This pass is for the more experienced off-road driver. It is a wonderful shortcut along the main Wild Coast route, cutting out a long section of fairly boring villages and it will save you about an hour on your ETA. The deep valley carved out by the Mnenu River stretches far inland, where the main road loops around to avoid the deep valley. The pass has wonderful scenery but mostly it's obscured by dense bush and lantana which grows about 4m high.

On the flip side of the coin, this pass has a few negatives as well, so before you add it to your bucket list read the full report, as the road has not seen any maintenance in the last two decades; the bridge has been washed away and the bush has encroached over the road substantially.

Your vehicle will get scratched and if it's been raining, there will be plenty of mud in the lower sections near the river. Only drive this pass if you are experienced at off roading and have a high clearance 4x4 with low range. We would also advise a minimum of two vehicles in case of problems. If you get stuck on this pass, note that there is no mobile reception. Unless you have a satphone, you'll in for a long walk to get assistance.

We chat about day one of the recent Wild Coast Tour.

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We chat about days 2, 3 & 4 of the recent Wild Coast Tour.

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We chat about the fourth day of the recent Wild Coast Tour – Msikaba Vulture Colony, Mbotyi, Magwa Falls, Port St Johns Airstrip and more….he Western Cape.

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We chat about the history of Tulbagh in the Western Cape.

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We explore the history of the 8th oldest town in South Africa - Uitenhage.

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We visit two interesting towns – Darling and Greyton then head north to Mpumalanga to unpack the history of Casper’s Nek Pass.

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We chat about Surrender Hill, the Attequaskloof Pass (old oxwagon route) and we discuss some of the pitfalls of buying 4x4 accessories.

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This big pass is a mixture of a pass and a poort. It's fairly long at 12,8 km and runs along the east-west axis along a valley on the northern side of the Didima Range and the Katberg Mountain. The eastern section gets steep and the first 6 km is where the bulk of the altitude is lost (or gained). This pass forms a western approach to the summit of the Katberg Pass and is a perfect approach for those wanting to drive the Katberg Pass in the descending mode. It also provides access to the summit of the Devils Bellows Pass.

The road can get very tricky in wet weather where a 4WD vehicle will be mandatory but in fair weather most 4x2 vehicles with reasonable ground clearance will manage the road. You will be treated to excellent high altitude scenery. The usual gravel road cautionaries apply - Mountain mists with low visibility, electrical storms in summer, high rainfall, snow in winter, rockfalls, washaways, deep ruts, loose rocks and stones, livestock on the road.

Here is a mountain pass at the outer edge of the scale. Most people would take one look at the state of the road surface and back off completely, but for the few hardy souls with a sense of adventure percolating in their veins, this is one of those extreme passes that need to be ticked off the list.

This is a brutally tough dead-end road, packed with large rocks and very steep gradients and provides access to a sandy bend in the Orange River about 36 km ESE (as the crow flies) from Vioolsdrif. You need to be experienced for this one and preferably drive in a group with full recovery equipment on hand.

Expect soft sand, sharp rocks and corrugations and don't be in a hurry. The road is a dead end and you have to retrace your route back to the start, when youre done enjoying the solitude of the river and the desert. This one is beyond a road less travelled.