Hike the Historic Hottentots Holland Kloof Pass
07:00: Travel east from Somerset West, up Sir Lowry's Pass and over the mountain to the starting point.
By 07:30, set out on your walk. The trail is a 5 km return hike and takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete, including stops for photographs, discussions, general exploration of the area, and a lunch or refreshment break, depending on the stops and weather. The first 2.5 km of the walk is an uphill trail to the mountaintop and is not very difficult. At the neck, on top of the mountain ridge, the old pass becomes an easy walk, and it takes about an hour to explore the area and traverse a short way down the side of the opposite mountain to view the spectacular ruts still visible in the rocks.
Once at the top of the kloof, the track starts to dip steeply down, and it is here that the ruts carved into the rocks by wagon wheels become visible. Dutch and British settlers at the Cape built this rough pass, called the Hottentots Holland Kloof Pass, following the Gantouw route. While taking in a bird's-eye view from the top of the pass, see the two historic canons that were used to communicate over the mountains. Midway through the adventure, stop for a break to enjoy some refreshments or your lunch.
