Explore/South Africa/ZA EC/Katberg Pass — Whittlesea to Seymour
ZAWhittlesea, South AfricaChallengingMixed

Katberg Pass — Whittlesea toSeymour.

Distance
65 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
700 m
CloneClone in AppShareShare
R
Curated by Rider · Updated Aug 2026
Overview

Katberg Pass — Whittlesea to Seymour.

A historic Eastern Cape gravel pass begun by legendary road-builder Andrew Geddes Bain in 1854. The R351 climbs nearly 700m through cool, misty Afromontane forest to a 1,625m summit in the Katberg range, west of Hogsback. A genuinely wild, little-travelled crossing between Whittlesea and the old mission town of Seymour.

Quick facts

SurfaceMixed
Distance65 km
Days1
Total climb700 m
DifficultyChallenging
Loading map...
Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE
3 stops
Start
WhittleseaStart · Fuel up in Whittlesea at the foot of the Hogsback range and head south-west onto the R351 toward the Katberg. Ride the pass in dry conditions — the surface turns greasy in rain.
Pass
Katberg Pass Summit (1625m)Mountain Pass · The 1854 Bain-era pass tops out here in dense indigenous forest, often wreathed in mist. Yellowwoods, tree ferns and Cape parrots; a 699m climb of tight gravel switchbacks.
End
SeymourEnd · Descend to Seymour below the Winterberg. Hogsback and the Amathole forests lie a short ride east for those extending the trip.

More routes in ZA EC

Barkly Pass — Elliot to Barkly East (R58)ZA EC · 55 kmBen Macdhui & Tiffindell — Rhodes to the Roof of the Eastern CapeZA EC · 48 kmWild Coast — Mthatha to Coffee Bay & Hole in the WallZA EC · 95 kmNaudé's Nek Pass — Rhodes to MaclearZA EC · 95 kmBaviaanskloof Wilderness Route — Patensie to WillowmoreZA EC · 210 km

Save this ride. Open the app.

Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.

Open in MotoVault
Navigate this route with GPS
Open