South Africa's Second-Highest Pass, Naude's Nek: A Drakensberg Gravel Legend Too Rough Even for Tarmac

Deep in the highlands of South Africa’s Eastern Cape lies a small village called Rhodes, so sparsely populated that you might drive right past it without noticing. But for cyclists seeking gravel-climbing challenges, this is a pilgrimage site—because from this tiny village, a road climbs to the second-highest point on South Africa’s national road system: Naude’s Nek Pass.

If you’ve heard of Sani Pass (another famous mountain pass in South Africa, connecting the country with Lesotho), you might instinctively link the two. But Naude’s Nek takes a completely different approach—it is almost entirely gravel and dirt from start to finish, with no asphalt paved for tourists, no border-post ceremony, only the rawest, most skill-testing terrain of the Drakensberg Mountains.

Route Basic Information Table

Data Discipline Note: Because Naude’s Nek is remote and rarely covered in detail by mainstream international climbing databases, and because gravel surfaces vary considerably with seasonal maintenance, the above figures are compiled from terrain data and travel records. For actual riding, please refer to the latest local road conditions and GPS measurements.

A Place Where Even Cars Must Tread Carefully

Simply reaching Rhodes village is already a small adventure in itself. According to local tourism information, from the nearest town, Barkly East, it takes about 60 kilometers and over an hour of driving, with most of the route being “poorly maintained, narrow, winding gravel roads that require careful driving.” This means Naude’s Nek filters out most tourists who just want to “stop by” from the very beginning—those willing to travel this far are typically hardcore enthusiasts genuinely seeking to experience this pristine mountain region.

The area around Rhodes village is itself a highly regarded gem within South Africa’s outdoor sports community. The annual Rhodes Mountain Bike Challenge, with a course of approximately 82 kilometers, has been described as “one of Africa’s most extraordinary mountain bike events,” and the route heads in the direction of Naude’s Nek, passing Tenahead Lodge before looping around the entire highland. In addition to the cycling event, there is also a trail running race of about 52 kilometers, the Rhodes Trail Run, which also utilizes the surrounding highland terrain. This demonstrates one thing: the region where Naude’s Nek sits has long been an unspoken secret training ground for South African endurance sports enthusiasts—it’s just that compared to the more famous Sani Pass, it has maintained a relatively low profile.

Why the Gravel Surface Is Actually the Selling Point

In the perception of many road cycling enthusiasts, “gravel roads” usually represent poor conditions and sections to be endured. But for a specific group of riders—especially fans of the gravel bike trend that has risen in recent years—unpaved, pristine surfaces are actually a rare experience hard to find in urbanized areas. Naude’s Nek still maintains a considerable degree of gravel and dirt surface, without being “tamed” the way Sani Pass has been with partial asphalt paving in recent years. This sense of rawness is precisely why its reputation continues to rise within certain circles.

Of course, this also means that riding this route demands far more from both the bike and the rider’s skills than a typical paved-road climb. Grip on gravel surfaces is inconsistent, and handling difficulty increases dramatically especially when muddy and slippery after rain. It is not suitable for pure road bike tires; a gravel bike or mountain bike setup with adequate tire width and tread is recommended.

The Drakensberg: “Mountain of Dragons” in Zulu

The name Drakensberg derives from Afrikaans, meaning “Mountain of Dragons,” while the indigenous Zulu people call this mountain range uKhahlamba, meaning “Barrier of Spears”—two languages, two cultures, both using powerful imagery to describe this vast mountain range stretching across eastern South Africa. The Drakensberg is the highest mountain system in South Africa, spanning the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the border of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is renowned for its steep basalt cliffs and high grassland plateaus, and the entire mountain system has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The southern section where Naude’s Nek sits, while less famous than the core protected areas in KwaZulu-Natal known for their spectacular cliff landscapes (such as the famous Amphitheatre), retains more of its pristine, undeveloped character precisely because it is relatively off the beaten path. This quality of being “a hidden gem unknown to the world” gives Naude’s Nek an almost cult-like reputation among certain hardcore riding circles—those who have been there rave about it, yet its overall fame has never come close to matching Sani Pass.

Section-by-Section Breakdown

Since data accuracy for gravel surfaces is generally inferior to that of paved roads, the following is a qualitative description divided into three sections based on terrain characteristics.

