En route to Sani Pass we found the real Lesotho

The ups and downs of driving through lesotho

5y ago
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The chances of finding a flat road in Lesotho are slim, you are either going up a mountain or down one so the name Mountain Kingdom is no understatement but what could also be a good slogan for Lesotho is ‘Friendly Kingdom’. Everybody is friendly, full of smiles and jokes and willing to help. It is also an off-roader’s paradise and our end goal was to finish the trip coming down Sani Pass, an infamous and history rich dirt road between South Africa and Lesotho. Now while we are not ones to shy away from off-road experiences we got more than we bargained for during our week traversing this beautiful, underrated country.

Sunset over Katse Dam

Sunset over Katse Dam

Our journey took us into Lesotho via the quiet Caledonspoort border post then into the bustling little town of Butha Buthe where we decided to get some supplies and sim cards. A very generous shopkeeper helped us cut the card to a nano size and refused any sort of payment from us. From there we headed through Hltose and Lejone towards the mighty Katse dam and down to Bokong and Katse Village which was our first stop on this trip. The roads were decently tarred with only the odd pothole or fallen rock to watch out for and not much in the way of other traffic.

Katse Lodge

Katse Lodge

We spent four nights at Katse lodge which is perched atop a very large hill overlooking the enormous dam and is tranquil, comfortable and reasonably priced. On one outing to find a few necessities (including the local beer - Maluti) we found ourselves at a shebeen (informal local bar) where a boozed up patron offered to trade one of his chickens for my girlfriend, we called it a day after this and headed back to the lodge bar for a few drinks. On another outing to find a fishing spot to try to catch some trout (permits can be bought at the lodge for R50) we found a quiet out-of-the-way spot on the river below the dam wall which required a bit of off-roading skill to get to. We were slowly learning that once you get off the main roads the going can get tough very quickly.

Traffic, Lesotho style

Traffic, Lesotho style

After Katse lodge we were booked into Sani Mountain Lodge to spend New Year’s eve at the ‘Highest Pub in Africa’. So we set out early on the route that Google Maps told us was the fastest route and thought we would be be there by lunch time. It looked like a good shortcut to get onto the main A1 road and the total distance was only 160km. Little did we know that this 160km route would take us 9 hrs and cost us many grey hairs..

When you head into the unknown, adventure is bound to follow

After a short distance on the tar road we took the indicated turn off and were immediately presented with a muddy downhill and after a quick inspection the road beyond look reasonable so we decided to continue. So off we went on a road that at some points could not be described as a road but rather a hardly used goat track. We kept hoping that it would improve but it didn’t, there was a muddy decline followed by a rocky incline followed by a slippery decline followed by more mud and rocks. This is how it kept on going and our speed dropped to a crawl because we were spending most of the time in low range, the highest gear we go to was 3rd (in low range). The pace was so slow that at one point on the start of yet another rocky, slippery uphill we passed a girl on foot and halfway up she passed us. In sheer hope we stuck to this road and the kilometers slowly clicked by one-by-one, we guided each other using walkie-talkies and neither of our cars (2 Toyota Fortuners named Storm and Pumba) actually got stuck or needed recovery.

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Eventually after taking 5 hours to do around 30kms and passing through numerous villages filled with sweet craving children we came to a larger village and parked next to one of the huts was a minibus taxi. This gave us hope as there was no way that taxi had come the way we had so it must have come a different (easier) road. As we came out of the village we rejoiced at the sight of a smooth gravel road in the distance. Our spirits lifted and I don’t think anybody could be as happy as us to see that dirt road.

Finally, a "proper" road

Finally, a "proper" road

Once on the decent dirt road our speed increased and we were able to slide our Fortuners into high range and increase our speed. It still took us another 4 hours to travel the rest of the way to Sani Mountain Lodge and the first thing we did when we arrived was gulp down a quart of Maluti beer at the ‘Highest Pub in Africa’. It was a New Year's Eve we will never forget and as soon as the fireworks went off at midnight we turned in for some well earned rest.

The next day we lazed around not doing much except for a few walks along the edge of the escarpment admiring the vast views of the Drakensberg. Then the following day was the final attraction of the trip - Sani Pass. We had heard so much about the pass and how rough it can be and it can only be done with 4x4s but looking down at the pass from the lodge it did not look that bad.

After the quick passport stamp we said goodbye to Lesotho, a stunning kingdom in the sky that left it’s giant impression on us, and started slowly down Sani Pass. It was an easy drive offering brilliant photo opportunities all the way down. When the weather is good and your vehicle has decent ground clearance this road is a breeze (made clear by the many minibus taxis going up and down) and is a definite must-do on any sightseeing list. As we discovered the rough and formidable routes are hidden inside Lesotho and when you head into the unknown, adventure is bound to follow.

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