Gamkaskloof aka: "Die Hel" or "The Hell" - Road Trip to Hell and Back

Gamkaskloof, also known as Die Hel, or The Hell is located in a remote valley in the Swartberg mountains in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It was entirely cut off from the outside world until 1962, when the road; actually a steep, windy and sometimes dangerous gravel track, was built. Most of the original 160 residents of the valley left soon after the road was completed, the last one departing in 1991.
These days, Piet and Marinette Joubert, descendants of Annetjie Joubert, the last remaining resident, have created a Shangri-la, a small piece of paradise buried deep in the mountains. There is no cell phone reception, no internet and although it's not a requirement, a 4x4 vehicle is definitely recommended to negotiate the sometimes treacherous gravel road.
The old cottages have been lovingly and authentically restored and can be rented for the night, or for longer. Ouma Sannie se Winkel and restaurant is a must. You can get a delicious home cooked meal, farm fresh produce, or just a cold beer to enjoy in the shade of the indigenous old trees in the garden. There's plenty to do in the area which is popular with mountain bikers and hikers. It's a place I can totally recommend visiting at least once in your life if at all possible. Marinette handles the bookings, email is best because farm work means that the phone isn't always attended, you can book through the website below. I do recommend having a look at the Mountain Passes website if you are planning to go, they have a km by km description of the route, which I found very useful.
Here's the blog post: kangela.com/ga...
Gamkaskloof website: gamkaskloof.co.za/
Mountain Passes: tinyurl.com/e5...
Cape Nature Website: tinyurl.com/bu...
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I’m Chris, an overlanding, adventure & road trip fanatic and video creator with a passion for nature & an outdoor life. My motto is "live your adventure". After many years in the digital marketing space, I opted out of corporate life and embraced an overland road tripping and adventure lifestyle instead.
I'm currently embarked on a 2 year long mission, Project #60460, to visit 60 of the most unique places in southern and east Africa to mark my 60th year on this, the only planet that we have. I'll be sharing the adventure with videos, community updates and stories. And along the way I will be highlighting the plight of 3 of Africa's big cats: the Lion, Leopard & Cheetah.
Join me on this epic overland road trip and help save these incredible predators by supporting me on Patreon: / kangela
Kangela: "to look with curious eyes"
Available for collaborations: [e-mail]
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