Cloete's Pass Block House Multi-Cache
Cloete's Pass Block House
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Parking at the above co-ordinates you will see the block house on top of the hill to your east. Unfortunately one cannot visit it because of private property. The Cloete's Pass is a mountain pass between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Langeberg-East Mountains on the R327 which connects Herbertsdale with Klein Karoo towns of Van Wyksdorp , Ladismith and Calitzdorp. This largely unknown pass was already used in the 1860s first as a Bridal Path followed by an ox path and was defended by a block house during the Anglo-Boer war. The pass was probably named after the family who owned the land on the southern side of the pass. For the farmers in the Little Karoo, immediately north of the pass, this shortcut to Mossel Bay with its harbour was a welcome route. Before the opening of Cloete’s Pass farmers had to travel 110 km west to the Plattekloof or 30 km east over the Attaquaskloof followed by the Robinson Pass. Herbertsdale was only founded in 1865 while Van Wyksdorp was founded in 1904. Initially known as the Cloeteskraalpas the Cloete Mountain is directly north of the pass is 1007m high, to the northeast lies Spitskop at 1029m and north-northwest Vreysberg at 1110m before the road ascends to the Gourits River valley. Crossing the Gourits is done over a causeway which can be flooded relatively easily because the river and its tributaries have a very large catchment. After 1910 the route was adjusted to eliminate the steeper parts. On the south side, the old path remains to be seen where it runs slightly west of the new trajectory. The old and new parts merge in the valley to the north before continuing. At this particular point, the remains of a stone fortification from the ...............Second Boer War (1899-1902) .................that was used by the Mossel Bay District Mounted Troops can be seen. It stands on a small hill in the angle formed by the junction of the old and new path. A kilometre further north toward the Little Karoo is the ruin of a blockhouse. The blockhouse has views over the flat portion of the pass leading to the Little Karoo. There is even the third ruin of a fort. The men stationed here had prevented Boer commando assistance, particularly in the form of fresh horses and of weapons and ammunition supplied by ships on the coast, to be received from supporters in the southern Cape. Another two of these forts can be found in other Southern Cape passes, perhaps indicating the importance of this route for soldiers on horseback. ...........Small pill container with logbook ...........Bring own pen.......... If you look east from the cache you will see the remains of the blockhouse on the hill +/- 350 meter away .................... To get the Cache co-ordinates you must use the Second Boer War dates: Start date ?X// End date ?/+$ .................. S 33° 55.3$3 E $?° 44./67
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ebpxf haqre ohfu