“It is, perhaps, not just the journey that counts, but also the road that is travelled. And it’s not necessarily the high road or the low road that matters, but rather the story behind the road that’s important.”Article and Photos: Johann van TonderFrom early days a need for a link between the coast and the interior existed. With the arrival of white settlers at the Cape, the need for a route between the Cape and the interior enjoyed a high priority. But it was a time before great road builders like Bain came along and traveling over the mountains of the Southern Cape was all but impossible. It took a special kind of person, a pioneer, explorer and adventurer all in one, to look for and navigate new routes over these treacherous mountains.Today when we travel on the routes these remarkable individuals opened up, we do so in luxury with little effort and in a fraction of time. They did it with great danger to themselves. We do it as a pastime or a holiday. But lets never forget the remarkable achievements of those that has gone before. We honour them by keeping the history alive.The Ox wagon Route in the Southern Cape is a modern day route, connecting various historic passes and routes that the ox wagons of old had to conquer. The route travels over various mountain ranges and 4×4 tracks following in the footsteps of the first Pioneer Trekkers. The area is blessed with amazing natural beauty and that in itself makes it worth traveling, but if you do not travel informed you miss out on so much as it’s rich history truly makes this a route to remember.This is the first instalment of several articles that will cover this route, starting at Gysmanshoek Pass. Gysmanshoek Pass, or Plattekloof Pass as it was also known, was opened up in 1740 by the Trekboers. It was well used and even mentioned by famous explorers William Burchell and the botanist Carl Thunberg in their travel diaries.The historic pass lies near Heidelberg between way-points S33 58.220 E21 03.085 in the south and S33 53.468 E21 03.604 in the North, where it crosses the Langeberg mountains into the Klein Karoo. It is an easy start to the Ox Wagon Trail as Southern Cape passes go, but interesting nonetheless. It runs through three farms, Plattekloof in the South, then Kanetberg and Kortfontein on the Karoo side. The scenery and flora changes dramatically as to cross to the Northern slopes turning into typical fynbos and eventually Karoo vegetation. The track is generally in good condition and once in the mountains you are alone with little or no signs of civilization around.Gysmanshoek Pass runs through a gentle valley, a very easy road to build in those times. And yet, about 120 years after this route to the Klein Karoo opened they chose to build the Tradouw pass, a massive undertaking over very challenging terrain, instead of upgrading Gysmanshoek Pass. It almost makes no sense until you consider what it was like in the days of animal drawn vehicles.When the inhabitants of Swellendam wished to get to the Little Karoo on the other side of the Langeberg they had to travel either via Cogmans Kloof 50 kilometres to the west, or via Gysmanshoek, 30 kilometres to the east. Huge distances in those days worth days of traveling time. This of course also applied to Little Karoo farmers who wished to transport their produce to Port Beaufort on the Breede River, which Joseph Barry had opened to shipping in 1841.After the construction of the Tradouw and Garcia’s passes in 1873 & 1877 respectively, Gysmanshoek Pass fell in disuse. It came in handy for a Boer Commando during the Anglo-Boer War though, when they used Gysmanshoek Pass to flee back to the Karoo after attacking the headquarters of the West Yorkshire Regiment at the Masonic Hotel in Heidelberg on the 14th of September 1901.Today the road is seldom used, mostly by local farmers. William Patterson wrote about crossing the Langeberg in 1777. He commented in his journal: “Upon reaching the summit of the mountain, we were presented to the south with a view to the sea, and on the North… the Channa Land and Karoo.”It is not the most challenging pass you’ll encounter, but the remoteness and solitude will more than make up for that. You are unlikely to encounter other traffic on this pass. From here we continue East on well maintained gravel roads along the Langeberg mountains to the Gouritz river and beyond to the next portion of the Ox Wagon Trail: Attaquaskloof – The Valley of Violence. But that will have to wait for our next instalment!Oorspronklik artikel was in Ultimate Lifestyle Ed.5

Attaquaskloof – Valley of Violence

