Pakhuis Pass

Pakhuis Pass is a mountain pass on the R364 in the northern Cederberg in South Africa. The pass connects Clanwilliam to Calvinia. A turnoff from the pass heads southeast to the Biedouw Valley and Wupperthal. The pass is 25 km long, reaches an altitude of 905 m at a gradient of 1:9.

History

The pass was built between 1875 and 1877 by Thomas [Charles John Bain|Thomas Bain]. The pass was improved for the first time in the 1960s and was tarred in 2009.
In December 1946, a Junkers Ju 86 aircraft of the South African Air Force crashed into the 1 077 Pakhuis Peak in misty weather, killing everyone on board. The plane was on route to Cape Town from Pretoria with a cargo of plywood.

During construction, Thomas Charles [John Bain|Thomas Bain] discovered many important San rock paintings in the area. The grave of the poet C. [Louis Leipoldt] is situated on the pass 15 km from Clanwilliam. There are also a number of hiking routes in the area.