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Prince Alfred's Pass, build by Thomas Bain between 1860 and 1867,
is a spectaculary scenic mountain pass between Knysna and
Avontuur.
This cache is located at the top of the Pass and boasts magnificant
views of the pass and Robberg near Plettenberg Bay can be seen on a
clear day.
This cache is located close to the road, so is a quick and easy one
filled with a magnificant history.
Cache contains a pen.
Mountain Passes are like secret routes between hidden worlds - even
when they are traversed by modern roads, they offer adventure and
discovery. Of all the passes built in South Africa by the famous
Andrew Geddes Bain and son, Thomas, Prince Alfred's Pass remains
for many people a favourite because of its lavish variety. Seventy
kilometers long and rising 1,000 meters, it winds through some of
the wildest and most unspoilt scenery in the world.
History of the Pass
By the middle 19th century, Knysna had grown into a thriving centre
for the timber industry and was in urgent need of a better route
inland. A track existed from Plettenberg Bay over Paardekop to De
Vlugt, and from there over Zondagh's Mountain to Avontuur in the
Langkloof. Early travellers complained about poor condition of this
track, especially over Paardekop. Thunberg (1772), Lichtenstein
(1804) and Latrobe (1816) all commented about this "via
horenda".
Forty years later - in 1856 - Andrew Gedded Bain and his son
Thomas, travelled this track after having been asked by the Cape
Toads Department to reconnoitre a route inland. Of Paardekop,
Andrew reported: " The fearful ruggedness of the road outstips even
that between George and Knysna and that is saying enough".
Realising that this track would never lend itself to his purpose,
he suggested that a road be made directly from Knysna to
Avontuur.
The route proposed, was a bridle path used for centuries by early
inhabitants and forest elephants, who would take their young ti the
suny Langkloof when the forests were too wet. Andrew stated that it
would be a "work of many engineering difficulties and more costly
than anything yet attempted in the whole Colony". The estimated
cost was 15,000 pounds.
Building of the Pass
Thomas Bain was asked to build the pass, which would provide him
with his biggest challenge to date. He began work on the pass in
1860. The road would be from Knysna, cutting through the dense
forest to De Vlugt and then Avontuur and then in one place,
climbing 700m over a mere 14km. Convict labour would be used; at
one stage 250 were engaged. While work was in progress, Thomas and
whis family lived at "The Old Place", Knysna belonging to George
Rex. The convict station was at Yzernek, 20km from Knysna. InAugust
of the same year a fire that started in the convicts' kitchen spead
rapidly to the other buildings, and most of the station was
destroyed. An entire new station had to be built. In 1862 the Chief
Inspector of Roads, Mr M. Robinson, expressed his dissatisfaction
at the progress. Not that it was Thomas's fault; teh report stated
that the difficulty was "the cutting and felling through a mass of
enormous trees, many with trunks 70ft long and from 30ft in girth,
clearing these huge trunks and logs away and rooting out the
corresponding large stumps". In 1863 Thomas and his family moved to
De Vlugt to be near the work then commencing in the Poort. Here,
Thomas had to create a whole new hamlet. It included several stone
houses for his overseere, a chapedl-cum-school, visitors' houses
for the doctor, chaplain and magistrate, kitchens for the convicts,
huge stables and magazine and barracks for the road builders. Near
here was the most difficult section of all, the road plunging into
a deep ravine called Reeds Poort (Rietpoort). Thomas reported: "The
work is as formidable, and near the waterdalls more formidable than
any road yet undertaken on loose shale. Dry-stone retaining walls
had to be built, some of them more than 16m high. At Bo
Voogt-se-Kraal, Thomas abandoned the old foot path and followed a
new route into the valley. A sucession of substantial viaducts had
to be constructed to bridge the chasms. Eventually - in 1866 -
Thomas and his team reached the summit. In September of that year
the post-cart started using the pass. However considerable widening
was undertaken before final completion of the pass in May 1867. The
overall cost was 4,000 pounds below the initial estimate.
A road linking Plettenberg Bay to Price Alfred's Pass was built in
1886 by Mr P.H. Ferreira. This follwed the route laid out by Mr
C.L. Stretch in 1858. This road does not go over the "horrendous"
Paardekop, but to the North of it. It joins the Price Alfred's Pass
at Kruisvallei, one of forest stations near Buffelsnek. Traces of
the old track passing over Paardekop can still be seen.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Sbyybj gur yvggyr cngu, pnershyy abg gb fgrc ba vg!