Long before there was a road, elephants walked this route, and the earliest track was known as the Olifantspad, the elephant path. The animals found the easiest way across the mountains between the Franschhoek valley and the high plains of the Theewaterskloof, and later hunters, traders and farmers followed them, until a proper pass was built in the nineteenth century. Today the R45 climbs the same line, and the thought of elephants lumbering up it gives the mountain an extra dimension.
From the village, the road climbs on the south side of the valley in a series of bends, with Franschhoek spread out below among the vineyards. At the top, a viewpoint and monument look down over the valley and the winding road, with the great mass of the Groenberg and Wemmershoek ranges beyond. Then it drops steeply on the far side toward the Lebanon forestry area and the Theewaterskloof dam, a huge reservoir that supplies Cape Town with water. The surface is good and the corners well engineered, with some tight hairpins, but mist and wind can strike on the summit, and in the rain the climb needs respect.
Cyclists and sightseers use the pass heavily at weekends, so go early on a weekday for the clearest road. Fynbos covers the slopes, and in spring and early summer there are proteas, ericas and watsonias in flower, while baboons and rock hyrax appear at the roadside. Fog is common in winter, and the temperature drops sharply near the top, so a spare layer is sensible. The light in the late afternoon turns the mountains deep blue.
Grabouw, nearly thirty kilometres away, is the main town on the eastern side, famous for apples, and Stellenbosch and Paarl are the large centres to the west. Farm stalls and cafés in the valley are a good place to stop for lunch, while the dam on the far side is a pleasant spot for a break, with water, birds and an open sky.