the swartberg pass was built, with convict labor, between 1881 and 1888 by thomas bain, son of the famous andrew geddes bain, who built bain's kloof pass and many others in the western cape. the main motivation for building the pass was to provide an all-weather road connection between the southern great karoo, and oudtshoorn (and from there to the sea). the two alternative roads, through the meiringspoort and the seweweekspoort defiles, were subject to periodic flooding, after heavy thunderstorms in the great karoo. the swartberg pass is not tarred and can be treacherously slippery after rain. it also becomes impassable after heavy snowfalls on the mountain, a not infrequent occurrence in winter.