Prince Alfred's Pass runs north from the forests of Knysna over the Outeniqua range to the dry valley called the Langkloof, and Avontuur sits at its far end, a small farming outpost where the green of the coast gives way to orchards and rock. The name means adventure in Afrikaans, and the pass, opened in 1867 and designed by the road engineer Thomas Bain, is among the finest of his works, climbing in great bends through indigenous forest, across a high stretch of mountain fynbos, and down the northern slope.
The pass is largely gravel. It runs for around seventy kilometres, with a surface that is usually passable for a bike but can be loose, rutted or slick after rain. Corners are wide, the gradients are gentle, and the dense forest of yellowwood and stinkwood gives way to open views of mountains. Weather in the high part can turn cold and misty. It is a road for an adventure bike, or a careful touring rider with the right tyres, and anyone in doubt should ask locally about conditions.
The Langkloof is a long, narrow valley between two mountain ranges, famous for apples and other fruit. Orchards of apple and pear stretch along the valley floor, and in spring the blossom is spectacular. A narrow-gauge railway, known as the Apple Express, once carried fruit from here to Port Elizabeth, and the line was among the longest narrow-gauge lines in the world. The valley is dry, quiet and wide, with a feeling of space after the dense forest.
Practicalities matter here. Fuel is scarce along the pass and in the valley, so fill up in Knysna before you set out, and carry spare water and a puncture kit. Services in Avontuur are minimal, and cell reception is patchy. Allow plenty of daylight, since the pass takes longer than the distance suggests, and avoid it in heavy rain, when the surface can be dangerous.