Wagon Trail Gantouw Pass

About Wagon Trail Gantouw Pass

The Gantouw Pass Wagon Trail is a historical site in the Hottentots-Holland Nature Reserve where deep ruts from 17th-century ox-wagons remain etched into the sandstone rock. Located above Sir Lowry's Pass near Somerset West, the pass served as the primary route over the mountains for more than 150 years before the modern Sir Lowry's Pass was completed in 1830. The word "Gantouw" (or Gantouwers) is derived from the Khoikhoi language, meaning "Path of the Eland". The route originally followed a game track used by migratory eland and indigenous people. Ox-Wagon Ruts: The iconic grooves were created by the locked rear wheels of ox-wagons as they were dragged down the steep, slippery slopes. Perilous Journey: At its peak in 1821, approximately 4,500 wagons crossed annually. However, the route was so treacherous that roughly one in five wagons was damaged or destroyed during the ascent.