First Section: The Highland Plateau Leaving Rhodes Village

Departing from Rhodes village, the road first extends across a relatively gentle highland plateau, flanked by typical Eastern Cape highland pasture landscapes—open, desolate, with occasional grazing cattle and sheep and scattered farmsteads. The gravel surface on this section is in relatively better condition, and the gradient is still fairly moderate. Its main purpose is to let riders adapt their bodies and handling rhythm to the gravel terrain changes that lie ahead.

The village itself already sits at 1,832 meters above sea level, so even on this relatively gentle first section, riders accustomed to training at lower elevations will already feel a slight breathlessness from the reduced oxygen levels. It’s advisable to treat this section as a warm-up and adaptation period, rather than charging ahead at your flatland pace from the start.

This first section also passes the turnoff toward Tenahead Lodge—an important landmark on the local Rhodes Mountain Bike Challenge route. The lodge itself sits in a relatively secluded highland valley and serves as a rest and resupply point for many long-distance riders. If time permits, consider following the logic of the local race route planning, breaking your itinerary into segments that better match the local terrain characteristics, rather than simply grinding all the way through on feel alone.

Middle Section: The Handling Challenge of Consecutive Gravel Hairpin Turns

Entering the true climbing section, the road begins to spiral upward in a series of consecutive hairpin turns, and the looseness of the gravel surface gradually increases. This is especially noticeable on the inside of corners, where loose gravel accumulates more heavily, requiring particular attention to the bike’s weight transfer and braking timing. The gradient changes are not smooth along this stretch; localized steep sections combined with the loose surface present a solid technical test of balancing climbing power output with rear-wheel traction—pushing too hard can easily cause the rear wheel to slip and spin, while being too conservative with power risks losing forward momentum on the steeper pitches.

The scenery continues to open up along the way, offering sweeping views of the southern Drakensberg highland terrain. The mountain contours roll on continuously, distinctly different from the sharp, jagged peaks typical of the European Alps—the Drakensberg’s mountain forms are rounder and more massive, presenting a rugged, desolate highland beauty.

This difference in topography, to some extent, also reflects the vastly different geological origins of the two mountain ranges—the Alps are a relatively young fold mountain belt with sharp, steep peaks; the Drakensberg, on the other hand, is an ancient basalt plateau formed through long-term erosion, resulting in a more massive and rounded silhouette. It lacks the sharp skeletal definition of the Alps but possesses its own weathered, steady grandeur. Riding through the continuous switchbacks of Naude’s Nek, you find yourself surrounded by this open and understated landscape—missing the “performance feel” of famous European passes that have been pilgrimaged by countless riders, and gaining instead a solitude and vastness unique to the raw wilderness.

Final Section: Thin Air Near the Summit of the Pass

As altitude continues to rise toward the summit of the pass, the gradient no longer intensifies noticeably, but the sustained gravel climb combined with the effects of high-altitude oxygen deprivation pushes perceived fatigue to its peak on this stretch. As the second-highest point on South Africa’s national road network, the summit offers extremely expansive views; in good weather, you can overlook the surrounding rolling highland terrain and see the mountain outlines toward the Lesotho border in the distance.

Due to its proximity to the Lesotho border, this area experiences highly volatile and unpredictable weather—local data and travel accounts both mention that even in midsummer, this highland can undergo sudden temperature drops or even snowfall within a short period. This is quite similar to the highland climate characteristics along the Lesotho border where Sani Pass is located. Riders must be well-prepared to handle severe weather changes.

Power and Pacing Estimates (Physical Model Calculation)

Using a standard climbing power model for estimation, the following are physical estimates, and do not represent the record data of any real rider or event:

P = (Fg + Fr + Fa) × v / Drivetrain Efficiency
Fg = m × g × sin(arctan(Grade))       Gravitational Component
Fr = m × g × cos(arctan(Grade)) × Crr   Rolling Resistance
Fa = 0.5 × ρ × CdA × v²               Air Resistance

Calculation Assumptions:

