Long Tom Pass & Sabie Highlands — Lydenburg to Graskop GoldLoop.
Distance
125 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,200 m
Long Tom Pass & Sabie Highlands — Lydenburg to Graskop Gold Loop.
The Mpumalanga Highveld gold-rush loop. R37 climbs east from Lydenburg over Long Tom Pass at 2150m, where Boer 155mm Creusot Long Tom guns made their last stand in 1900. North along the R533 the road drops into Pilgrims Rest, the perfectly preserved 1873 gold-mining village. The loop continues through pine plantations to Graskop on the escarpment edge, gateway to the Panorama Route. Compact, historic, and one of the best one-day rides on the Highveld.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance125 km
Days1
Total climb1,200 m
DifficultyModerate
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The route.
Lydenburg (Mashishing)Start · Start in Lydenburg, now officially Mashishing. Old gold-rush gateway town to the Highveld. Fuel up — the climb east on the R37 begins immediately and there is no service for 60 km.
Long Tom Pass Summit (2150m)Mountain Pass · Summit at 2150m on the R37, 66 bends total. The Long Tom cannon memorial commemorates the last use of Boer 155mm Creusot guns in the Second Boer War, October 1900. Often misty above 1800m — drop speed when visibility falls.
SabieRestaurant · Forestry town in a tight river valley. Many waterfalls within 10 km — Bridal Veil and Lone Creek are popular short detours. Coffee stop in the main street.
Pilgrims RestScenic Point · Perfectly preserved 1873 gold-rush village, now a National Heritage Site. The whole main street is restored corrugated-iron Victorian architecture. Stop at the Royal Hotel for a coffee under the verandah.
GraskopEnd · End in Graskop on the Drakensberg escarpment edge. Famous for pancakes at the long-running Harries on the main road. Natural launch point for the Panorama Route north toward Three Rondavels and Blyde River Canyon.
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