To the ‘magic mountain’ through the Seven Weeks Rail Pass October 22, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Cape Town, Hotels, Rail Pass, South Africa, Tour, Trails , trackbackSouth of the Karoo plains around Laingsburg, rolling hills swell into the sandstone peaks of the Klein Swartberg range. Rivers have etched their way through the seemingly impenetrable rock, and the slow erosion has exposed contorted strata that tower high above our winding route into the Little Karoo. About half the route is tarred.
Turn south out of Laingsburg’s main street between the buildings of the Standard Bank and the Co-operative, and note your kms. Pass under the railway bridge 700m out of town, and continue straight.
You pass a turn-off on your left to Floriskraal Darn (the entrance is reached after 7,5km along this gravel road), and later you pass a gravel road on your right to Ladismith. Soon afterwards the road crosses a river bridge in an area of intensely folded rock strata.
The road surface changes to gravel about 29km from Laingsburg, and soon emerges from among the hills, giving clear views of the Klein Swartberg range. After a further 23 km the hills and mountains close in again. Just short of 2 km later there are some spectacular rocky outcrops on the left.
Roughly 15km beyond this — 69,2 km from Laingsburg — the road forks: go right here for Seweweekspoort and Ladismith. The ruins of the original tollhouse are on the left at the fork. Individuals used to tender for the ‘farming’ of a toll, but traffic through this poort was so infrequent that the Cape government was obliged to place one of their own employees here. The ghost of this lonely man is said to haunt the spot.
Seweweekspoort to Hoeko
Immediately after the fork the road enters Seweweekspoort (seven weeks pass). This follows the river between towering walls of sandstone, which in many places almost shut out the sun. On the left after 2 km are the ruins of one of the convict stations which housed the labourers who built the original road.
After a further 1,7km on the right is a picnic site (with toilets). On the left 2,2 km later there are braai sites, and 400 m beyond, also on the left, there is another picnic site in front of a large rock overhang. More picnic sites dot the roadside throughout the poort.
Shortly after the road emerges from the poort, you pass a number of ruined buildings.
At the T-junction opposite the old mission village of Amalienstein, turn right onto tar (R62), noting your kms. A few kms further you come to the still older mission village of Zoar on your left.
9,3 km after the Amalienstein T-junction, turn right for Hoeko. 2,2 km later on your right is the house in which the poet C J Langenhoven was born. The T-shaped farmhouse on your right 500m beyond is believed to have been the original Hoeko homestead, dating from about 1810.
Hoeko to Laingsburg
The road soon changes to gravel, and enters Ladismith roughly 9km later. At the stop street, turn right into the tarred Church Street. (There are a number of hotels in the town, as well as a public swimming pool.)
Turn right into Van Riebeeck Street, and drive west out of the town. After about 100 m on your right is the old Jewish synagogue — a reminder of the role Jewish immigrants played in developing the ostrich industry.
The road passes vineyards and irrigated fields before entering an area of rocky, scrub-covered hills, with the cleft peak of Towerkop (magic mountain) on your right at the edge of the Klein Swartberg range. Approximately 18 km after leaving the town of Ladismith you reach a T- junction — turn right here.
Cross a bridge over the Groot River. After a further 7,4 km the road surface changes to gravel. Continue on this road, past a turn-off on your left to Montagu, through a number of cattle grids and sharp right turns. The road eventually enters a gorge in which the rock strata are almost vertical on your right, yet horizontal in other places.
Turn left for Laingsburg at the T-junction with the tarred road on which you travelled south in the morning
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