• Total mass m = 70 kg rider + 9 kg bike and gear = 79 kg
• g = 9.81 m/s²
• Crr ≈ 0.005 is the standard assumed value for asphalt, but the actual rolling resistance coefficient for gravel and dirt surfaces is typically significantly higher than this value. This article still uses the standard value to maintain a consistent comparison baseline with other routes; readers should understand that the actual feel and times on gravel sections will be more demanding than the figures in the table below.
• CdA ≈ 0.32 m² (climbing position)
• Air density ρ: adjusted downward based on an average altitude of approximately 2,400 meters (estimated at about 77% of sea level using the International Standard Atmosphere model)
• Drivetrain efficiency ≈ 0.975 (actual drivetrain losses on gravel may be slightly higher than on asphalt)

Based on an estimated climbing section of approximately 18 km with a total ascent of about 950 meters, the average grade is approximately 5.3%. Plugging this into the model yields the following:

The above are physical model estimates, and it must be emphasized: this model calculates using the rolling resistance coefficient for asphalt, whereas Naude’s Nek is almost entirely gravel and dirt surface. The actual rolling resistance will be significantly higher than on asphalt, and the loose surface easily causes additional energy loss from tire slippage. The actual time to complete the full climb will typically be longer than the estimates in the table, especially for riders unfamiliar with gravel terrain handling skills, whose energy expenditure rate will be noticeably higher than what the pure physical power model predicts. It is recommended to treat the listed times as a reference baseline for the “theoretical minimum time” and to allow a more generous time buffer when planning the actual itinerary.

Perspectives from Taiwanese Riders

For cycling enthusiasts in Taiwan, the most apt analogy for Naude’s Nek might not be any asphalt road climb, but rather the forest roads and off-road gravel route challenges that have gradually gained popularity in Taiwan in recent years—such as sections of the Central Cross-Island Highway temporary access roads, the forest road systems managed by the Forestry Bureau, or the industrial roads commonly found on recent gravel race routes. These routes similarly test a rider’s handling skills and energy management on loose surfaces, rather than purely power output capability.

In terms of gradient and altitude intensity, although the summit of Naude’s Nek Pass is not as high as Wuling’s 3,275 meters, the dual physical and technical toll of a sustained gravel climb makes it, in some ways, closer to a “comprehensive endurance test” than the purely asphalt challenge of Wuling. Taiwanese riders who have tackled gravel forest roads around the Hehuan Mountain East Peak trail area, or participated in domestic gravel races, should have a reasonable degree of mental preparation for this kind of rhythm transition between “asphalt and gravel interwoven.”

In recent years, with the rise of the gravel bike trend in Taiwan, many brands and rider communities have begun organizing gravel events focused on forest roads and industrial roads. To some extent, this is gradually introducing the joy of “non-asphalt climbing,” previously only experienceable abroad, into Taiwan’s local riding culture. If you have participated in such events, you should have a more intuitive basis for imagining the road surface texture and handling challenges of Naude’s Nek than pure road bike enthusiasts—though most Taiwanese forest roads have relatively clear maintenance schedules and closure times managed by forestry units, while Naude’s Nek is a public road in rural South Africa open year-round, maintained autonomously by local communities and tourism operators. The management logic between the two is fundamentally different.

For Taiwanese riders who already have considerable road climbing experience but have not yet tried gravel terrain, it is advisable to first accumulate some handling experience on gravel or mountain bikes domestically before considering tackling a route of Naude’s Nek’s caliber—rashly attempting consecutive gravel hairpin turns with only pure road bike technical foundations carries risks significantly higher than expected.

Practical Preparation

• Equipment Selection: Be sure to choose tires suitable for gravel and dirt terrain (gravel bike tires or mountain bike tires). Narrow pure road bike tires are not recommended for this route, as both handling risks and puncture risks will be significantly increased.
• Season: The local highland climate is highly volatile; even summer can bring snowfall. It is advisable to avoid the rainy season and winter, and to constantly monitor real-time weather forecasts rather than relying solely on long-term forecasts made before departure.
• Transportation and Accommodation: The village of Rhodes itself is extremely small. When traveling there, be sure to confirm transportation and accommodation arrangements in advance; do not expect to find alternative options as readily as you might in Taiwan’s mountainous areas.
• Supplies: Supply resources around the village are limited. It is recommended to carry sufficient water and portable food yourself, as there are almost no shops along the mountain gravel sections for mid-route resupply.
• Bike Maintenance: Gravel and dirt surfaces cause far more wear and tear on the drivetrain than asphalt. Before departure, confirm that the chain, shifting system, and braking system are in good condition, and carry basic repair tools and spare inner tubes, as there is no convenient local bike repair service.
• Communicate with the Mountain Bike Community: If you can learn about the latest road conditions beforehand through local communities or tourism operators—such as landslides, water crossings, or temporary closures—you can significantly reduce the chance of encountering unexpected situations during your trip. This kind of real-time information is often more reliable than any online database.

