About the Route
This route takes you from the coastal town of Hartenbos to the beautiful small village of De Rust over mostly gravel roads. The first section from Hartenbos to George is on tar, but it avoids the highways. At George we turn onto the gravel road that leads to the Montagu Pass. Just before the actual pass starts, you will pass the old Toll House. Please do yourself and the dedicated people at the toll house a favour and have some pancakes/coffee here. There is loads of history surrounding the montagu pass and the old pass it replaced. They are more than willing to tell you the stories while you enjoy your coffee and pancakes and through this you support the continuing existence of this piece of history. After you sett off again, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Montagu Pass. In normal circumstances the pass is supposed to be an easy and well developed pass that is accessible to any level rider. However, we had the privilege to enjoy this pass in one of the worst states imaginable (it was actually closed at the time) and this made it a real adventure. Because of this, the pass took is about 1,5 hour to complete, but in a good state I think it's a short, but lovely, ride. At the end of the pass you will cross some tarred roads, before you hit the gravel once again. This stunning gravel road takes you through stunning scenery and if you are lucky you can spot some Ostriches. please be careful with your speed, we encountered several ostriches on the road itself and due to the fences on both sides they can't alway move away from you. We thoroughly enjoyed this section as the dramatic views are breathtaking. There is a small section (The signboard said it was the Paardepoort) where you will see the old road on your left hand side at the mountain. It gives a beautiful example of the way the roads were built back then. You will get back on the tar road as you enter Dysseldorp and from here it is a short ride on the tar to De Rust. We slept just a few km's outside of the village itself at The Rusty Farm. The accommodation is very affordable, but nothing luxurious. however, it gives you the feeling of being back at grandmothers old farmhouse. They also offer meat packages and bread. The Rust itself is definitely worth a visit with lovely restaurants/bars and a good atmosphere.