Did you know, The Bloukrans Pass served as the main coastal route between Port Elizabeth and Plettenberg Bay until the late 1980’s, before engineers built the Bloukrans Bridge along the N2.
Why the Bloukrans Pass is CLOSED Today
After the construction of the Bloukrans Bridge in the late 80’s, the governing parties from either province were responsible for any and all maintenance. The Eastern Cape side has not received any maintenance in YEARS, so nature has taken over. Officials have kept the road “closed” ever since. But not if you are looking for a little adventure.
Driving the Bloukrans Pass for Adventure
I love a little adventure though, so on our last trip along The Garden Route, we skipped any and all toll gates by turning off the N2 into Natures Valley and beyond.
This scenic route takes you over the Groot River Pass, which then takes you across the N2, bypassing the Toll Gate over the bridge and down the Bloukrans Pass on the Western Cape side.
At the bottom of the pass, the old bridge still stands and once you cross it, you are in the Eastern Cape AKA Jurassic World.
Drivers have ignored this side of the pass for years, and the two single lanes now narrow to barely one. If you’re driving a big car, take extra caution on this road. If you are in a Suzuki Jimny however, the Bloukrans Pass is just another road, but FULL of adventure.
Scenic Views and Road Conditions
In the 1800’s, legendary road builder Thomas Bain constructed The Bloukrans Pass and many other Garden Route Passes to connect coastal towns. Today, the road winds down a well maintained road in the Western Cape. On the Eastern Cape side however, it nature has taken over.
Today the road is so overgrown, the views of the Bloukrans Bridge are almost completely blocked. The road is so overgrown, 2 lanes have become barely one. There are a lot of low lying bushes and even rockfalls blocking the road.
But if you look past that, you’ll see a forgotten road FULL of natural beauty and adventure.
Safety Tips for Driving the Pass
Be cautious of mountain bikers, motor bikes and other cars coming down, because they will come out of nowhere.
Also beware of rockfalls in crazy weather and trees that have fallen over. Some areas of the road are quite exposed so take caution there too.
At the top of the pass, you spot a big mound of dirt and a huge pothole beside it. You can squeeze your car around them, and then the pass is over.
Beware of all the potholes on the road that’ll take you back to the N2!!
Pass Distance and My Next Adventure
In total, the Bloukrans Pass covers 6.75km end-to-end and the Eastern Cape side is 3.4km of pure, beautiful adventure.
My next adventure will be to run this pass, who’s with me?
If you love adventure, check out a few more of my Adventure Posts from my blog or you can visit my Instagram and Facebook Page for more.
