That's one way

Today we made the long drive from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay. It’s a fair way, but once out of the city and onto the N2 it is mainly straight roads and quite easy driving . . .  

. . . until you are travelling through Somerset West and in front of you appears a seemingly impenetrable barrier – the Hottentots Holland Mountain Range. There doesn’t seem to be any way through and yet you know you have to get to the other side to find the East Coast. As you get nearer you notice a road that appears to make its way up the side of the mountain – vertically! This is the Sir Lowry Pass. The pass has been used since early times and continued to be the only way through, even when it was just a track and very dangerous. Now it is a four-lane highway and not a problem at all. 
 
As you reach the highest point, there is a viewpoint that we always stop off at, as we did today. The views are fantastic, but this time there was more to look at – a group of paragliders were there and we were able to watch them launch themselves into the air and soar away high above the mountains. I was astonished to see one after another just step off the rock face into . . . nothing!
 
Here is one, just as he had set off. Below him you can see the ring of mountains and the road through Somerset West we had come along. To the left out of the picture is False Bay. The extra picture shows a few second later, as he was flying into the mountains to join another glider. In this picture you can see the road though the Pass snaking its way up the mountain-side.
 
Thank you for all the comments, stars and hearts left over the last few days – I appreciate every one. It has all been a bit full on so far, but we are now settled for almost a week in our wonderful apartment in Plett and I will be able to catch up with everyone.