It’s a shameful thing not to recognise a growing hop when you see one, especially with beer being the national drink. It’s a bit like not linking a cow’s udder to a milk bottle. But so it was – row after row of sky-high crops trailing up supports attached to a webbed ceiling. “What on earth are those?” I embarrass myself by asking out loud. “Yup, hops,” says our farmer host sardonically, “smell like hydroponic marijuana in picking season.” Himself, he’s rearing chooks and supersized beetroot and breeding miniature Nguni/Dexter bulls.
Hop-picking season, when the buds on the heady creepers turn bright yellow, is around March and then it’s all hands to the ladder on behalf of the beer-making industry giant. Right now though, it’s coming down in buckets over the hapless crops – not just rain, but chunks of hail big enough to chill a gin-and-tonic. The micro-climate of the Montagu Pass, said to be so perfectly suited to hop growing, could be suffering the effects of world weather changes along with everywhere else. But the Montagu Pass isn’t like anywhere else; it’s a forgotten tract the rest of the country seems to have grown up around.
Our beetroot-and-bull breeder friend had given us clear directions: N2 to George. Up the main drag (York Street). Top of the road veer left round circle, straight over next circle, straight past Engen. This is the beginning of the Outeniqua Pass. Take second Montagu Pass turn-off. Womble up pass, soak in views. With all the other cars flashing past on the mighty modern (well, 1950-something) Outeniqua Pass, we cut a lone swathe off onto the low-walled serpentine track.
Completed in 1847 under the surveillance of, among others, Henry Fancourt (think golf destination) White, and by the sweat of 250 convicts with the force of a great deal of gun powder, it made contemporary waggoners’ passage through the impenetrable Outeniqua mountains to the interior a breeze. To compensate for its being upstaged by the later dual-carriageway version, in 1972 the Montagu Pass was made a national monument – too late to revive the spirit of the once pioneering bijou dorp of Herold, which sits in a dip some way towards the end of the 16km pass, waiting to be rediscovered.
On a gentle amble through the hamlet, where the traffic amounts to a small pack of sweaty cyclists who’ve toiled manfully up the pass from George, we come across some tempting if derelict renovator’s-dream packing sheds, the posting agency, local school, sporadic isolated farming communities, lowing cattle, couple of ostriches, a hopeful kerk and the Over the Mountain guest farm and tea garden. This last is made up of a clutch of restored historic buildings, including the old police station and gaol in the shade of vines and blossoming jacarandas. Tranquility or what?
Other relics of the pass’s heyday are the old toll house, where once it would have set you back two pence for each wheel of the vehicle you took through the gate and half a pence for a four-legged animal. There’s also the old Keur River Bridge and Amanda’s Grave, where Amanda’s husband proposed to her and where her ashes are now scattered. Although the original old stone wall still romantically embraces the winding gravel pass, there’s been a move to harness invading aliens and one local farmer is producing rather smart wattle fencing.
But back to the crop hopping. Refreshingly, in among all the old pass’s flanking fields of beer-to-be, is Herold Winery, recently taken over by Nico and Maureen Fourie from Limpopo. Six of the farm’s 16ha are under grape, generating a range of what they call Wines of the Outeniqua. At the foot of Cradock Peak, highest point of the mountain range, with a patio restaurant, cellar tours, grazing sheep, fynbos walks and a recently discovered bushman painting, it’s a nice little place to pause and sip – or stay and drink in the scenery and the history.
Getting there
From Cape Town, go on the N2 via George, up the Outeniqua Pass and turn right to Montagu Pass. From Oudtshoorn, come down the N12, into the N9 and take a right. What’s handy about Montagu Pass is that it’s equidistant between the Garden Route and Route 62 if you plan to do both in one trip.
Where to stay
Over The Mountain guest farm has both BB and self-catering facilities, from R550 a night for two. See www.overthemountain.co.za. Self-catering farm cottages at Herold Wines are R350 a night for two. See www.heroldwines.co.za.
What to do
This is hiking, biking, birding and chilling country. Check www.capenature.co.za for info on the Cradock Pass day trail. It’s also quad-biking land – check www.quadgardenroute.co.za for info on guided Montagu Pass quad adventures from R150 pp per half hour to R650 for three hours.
By George
When you’ve had your fill of mountain peaks and undulating passes, head for the hots pots of George, less than 20km away. See www.tourismgeorge.co.za.
Click here to Book Accommodation in Cradock, Graaf Reinett, Hofmeyer or surrounds.
Article source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/travel/2012/02/26/weekend-escape-pass-go