Tradouw Pass — Swellendam toBarrydale.

Distance

60 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

400 m

Clone in App Share

Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Tradouw Pass — Swellendam to Barrydale.

Thomas Bain's 1873 engineering masterpiece, the Tradouw Pass carves a smooth tarred ribbon through the Langeberg between Swellendam and the Route 62 town of Barrydale. Sweeping curves, sheer rock faces and shady riverside picnic spots make it one of the Western Cape's finest short paved passes.

Quick facts

SurfacePaved

Distance60 km

Days1

Total climb400 m

DifficultyModerate

Loading map...

Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

5 stops

SwellendamStart · Start in South Africa's third-oldest town beneath the Langeberg. Visit the Drostdy Museum and oak-lined streets before heading east.

SuurbraakScenic Point · Historic mission village at the western foot of the pass. Friendly farm stalls and the last easy stop before the climb into the gorge.

Tradouw PassMountain Pass · The pass threads the Tradouw River gorge through the Langeberg. Tradouw is Khoi for path of the women. Smooth tar, blind curves and shaded picnic pull-offs.

BarrydaleRestaurant · Quirky Route 62 town. Stop at the Karoo Art Hotel for lunch; the famous Ronnie's Sex Shop biker bar is just east on the R62.

BarrydaleEnd · Route ends at the gateway to Route 62. Continue east toward Ladismith and the Karoo, or loop back over the pass.

Save this ride. Open the app.

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

Get the app More routes →

Open in MotoVault

Navigate this route with GPS

Open