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vate, there are also six fenced-off campsites, each with its own kitchen and bathroom. This is a fantastic family oasis in the mountains with much activity centred around swimming in the pristine natural rock pools. A short spin further and on your left is the infamous Calabash bush pub. This is a great stop off for a cold coke if you need a sugar rush after surviving the pass. Easy on the beers though, you still have a good way to go.
After leaving the Calabash you will pass a double bridge as the road crosses the Breede River. For the next few kilometres you are going to have vineyards to both sides of you for as far as the eye can see. Towering in front of you is the massive Mostertshoek Mountain. Reaching a height of just over 2000 metres this is the most impressive peak in the Hex River range due to its domination of the surrounding landscape. Ten minutes more and you get to a T-junction. Here you turn right and enter the Michell’ s pass. This ten kilometer road that cuts a path through to the valley above is not nearly as hair raising as the earlier Bainskloof, but none the less, the views to both sides will leave you breathless. Just over the top and you look down onto the picturesque village of Ceres. Famous for its fruit juice factory, the town is surrounded by farms growing everything from potatoes to peaches and pears.
About half way through the centre of Ceres, a left turn will point you immediately out of the town. Just five minutes further and you will pass through the tiny village of Prince Alfred’ s Hamlet. This is just a scattering of shops and houses that service the farming communities. It is the last chance for a reasonably sized store if you need any supplies before heading into the mountains. Beware of the speed cameras that line the sides of the road as you both enter and depart this village. They are a little less expected than those that probably snapped your picture as you entered and left Ceres.
The next big rise is up the Gydo pass. This hill is used for an annual‘ King of the Mountain’ car race, but assuming that you are travelling on any other weekend, you will have the road all to yourself. Watch out for the one hectic hairpin bend about half way up. On top, again, there is a view point with views right across the valley. The entire plateau below is circled by mountains. It really makes for a jaw dropping sight. As you stand at the viewpoint looking back over the valley, far in the distance, a little to the left is the Matroosberg peak. A location famous for getting snowed out in winter. It is the highest mountain of the Hex River range and towers up to 2249 meters. Matroosberg means sailor’ s mountain. Perhaps a sign that it was a good beacon for navigating in years gone by.
From the top of the Gydo pass it is just a short and very straight ride to
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