Hi

Getting my new skipper model t today and planing on driving back to Cape Town in a couple of days.

Really want to take scenic route as that part of the adventure..... Avoiding highways.

Just sceptical driving the Oliviershoek pass with a trailer? And 1.6 hatch?

Recommended or not?

Thanks

Welcome, Oliviers hoek is fine, much better than Van Reenen`s with the trucks. From Oliviers hoek to Sterkfontein is apparently new tar.

Liezl, As far as your concern about your rig goes, I am sure you will have no problems. I towed a heavy laden Sprite Sport out there with a 2.1 liter Kombi. The caravan was probably more than twice the mass of your Skipper while the Kombi probably was as powerful as your car(82 Kw). Just drive in a gear that doen't strain the car as you would on any incline. I do not have the data but I don't think the incline of the pass is more than van Rheenen. Do be careful though as there are some blind curves, but that is a general concern and not related to the fact that you are towing.

Gradients:
Oliviershoek Pass = 1:21
Van Rheenen = Avg 1:54, steepest section 1:20

As per a previous post, Oliviershoek Pass has a few fairly sharp corners - enjoy!

Thanks for all the replies

The way I see it if you are going to road trip from Durban to Cape Town what's the point of doing that on freeway and not the beautiful scenic routes SA have to offer.

So Oliviershoek here I come

I traveled Oliviershoek during March this year and will use it again tomorrow on my way to Dewetsdorp in the Free State from KZN. Very nice newly paved road.

I have just travelled Oliviershoek pass going down. I read somewhere in a news paper that the re-tarring has been completed. Be advised that this is not the case. There is still a longish section where only one half of the road is completed and where a stop-go situation is active. The road is not busy at all and I did not encounter any heavy vehicles, travelling over the week end. Construction vehicles is a possibility during the week.

Dankie ve die terug voer. Ons wil ook someday drakensville toe gaan dan verkies ons die uitkyk roetes.
Stop ry is soms n seën. Gebruik dit om te ontspan. Dis net n schlep as jy haastig is. Mens moet maar beheer oor jouself neem en die stopry sien as deel van die rit. Om daaroor te stres is niks werd nie.

Dis goeie nuus, wil weer daarlangs ry. Was 20jaar terug daar verby in die sneeu, en toe was die padgehalte nie probleem nie. Stop ry oor goeie pad is ok, my kombi sou net nie slegte pad soos tussen Swartwater en Alldays of Wepener en Zastron kon hanteer nie ( as jy onverwags groot potholes slaan teen spoed)

Dit is inderdaad n skouspelagtige pas. Ons het dit pas die tweede keer in n week gery. Vir diegene wat ook nog nie die Golden Gate pad gery het nie, wil ek net se: doen gerus moeite om dit wel te doen as julle in die omgewing is. Ons het dit laas meer as twintig jaar gelede laas gery en het al bietjie vergeet hoe fantasties mooi die berge is. Daar is ook baie staproetes wat binne n dag geloop kan word vir diegene wat graag stap.

Dit is darem 'n mooi deel van ons land daardie......

Net vir die wat dalk dink daaraan om die pad te ry. Van die Witsieshoek - Harrismith pad afdraai is daar `n spik splinternuwe pad tot net voor die bergpas begin. Daar is dan `n stop and go (net een) tot by Little Switzerland. (die stukkie is heel gaanbaar, maar met `n wag van so 15min as jy dit verkeerd vang). Baie beter pad as om die vervelige N3 te ry.

Op pad terug na Harrimith toe is daar 'n lekker steil gedeelte teen die pas uit, jou sleepvoertuig moet sy storie ken met 'n groot karavaan - alles die moeite werd.
Ons moes ook wag by die 'stop/go', ons tyd gegee om na die verkopertjies se klei-diertjies te kyk.

Ek wonder hoe gaan mens tewerk om so n rots uit die pad te kry....dinamiet?

BLIK-EMMER ouens. Dit sal darem nie lekker wees om daai klippie te sien aankom nie.

Dansan wrote:

BLIK-EMMER ouens. Dit sal darem nie lekker wees om daai klippie te sien aankom nie.

Ek weet nie van hoe ver het hy gerol nie, maar moes seker iets besonders gewees het om te kon aanskou hoe sò n rots by daai berge afgerol kom

Good day all.

This is my vent input.

I traveled this rout in October 2021 and it is becoming bad in places but still in fear condition the road is sagging in the pass below the lookout point and a big drop out in the road on a corner near the old pass use to be due to a drainage furrow under the road.

There is NO warning and it is on the left side near the fence.

The road along the dam is getting potholes and you must travel at a low speed towards Harrismith turnoff.

Izak wrote:

Good day all.

This is my vent input.

I traveled this rout in October 2021 and it is becoming bad in places but still in fear condition the road is sagging in the pass below the lookout point and a big drop out in the road on a corner near the old pass use to be due to a drainage furrow under the road.

There is NO warning and it is on the left side near the fence.

The road along the dam is getting potholes and you must travel at a low speed towards Harrismith turnoff.

Dis jammer dat die pad so vinnig versleg as mens dink dis 5 jaar terug oorgedoen. Ons het Januarie die pad gery en was toe nog baie mooi tussen Harrismith ren Drakensville....die pad verder aan tot by N3 was daar paar plekke gewees waar mens moes mooi kyk

Hi there guys, there is a bad piece of road on the R74.

There on the way from the bottom of Oliviershoekpass there is a deviation that must be taken very slow as it is very bad and a road caravan can be damaged if you travel to vast.

I went to check it and found it in a bad condition due to the ground is very uneven and rough. It is like a switch back that deviation and is a narrow area to travel. A long road caravan may be a problem to travel through there.

My self and the wife went to see if we can travel with our Fleetline and NO WAY we are going over the Van Reenen N3 route to Harrismith with our Fleetline. We went there on the 10 th October 2024 to purchase some road food (padkos) for our trip to the Western Cape Province for our anniversary after retirement of us both.

Camper friends please take it very careful on that section and yes way up there was a section where the road washed away and there it is also very bad spot. The area below Small Switzerland Resort is another spot to be ware of from the bottom up.

Thank you, but where exactly on the N3 is the problem?