Detour #135: Franschhoek Pass, South Africa
Photo Sudhir Matai
Most people visit Franschhoek for the delicious wine, but the Franschhoek Pass is an even tastier treat for keen drivers, reckons Sudhir Matai.
Franschhoek, about an hour outside of Cape Town, is probably one of the most visited towns in the Western Cape. Boutique wineries with exquisite tasting rooms draw locals and tourists alike, who flock here en masse on weekends and over the southern hemisphere summer. But enthusiastic drivers and international automakers come here for another reason completely: the Franschhoek Pass.
Drive through the main drag of the idyllic French Corner or, less literally, French Quarter and once you’ve passed the many street-side cafes and curio shops you end at a T-junction that marks the start of the pass, or Lambrechts Road, as no one ever calls it. Turn left at the Huguenot Memorial and you are already on one of the best driving roads in South Africa. The initial rise is gentle, through a wooded and gently snaking cambered section that can often be damp under foot. Just a short run later you are at the first hairpin corner with a large gradient change.
From here Franschhoek Pass rises along a gentle contour for a few kilometres. This section is characterised by open corners with clear sight lines. Power trumps grip and even fast SUVs are fun through here. Far below to the left is the town you just departed. There are a few viewpoints, but the prime viewing spot awaits.
One needs to negotiate almost a corkscrew and a “double hairpin” before cresting the peak at nearly 750 metres above sea level. This unique corner sequence and the mountainous backdrop has appeared in countless car adverts and OEM media kit images. The pass’s only paved view spot allows unparalleled vistas of the adjacent mountains to the left and a full view of SA’s most famous wine-producing town below.
From the crest one heads downhill through a set of open curves that lead into two long hairpins, one of them with an apex that always seems to be further around the corner than you remember. The road then plunges into a tighter and more unforgiving section of Franschhoek Pass. Blacktop hugs the vertical rock faces to the right with sheer drops to the left down to the brackish water of the Du Toits river.
I’ve driven several dozen cars up and down this tight and tricky track with its dense corner count. To run at a quick pace through here you really need something with plenty of grip and a faithful front end. Understeering here at pace could end in a barrier, or worse…
Once you pop out of the bottom of the twisty tarmac you are treated to a wonderful view of Theewaterskloof Dam to the right, which is Cape Town’s largest water source. A long, flat and open section of road runs parallel to the water’s edge and ends at another T-junction, the same way it started.
Turn left and you can head to the small town of Villiersdorp, turn right and you can drive over the dam wall for a better view of the large body of water. Better yet, hang a U-turn and head back to drive back up Franschhoek Pass to enjoy it all over again. For me it’s the latter, every time.
Words and photography Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Twitter | Instagram
If you’re in the area don’t forget to visit the fabulous Franschhoek Motor Museum.