thomas designed the pass in 1877. Other lists include it among his passes.
See it on the mapLog your drive
Before you go
Tarred high-altitude pass on R318; strong crosswinds on upper slopes.
Road conditions change with weather, floods, fires and roadworks. Check the latest conditions with the road authority or local tourism office before you leave, and carry offline maps.
About this pass
Rooihoogte is the high pass on the R318, the other half of the two-pass ride with Burgers Pass a few kilometres away. It climbs from about 870 m to roughly 1,240 m on a narrow tar road with no shoulders. From the summit the Koo Valley lies below, green with orchards and farms, and on a clear day snow caps the Mattroosberg. A concrete microwave tower marks the top. The only trees are Australian blue gums, planted by Mr Burger, the Montagu councillor Burgers Pass was named for. The pass is rated a Category 2 climb. One cycling site measures 8.0 km at an average 4.9% with a steepest 11.1%, the first four kilometres being the hardest and a nearly flat stretch around km 6 to 7. Pathfinda gives a gentler 1:15 average and 1:20 steepest.
History
- Built by
- Pathfinda says Thomas designed the pass in 1877. Other lists include it among his passes.
- Built
- 1875–1877
- Location
- R318, just south of the N1 near Touws River; the road then descends Burgers Pass to Montagu
- Notes
- The route has been renamed repeatedly (Eselgals, Ravenscroft's, Thomson's). An earlier steep route existed around 1800. Length is 7.6 km on the card (Pathfinda, which also gives 6.7 km in its text) against 8.0 km on Bike Companion. Summit is 1,234 m, 1,240 m or 1,242 m depending on the source. The Trail Rider Reports blog post you sent could not be read, because the site blocks automated access, so nothing is taken from it.
Find it
- Pin
- -33.60944, 19.84222
Approximate position - Open in
- OpenStreetMap · Google Maps · OpenTopoMap
Sources
More Bain passes, roads and bridges
Passes
- Ouberg (Oudeberg) Pass
- Van Ryneveld's Pass
- Ecca Pass (Queen's Road)
- Houw Hoek Pass
- Michell's Pass
- Gydo Pass
- Karoopoort
- Bainskloof Pass
- Katberg Pass
- Lootsberg Pass
- Meiringspoort
- Piekenierskloof Pass (Grey's Pass)
- Roodezand (Nuwekloof, Tulbagh Kloof) Pass
- Seweweekspoort
- Schoemanspoort
- Prince Alfred's Pass
- Seven Passes Road (George to Knysna)
- Robinson Pass
- Tradouw Pass
- Garcia's Pass
- Cogmanskloof Pass
- Pakhuis Pass
- Burgers (Koo) Pass
- Verlatenkloof Pass
- Swartberg Pass
- Baviaanskloof road
- Grootrivier Pass
- Bloukrans Pass
- Storms River Pass
- Klein Swartberg Pass
- Pluto's Vale
- Voortrekker Pass (Duiwelskop)