The Bastervoetpad - Barkly East/Elliot to Ugie is a spectacular scenic road that links the top of Barkly Pass to Ugie and combines technical driving with stunning views.
The road is rough in places, so high clearance vehicles are recommended and 4x4 in wet weather.
This pass was named after the Griquas who pioneered this route on their great trek in 1862 from Philippolis to what was then known as Niemandsland (No Man’ s Land), later the district of Maclear and Ugie. It was a year of bad drought and the Griquas, under the leadership of Adam Kok III, endured much hardship and struggle, with many of their cattle dying along the way. There was no road to follow over the mountain escarpment and in places they had to dismantle their wagons and carry them, piece by piece.
The Griquas settled in the foothills near Gatberg, a mountain easily seen from the top of the pass with its distinctive hole in the peak, formed by two slabs of rock leaning against each other. Over time, they moved further east to Kokstad, where the veld was sweeter and the soil more fertile. The area was named East Griqualand in 1878.
In later years, trekboers from Barkly East used the same route to take their cattle to sweet spring grazing around Maclear. A properly constructed road was opened in 1979.
The rock formations in the area are of interests to geologists as there is evidence of glacial formation. The views at the top of the pass are breathtaking and reminiscent of Valley of a Thousand Hills. One of my favourite memories is stopping for a picnic at this point and coming eyeball to eyeball with two Cape Vultures also looking for lunch.
