The Long Tom Pass gets its name from the Long Tom cannons used during the Anglo-Boer war.
The original Long Tom Pass was a treacherous one, steep gradients hairpin bends and hair raising drops. It was originally the route followed by pioneer wagon drivers transporting goods from Mozambique to Lyndeburg. The road tumbled over the so called Devil's Knuckles, and many wagons were lost in this area as it was so dangerous.
The road followed down to Spitskop and then across the Lowveld, which in those days was a dangerous area where wild animals roamed freely, this coupled with the mosquitoes made it a difficult journey. Today as you travel on the new tarred road you will still see the old road twisting over its dangerous course. This area is also rich in vegetation, eucalyptus and pine trees are planted here and the scene is dominated by the peaks of Mount Anderson and Mauchsberg.