Why It’s Worth the Trip

Compared to the famous European passes that have been ridden countless times by professional teams and amateur cyclists alike, where every corner seems to have a story, Naude’s Nek offers a purer sense of exploration—you won’t encounter endless streams of other riders on the road, won’t see mileage markers erected specifically for climbing challenges, and may even pass only grazing livestock and the occasional local resident along the way. This almost primal sense of solitude is, for riders seeking “exploration” rather than “checking off a box,” the most precious part of this route. Of course, this solitude cuts both ways—it also means a greater responsibility for self-care and risk management. Before committing to this route, be honest with yourself about whether your skills and fitness are sufficient for a riding environment with relatively little support.

Safety Reminders

The handling risk on gravel and dirt surfaces is the core safety concern on this route, especially on wet or loose sections after rain. It’s advisable to reduce speed, avoid hard braking and sharp turns, and apply brakes early and smoothly rather than reacting at the last moment mid-corner. Tire pressure should be moderately reduced according to local road conditions to improve grip and shock absorption, but only within limits that won’t risk pinch flats.

The dramatic shifts in highland weather are equally not to be underestimated—even if it’s clear and warm when you set off, temperatures in the southern Drakensberg highlands can plummet rapidly, with strong winds or even snowfall possible. Be sure to carry adequate warm and windproof gear, and don’t let comfortable temperatures at the start lull you into neglecting preparation. This area is remote, and poor mobile phone coverage in the mountains is the norm rather than the exception. Download offline maps, carry sufficient battery power, and inform others of your route plan and expected return time.

Altitude sickness can also occur above 2,000 meters; if you feel noticeably unwell, stop climbing immediately and consider descending to rest. The safety advice in this article is general guidance only and cannot replace professional medical evaluation. Those with a history of cardiovascular or respiratory conditions should consult a physician before setting out and carefully assess whether their technical skills on gravel terrain are sufficient for the challenges of this route.

This area is remote, and the possibility of wildlife encounters should also be factored in—while there isn’t the direct threat of large predators like in other famous African wildlife reserves, locally grazed livestock (cattle, sheep) occasionally occupy the road. Riders should stay alert and slow down in advance to avoid startling animals or causing collisions. Riding this route solo carries relatively higher risk; it’s advisable to ride with companions whenever possible, or at minimum ensure you have reliable emergency contacts and an evacuation plan. Don’t underestimate the time cost of obtaining help in this remote mountain area in the event of an accident.

Descents also demand extra caution—braking distances on gravel are significantly longer than on tarmac, and with limited visibility on consecutive hairpin bends, adopt a rhythm of intermittent braking in stages rather than continuous hard braking that can overheat brake pads and rims. Especially on dry, dusty gravel sections, brake system heat management is particularly important.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways and Action Checklist

Naude’s Nek lacks the cross-border ceremony of Sani Pass, nor does it offer the smooth riding experience of tarmac, but it preserves the most raw and rugged side of the Drakensberg—consecutive gravel hairpins, vast open highland terrain, and the sense of achievement from reaching the second-highest point on South Africa’s road network, together forming a challenge well worth a dedicated visit for hardcore enthusiasts.

Pre-ride Checklist:

1. Choose tires suited for gravel and dirt terrain; narrow road bike tires are not recommended for this challenge
2. Avoid the rainy season and winter; check real-time weather forecasts regularly
3. Confirm transportation arrangements and accommodation options around Rhodes village in advance
4. Carry ample water and food supplies; resupply options in the mountains are limited
5. Bring warm and windproof gear to cope with dramatic highland weather changes
6. Download offline maps and carry sufficient battery power; inform others of your itinerary
7. Adjust tire pressure and riding pace according to local road conditions, prioritizing handling safety

If you’re tired of manicured tarmac climbs and crave a challenge closer to the raw texture of the land, Naude’s Nek will give you an honest and solid answer with its gravel and altitude.

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