Prince Alfred's Pass is one of the great gravel roads of the Cape, and it is wonderfully unhurried. It runs for around seventy kilometres from the forests of Knysna north to Avontuur, climbing through the Outeniqua Mountains to just over a thousand metres, and it is the sort of road where the journey is more important than the destination. The pass was designed by Thomas Bain and built in the 1860s, and it is named for Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred, who visited the Cape in 1860.
The first stretch from Knysna runs through indigenous forest, with tall yellowwoods, ferns, and mossy trunks. As the road climbs, the forest gives way to fynbos and then to a drier, more open landscape of the Langkloof, a long valley known for its apple orchards. The contrast is dramatic, and so is the geology: the road is cut into sandstone and quartzite, and the scenery changes every few kilometres. There are old picnic spots, a few river crossings, and a very strong sense of remoteness.
It is a road for adventure bikes, or at least for riders who are comfortable on gravel. The surface is graded dirt, with corrugations, stones, and patches of deep, loose material. After heavy rain it can become muddy, and sections are narrow, with drops at the edge. Allow plenty of time, since the speed is low and the road is long. Mobile coverage is patchy.
The nearest towns with proper supplies are Knysna to the south and Uniondale beyond the northern end. Avontuur, which means adventure, is the tiny railhead at the top and it lives up to the name with its stillness. Spring and autumn are good seasons, with mild temperatures and clear skies, while winter can bring cold, rain, and even snow on the high ground. It is best to start early, since the light fades fast in the forest and a gravel pass is not something to tackle in the dark.