Graskop Gorge Lift

The Graskop Gorge

Graskop is located about 400 kilometers away from Johannesburg. It’s on the Panorama route in the province of Mpumalanga.

The Panorama route is one of five tourist routes in Mpumalanga, and this includes the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window, and a number of other attractions.

It’s a beautiful, picturesque area surrounded by mountains and gorges and waterfalls.

Finding the Gorge Lift Company is quite easy. It’s just outside the town of Graskop. There’s ample parking, and once you’re inside, getting your tickets is a fairly simple affair. The gorge lift operates frequently, so there’s no need to book your tickets in advance.

It’s then just a short walk from the ticket office down to the lift.

For the adrenaline junkies, there’s a gorge swing that starts close to the top of the Motsitsi Falls and drops an exhilarating 68 meters almost to the bottom of the gorge.

The lift has clear, glass panels so you can enjoy the scenery as you go 50 meters vertically down into the gorge. It’s an amazing transition from the warm grasslands at the top of the escarpment down into the cool, dark mountain forest within the gorge.

The walk through the forest consists of elevated walkways and suspension bridges over the stream at the bottom of the gorge. One of the things I like is that there are a lot of information boards along the way. This deep, cool, sun-dappled environment is completely different to the rolling grasslands just 70 meters above. There’s tall yellowwood trees, mosses on the rocks, and streams of water cascading down the rock faces.

As you make your way down the walkways, you slowly move down to the different layers of the forest until you get to the bottom of the Motsitsi Falls. The Motsitsi Falls are beautiful from the top, but getting up close at the bottom within the gorge is a real treat. The Motsitsi Falls drops 70 meters from the escarpment down to the bottom of the gorge.

There are numerous other attractions in the area. God’s Window and Wonder View are a mere 12 kilometer drive away.

Wonder View is a fantastic view over the valley below. It’s really spectacular on a clear day. Supposedly, you can see all the way out to the Kruger National Park. If you’re on the Panorama Route, this is definitely recommended.

Also close by is the Mac Mac Falls and the Mac Mac Pools. The falls are a sheer 65 meter drop into a gorge not too dissimilar from the Graskop falls. The pools upstream of the gorge are a great place to take a dip on a hot day. Click here to read more about Mac Mac Falls.

There are many other places to visit in the area, that includes Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and quite a few others. Click here to see a list of our recommended places to visit.

The Graskop Gorge lift is definitely worth experiencing if you’re on the Panorama Route and I highly recommend it.

Rates:
Adults: R20
Children aged 4 – 16: R10
Children under 4 are free.

Opening Hours:
Daily from 08:00 to 17:00

Location:
R533 Graskop Gorge, Graskop, 1270 (Oposite side of the Gorge as the Big Swing)

Phone: 066 305 1572

Website: http://graskopgorgeliftcompany.co.za/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GraskopGorgeLiftCo/