Khomas Region · Namibia
Spreetshoogte Pass
D1275Nauchas to Solitaire
The steepest pass in Namibia plunges off the Khomas Highland escarpment into the Namib Desert in savage switchbacks on a gravel road barely two vehicles wide, with views across an infinite plain.
D1275 branches off C14 at Nauchas and crosses the Great Escarpment via Spreetshoogte before rejoining C14 at Solitaire. The dramatic section drops roughly 1,000 m in 4 km at gradients between 1:4.5 and 1:6; the steepest pitches are block-paved against washout, the rest gravel. The summit viewpoint at ~1,822 m overlooks the Namib floor. Low-range 4x4 advised; avoid summer rains.
The steepest pass in Namibia, a savage gravel plunge off the Khomas escarpment into the Namib with the desert floor stretching to the horizon far below.
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Spreetshoogte Pass on the map37.8 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 38Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%1,064.6 – 1,821.8 mPoints of interest1 stop
- Spreetshoogte PassViewpoint8.9 mi in
Hazards
- Steepest gravel pass in Namibia (1:4.5)
- Loose gravel on descent
- No barriers on cliff edges
- Corrugations
- Summer flash floods
Sources
“The Spreetshoogte Pass is the steepest pass in Namibia, with a gradient of 1:4.5 at its steepest point.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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