The first Europeans to cross the Hottentots Holland Mountains followed the old Gantouw (“Eland’s Path”), which went straight over the mountain between the present Sir Lowry’s Pass Village and Grabouw. On reaching the top of this tortuous, almost vertical pass, the travellers would thankfully say they were “over het gebergte” (over the mountain), and this name came to be applied to the huge region that stretches as far as Swellendam and Cape Agulhas. It was only in 1830 that Col Charles Michel, Surveyor-General of the Cape Colony, completed the re-aligned Sir Lowry’s Pass, which made crossing the mountain less arduous. The pass was tarred in the 1930s, and the modern four-lane road (N2) was completed in 1984.

The area beyond Sir Lowry’ Pass – known as the Elgin Valley – today presents a seemingly endless vista of deciduous fruit orchards, vineyards and forestry plantations. Three hundred years ago, however, it was completely treeless, covered only by fynbos shrubs, and early European travellers had to find shade under their wagons.

The old wagon route ran some distance to the north of the present N2, crossing the Palmiet River where the town of Grabouw was later founded in 1856.

Here the traveller may leave the N2 and drive through a rural landscape of orchards, through Viljoen’s Pass and past the Theewaterskloof Dam (popular for water sports), to Villiersdorp, established by Field Cornet de Villiers in 1843. The town may also be reached over the Franschhoek Pass.

Or stay on the N2 with its fine farm stalls, continue on the old wagon route over Houw Hoek Pass, to the village of Botrivier and the historic Compagne’s Drift. From here one can take the Van der Stel’s Pass (gravel road) to Villiersdorp, and from there the Genadendal/Greyton road (part gravel) along the scenic Sonderend River.

For those who do not want to take back roads, the N2 continues over the hills and meadows typical of the Overberg. A tarred road to Genadendal and Greyton turns off the N2 just before one reaches Caledon, the administrative centre for the area.

Stop over in Greyton, a village that grew around irrigation channels and market gardens. Today it is a tree-lined retreat that epitomises sophisticated country life, with art galleries, regular music recitals and an annual Rose Festival. Follow the gravel road that was once part of the Old Cape Wagon Route along the Riviersonderend mountains, past Het Ziekenhuys and Lindeshof, to rejoin the N2 at the village of Riviersonderend.

Alternatively, return to the N2 at Caledon and on to Riviersonderend, which was laid out in 1925 as a 'dry' town, i.e. no liquor was sold there. The area offers wonderful natural beauty in its mountains, ideal for hikes and quiet stays. At Tygerhoek outside the town one can see one of the original Dutch signal cannons along the Old Cape Wagon Route, used between 1695 and 1806 to call up the burgher militia in the event of an attack on the Colony. The system was used effectivlely during the British attacks of 1795 at Simon's Town and in 1806 at Blaauwberg. It took about 8 hours for the signal to reach Swellendam from Table Bay, whereas a messenger on horseback would have taken several days.

From Riviersonderend (often abbreviated to RSE) the N2 continues to the hamlet of Stormsvlei, where a road turns off to Bonnievale, and on to Swellendam.