27km’s long. Built by Thomas Bain and 1000 convicts – 150 who lost their lives during the gruelling construction, £31 500.00 produced an all weather link between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert in one year (1884). The following year parts were washed away making the pass impassable. It was reopened to light traffic in 1886 and ‘wagon and cart traffic’ were allowed on Fridays!
About 330 million years ago, as the continents collided to form the super continent of Pangea, a subduction zone formed in the south, causing the Cape Super Group to undergo uplift and compression, which deformed and folded the previously horizontal layers, forming a mountain range up to 7 km high.
https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2016/07/spectacular-swartberg
Breathtaking hairpin turns delight the eye and each stone, over 130 years in place, humbling.
Remnants of the old jail remind us of the eighteen convict gangs, forty constables armed with rifles and dogs and twenty prison warders that were bought in to construct the pass.
https://www.karoo-southafrica.com/koup/prince-albert/history-of-prince-albert/
A very windy picnic surrounded by millions of scrub species and bouncing Tupperware lids filled our tummies and senses.
Safe on the other side we journied through Oudtshoorn to Knysna
Itchy Feet! 