The R62 through Barrydale is a road of long distances and small surprises. The town is a modest place, sitting in the Little Karoo between the Langeberg and the Swartberg ranges, a few tidy streets, a main road, and a population of a few thousand. It was founded as a farming settlement, and its economy still depends on fruit, olives, sheep and now, increasingly, on travellers on Route 62 who stop for a meal and some air.
West of the town, the road runs back towards Swellendam, and east of it the Tradouw Pass cuts through the Langeberg, built in the 1870s by Thomas Bain, the son of the same Andrew Geddes Bain who engineered Montagu's gorge. The Tradouw is short and enjoyable, a smooth, curving climb through rock walls with proteas and fynbos on the slopes, and the road is a real pleasure on a bike. Farther east, you reach a famous roadside bar, Ronnie's Sex Shop, whose name began as a joke after a prank sign and became a landmark, covered inside in scrawls and bras. It is exactly as odd as it sounds, and a good stop for a cold drink.
Weather matters. The Little Karoo is dry, with hot summers and cold winter nights, and storms can flood the dry riverbeds quickly. Watch for livestock, baboons on the pass, and trucks in the narrow sections. The wide open landscape gives long views, but the light can be harsh at midday, and early morning and late afternoon are best.
There is fuel in town, and a handful of cafes, craft shops and guesthouses. It is a gentle place to pause, with the feeling of the old Karoo, where the main event of the afternoon is a long lunch on a shaded stoep. Leave time to wander and talk, because people here are usually keen to chat about the road and the weather.