East of Graskop the plateau comes to a sudden end. The road leaves the grassland and plantations behind and begins to fall toward the Lowveld, a drop of hundreds of metres in a few kilometres, with views opening between the trees and the air getting noticeably warmer as you descend. On this side of the escarpment the climate changes from cool highveld to subtropical bush, and you can feel it on your skin before the thermometer agrees.
The rivers draw the eye here. Close to Graskop, the Lisbon and Berlin Falls drop off the escarpment edge into forested gorges, and the water feeds streams that run down toward the Sabie and Blyde catchments. Short walks from the car parks lead to viewpoints, and the roar of the falls grows louder as you approach. In the rainy summer months they run full, brown with soil, and the mist from them can sit above the treetops.
For riders the interest is the descent itself. The roads that tumble off the escarpment, including the famous Kowyn's Pass on the way to Hazyview, wind down through tight bends with steep banks and tall trees. The surface is generally good, but leaf litter, wet patches and occasional loose gravel on corners deserve respect, and slow trucks on the descent are common. Use engine braking rather than leaning on the front brake, and watch for baboons and monkeys that sit by the verge looking for handouts.
The Lowveld below is hotter, drier and busier. Citrus orchards, banana plantations and small farming towns line the roads, and there are craft markets, curio stalls and fruit sellers beside the tar. The nearest larger town with proper services listed in our data is Thulamahashi, about thirty-six kilometres away, but most riders find fuel and food in Hazyview or back in Graskop, where the choice is better. Fill up before you commit to a long section of the escarpment, because the garages are spaced further apart than you might like.
Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms, usually rolling in around three or four o'clock with cracks of lightning over the escarpment and sudden downpours that turn the road to a river for ten minutes. Start early, get your viewpoints done by midday, and be somewhere dry with a cold drink when the cloud builds. In winter the days are clear and dry, the grass turns the colour of straw, and the air can be cold at the top and warm at the bottom.