Naudé's Nek Pass — Rhodes toMaclear.

Distance

95 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

1,400 m

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Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Naudé's Nek Pass — Rhodes to Maclear.

The highest mountain pass road in South Africa, cresting at 2,587m on the route the Naudé brothers pioneered on horseback in the 1890s. This challenging gravel traverse links the Victorian village of Rhodes with Maclear across the roof of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg — treeless alpine grassland, endless hairpin switchbacks and snow in winter.

Quick facts

SurfaceMixed

Distance95 km

Days1

Total climb1,400 m

DifficultyChallenging

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Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

4 stops

RhodesStart · Start in the trout-fishing village of Rhodes on the Bell River. Fill the tank — it is gravel and remote from here. Check the forecast; snow closes the pass in winter.

Tiffindell & Ben MacdhuiScenic Point · A high detour to Africa's only ski resort at 2,720m, on the slopes of Ben Macdhui (3,001m), the Eastern Cape's highest peak. Reached over the rough Carlislehoek Pass.

Naudé's Nek Summit — 2,587mMountain Pass · The highest pass road in South Africa. Exposed alpine grassland with vast Drakensberg views in every direction. Bitterly cold and windswept even in summer.

MaclearEnd · Long descent off the escarpment to the farming town of Maclear, named after the astronomer Sir Thomas Maclear.

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