Article and photos: Johann van TonderIn our previous issue we started the Ox-Wagon N1 story in Heidelberg and crossed the mountain into the Klein Karoo via the Gysmanshoek Pass. In this issue we continue our historic journey. We travel East on the gravel R327 which takes us over Gouritz River and on to Cloetes Pass (and eventually Herbertsdale). But before we reach Cloetes Pass we to turn East towards Attaquaskloof.The turnoff into the kloof is indicated by a little Ox Wagon sign, but it’s easy to miss. The coordinates of the turnoff is S33 54.373 E21 42.696. Moving into the kloof you move up and over hills constantly, which makes for excellent views. No fences, no other traffic. Just a trail in Africa. This is the type of thing I love.This valley was first inhabited by the bushmen or Khoi San, who were present until the 1700’s as there are paintings of persons riding horses with rifles and hats on their heads. A fierce Khoi-Khoi tribe called the Attaqua also inhabited the valley (arriving after the San), hence the name Attaquaskloof.The Attaqua were a particularly aggressive tribe who not only drove the San out of the valley, but also clashed regularly with the other Khoi-Khoi tribes, such as the Gourikwa, Hessekwa and Inca.In 1668 an official of the VOC (Dutch East India Company), Hieronymus Cruze, led a trading company in the area. They investigated the possibility of a harbour in Mossel Bay. Cruze had contact with the Attaqua Koi “who lived in a mountain valley” (Attaquas Kloof), but it was not till 1689 (37 years after the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck) that the first white man stuck his nose over the Attakwas Pass into the Klein Karoo.The first European to set foot in this valley was Ensign Isaac Schrijwer in February 1689. He led an expedition of 21 men and two ox wagons, sent by Simon van der Stel, to barter for cattle and sheep with the Inca Khoi-Khoi near Aberdeen. Isaac Schrijwer traveled along the coast to Mossel bay. He remembered Cruze’s report about the Attaqua Koi, but found that they had moved North into the Channa Land search of better grazing. He followed them out of the Kloof over the mountains following an elephant track. The area was densely overgrown and the elephant track had to be widened to take the wagons. This involved quite a bit of manual labour and the crossing took them seven days, four of which on this small section. On their return with numerous cattle and sheep, they were attacked by the Attaqua Khoi-Khoi, who took all the cattle and sheep. The following morning Schrijwer followed the spoor and cornered the Khoi-Khoi in Grootkloof. A fierce battle followed. That was not the last blood that flowed in this kloof.Isaac Schrijwer’s route over Attaquas mountain pass opened up the inland and soon this valley was ‘n busy trade route that flourished for 180 years. A town called Woeska was established and did brisk trade in this valley. Some of the old buildings can still be seen, though sadly it is not being looked after and in a worse state every time we pass. Amazing to think that people lived and made a living there for more than a century and today there is nothing left.Once through the kloof you find yourself on Bonniedale Adventure Farm which boasts several 4×4 routes and is ‘n popular breakaway destination. The first European to settle on Bonniedale Farm was a Scotsman in 1860. He had a toll concession to maintain the pass from Bonniedale to the summit of the Attaquas mountains. He also supplied mules, oxen and other produce to passing travellers.It is from here that we tackle the pass, the same elephant route Schrijwer took all those years ago. This route runs through the Attakwas Nature Reserve and access is restricted.The route passes an old toll house, as well as the Attaquas hut. It’s also the spot of a commemorative plaque for Attaquas Kloof Pass. The hut is used by hikers walking along the Attaquas Hiking Trail. Sleep here at your own peril, for this is close to the spot where the notorious Bloubaard Swanepoel is burried. He has an unmarked grave near a tree that was fenced off. Bloubaard’s claim to fame was the fact that he was the last person to be publicly hanged in South Africa (on the town square in George).He was convicted on numerous counts of murder of persons who had bought cattle from him. After the sale he would ride over the Attaquas Mountains and ambush them on their way out with cattle, kill them and take the cattle back. He did this on four occasions but on the fifth occasion he did not see one of his potential victims who had gone to the bush to relieve himself. A lot of blood flowed in Attaquas kloof. It’s hard to marry that ugly truth to the natural splendour found here.As was the case with Gysmanshoek Pass, the Boer’s during the Anglo-Boer War knew about all these little abandoned passes in the area, so they had to be guarded. Near the summit of Attaquas Pass you find the remains of an old English Fort. And on the Oudtshoorn side of the mountain you find the remains of yet another settlement. This spot had an hotel and general dealer and would have been a perfect stop for travellers before crossing the mountain en route to Mossel bay.Sadly not much is known today about this settlement. It is situated on the farm Saffraanrivier and the old hotel was apparently called “Die Bonthuis”. Rumour has it that there was a murder here and one of the owners hung himself from a tree in front of the hotel, but there are no documented proof of this (that I know of). Sue van Waarts mentions this in one of her books.Attaquas Pass crosses the mountains a mere six kilometres West of present-day Robinson Pass and this route exits on Robinson pass at  S33 49.079  E22 02.314 The whole route (as well as the other 4×4 trails) are mapped on the Tracks 4 Africa maps.For more information on this route contact Nico and Danette Hesterman of Bonniedale Holiday Farm on 044-695 3175; e-mail: bonniedale@mweb.co.za or look at their website: www.bonniedale.comOorspronklike artikel was in Ultimate Lifestyle Ed.6