
Namibia’s longest mountain pass, 192 km of gravel from Windhoek across the Great Escarpment at nearly 1,900 m, descending through the Kuiseb valley to the edge of the Namib, with no towns and no tarmac.
The C26 leaves Windhoek southwest into the Khomas Highland before cresting Gamsberg Pass (1,867 m), where the flat-topped Gamsberg inselberg dominates, then descends dramatically into the Kuiseb valley toward the desert before rejoining C14 near Rostock. The entire 192 km is unpaved gravel, one of the great Southern African gravel drives; carry extra fuel and water.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Gamsberg Pass on the map122.8 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 93Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%1,033.3 – 2,066.2 mPoints of interest1 stop
- Kupferberg PassViewpoint16 mi in
Hazards
- Entirely unpaved gravel
- Corrugated sections
- Loose stones
- No fuel between Windhoek and C14
- Summer flash floods
Sources
“The Gamsberg Pass is the longest and the highest pass in Namibia, with a maximum altitude of 1867 metres above sea level.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Gamsberg Pass.





