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Turning of the main road outside of Jansenville and onto the R337 to Klipplaat, 12km further turn left to Steytlerville. The 54km untarred road takes you through the Small Winterhoek Mountains that have little, but nevertheless spectacular, canyons with massive folded cliffs of red sandstone. The gravelroad meets up with the tar road a mere 5km outside of Steytlerville. Turn right and en route you'll pass through Noorspoort (the Valley of Flags) where you will find the old and new South African flags painted on the rock face, as well as flags depicting South Africa's history, starting with the first Vikings in 1474.  Stop off at the Karoo Hotel for a refreshing Breakfast before heading off on the Grootrivierpoort Route that takes one out of Steytlerville on the gravel road through Grootrivierpoort and on toward Patensie. It is approximately 96km and takes about 4 hours and is a route for bakkies, 4x4 or mountain bike enthusiasts. From Steytlerville it's fairly flat and the dirt road runs southwards to the Baviaanskloof Mountains, the road then climbs gradually until it reaches the foothills of the Baviaanskloof Mountains. Follow the signs for the Cockscomb Road, after 5km turn right at split in the road, follow the Winterhoek signs, continue pass the Rietfontein turn off. 18Km further turn right to Hadley and at the T-junction further one turn right again to Hadley and the Grootrivier Poort Route.  The road runs alongside the range until you reach Hadley, the last farm before you enter the Grootrivier Poort. Continue pass the sign for the Hadley farm on your right and continue on the winding and narrow decent to the Grootriver Poort. It is an interesting route in that you see both farm livestock and wildlife inhabiting the same areas. The road follows a series of ascents and descents before entering the Baviaanskloof conservation area and descending dramatically to the Grootriver Poort. Travelers can get out of their vehicles at any stage to take in the vastly impressive landscapes. A must is the view from the top of the last decent to the beautiful gorge of the Grootriver. A definite must see for any nature lover.  The road drops steeply and dramatically, a descent of 400 meters. From the view site it is a 3 km descent to a gate on the right, which takes one into the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area. Pass through a farm gate before the poort and keep left up the other side. There is only one choice of road here all the way until one reaches a T-junction at the Telkom tower where you take a right to Patensie. However the climb up the mountain is on a surface that is badly eroded in places. The track is badly rutted and steep in places, offering some very technical riding. The scenic drive however is a must.  The winding road, as it descends towards the Gamtoos valley, offers a panoramic view of the Elandsberg and Groot Winterhoek mountain ranges, dominated by the 1759m high Cockscomb, the one of the highest mountain peak in the Eastern Cape, known to some of the earlier indigenous tribes as "T'numkwa" (Mountain of the clouds).  At the T-junction turn right, at the sign saying Humansdorp. Continue for 30 minutes down the mountain until you reach the R331, a tar road from Patensie. Turn right to the Grootrivier Poort road and at the first stream stop for lunch.  A journey through the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area is a memorable experience and the 200-kilometer long gravel road between Patensie and Willowmore is one of the best-kept scenic secrets in South Africa. The Baviaanskloof can be discovered along a dusty road that was built between 1880 and 1890 by South Africa's most famous road engineer, Thomas Bain. The road stretches between the parallel mountain ranges of the Kouga Mountains in the South and Baviaanskloof Mountains in the North. The road also crosses the Grootrivier more than twenty times.  The area has a multitude of diverse flowers and an abundance of bird species and wild life. The majestic Baviaanskloof - and Kouga mountain ranges enfolds a deep ravine which forms the Baviaanskloof. The tar road from Patensie becomes a gravel road and passes the turn off to the Kouga Dam, the life source of the Gamtoos Valley. The road gradually winds its way through the Grootrivier Poort and enters the Cambria basin where the true splendor of the Baviaanskloof mountain range (1561m) looms. The road that started in the east, meanders a spectacularly narrow gorge with red coloured sandstone cliffs, crossing the river numerous times, elevates to steep plateaus and winds it's way down through mesmerizing mountain ranges to level out on the narrow floor of Baviaanskloof, leading through Coleslaws, Studtis and Zandvlakte towards Willowmore 258km away. It's a road with very steep gradients but a worthwhile experience.  The road passes the Geelhoutbos turn off. This accommodation facility is situated 4km from the turn off.  From Geelhoutbos to Studtis is another 25km. The road climbs again before the valley opens out into farmland and the road flattens passing the farm Zandvlakte. The road continues with a series of gradual climbs to the Studtis Police Station. The rare and unique Baviaanskloof Cedar (Widdringtonia Schwarzii) may be seen growing at Nuwekloof pass (± 1000m above sea level) en route to Willowmore after which the road enters another narrow gorge to emerge from the Baviaanskloof area into the Klein Karoo. The gravel road meets up with the N9 leading south to Uniondale and west towards Willowmore.  Print version of the routes References Things to do in the Baviaanskloof 
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