A LESOTHO EXPERIENCE
Written by: S.N. Cottrell, Pictures: M.J. Cottrell, Web page: P.J. Cottrell
Almost exactly two years after our trip with Hugh and Heather, we enjoyed another interesting and exciting adventure through Lesotho, this time with Peter and Linda. The knowledge we picked up on the earlier trip was of great help, though we found that the AA map was incorrect and totally inadequate. We were thrilled to be invited to join Peter and Linda - our responsibility was to find places to stay and arrange the food - time consuming but otherwise pleasant tasks! Peter and Linda own a Toyota Twin-Cab 4 x 4 Hi-Lux, a vehicle ideally suited to the type of journey we undertook. They were well prepared, having had a number of lessons and being well equipped. Their vehicle is fitted with an extra large 150l fuel tank and in addition carried two 20l fuel cans, as unleaded petrol is not easy to find in Lesotho.
Day 1: Saturday, 1st April 2000, Durban, Sani to Sehlabathebe
We made an early start from home and headed for Sani Pass. The weather was good and we had spectacular views as we slowly made our way up the pass. As a result of the extensive summer rains, the surrounding hill slopes were very wet, with water running over exposed rock faces and waterfalls everywhere. Despite the rains, the road was in reasonably good condition. We had a minor incident at the Lesotho Border Post - the officials objected to Peter videoing the proceedings, but after he showed them that he had wiped off the offending footage, they calmed down and let us go on our way.
Sani Pass summit is 2873m and we soon
climbed up what appears to be the gentle Kotisephola Pass
in the Black Mountain to the summit at 3240m. This was
the highest pass of the entire trip, close to Thabana-
Ntlenyana which at 3482 m is the highest point in
Southern Africa. It is not surprising that vehicles seem
to labour up the incline. The road beyond Black Mountain
was new to Peter and Linda. We had calculated that the
distance still to be travelled to Sehlabathebe was about
200 km, easily manageable from the type of road indicated
on the map and from our experience along part of the
road, so we stopped frequently, enjoying the countryside.
The road was in relatively good condition and we reached
the turn off to Mokhotlong shortly before lunch. After
some discussion we decided not to go into Mokhotlong and
so proceeded south west on the road to Taung and Thaba-Tseka.
We had been on that road with Hugh and Heather. The
highest point along that road is at the summit of the
Menoaneng Pass, at 3030 metres. The AA had issued a new
map since our earlier trip and had removed the '4 x 4
only' requirement on this road and the one we were to
follow when we turned south at Taung. Little did we
anticipate what was to follow. \
We drove through the small town of Sehonghong and at the far end, children pointed out a track to the right and yes, that was our road. We came to the top of a precipitous sandstone pass, with the Sehonghong River below, but no bridge, and the 'big road', as described by the locals, winding its way up in the distance on the other side. The road had been washed out by the heavy rains in recent months, but not repaired. So down we went, at snail's pace, meeting a herd of animals making the labourious climb up the pass. The altitude of the river at this point was 1750m, and that of the Orange (Senqu), which was about 2km to the west, would have been much the same. The crossing place at the Sehonghong River was clear, but as a precaution, Mike was given the task of wading through to make sure that Peter could drive through. We crossed safely and as we started the long slow climb up the other side rain began to fall - something we did not want! We came to the 'big road' - obviously the road is being upgraded, but progress is slow! The road was wet and muddy, so we continued at a snail's pace. By now we had learnt that road signs were non-existent and that the names of villages were difficult to identify, but schools were generally clearly marked. We started to identify some serious errors in the AA map! We travelled alongside the Orange (Senqu) River and continued to marvel at the spectacular scenery. We seldom travelled more than a few kilometres without coming across a village or cluster of homes and people were constantly visible, on the hillsides or along the road. The local people were friendly and many were able to respond to our questions in English.
The rain had eased, though clouds covered the mountain tops. We had brief glimpses of the spectacular scenery around and above us and were sad not to have seen this in daylight. A number of the highest points in Lesotho are found between Sani and the area we were driving through. As we climbed we continued to see people and a few lights of homes. Driving around u-bends in the dark is not easy - Linda had to hold a bright torch out of the window, pointing to the road, whilst Peter had to negotiate round obstacles or through streams. At least we did not have mist, though it was very cold. We calculated that we were travelling at between 10 and 15 km per hour - so were unlikely to reach our destination before 8 pm. But there was no other option - we had to persevere. We also continued to be encouraged (should I say, some of us?) to see the tracks of the vehicle that had passed through earlier!
The top of the Matebeng Pass was at 2940m and as we started the descent , we saw the lights of Underberg in the distance. We had driven through Underberg about eleven hours earlier, which was, as the crow flies,about 50 kms away, but 240 kms by our circuitous route. Eventually the road became straighter and the surface better and we knew that we were not far from the town of Sehlabathebe - maybe we would get to our destination by 8 pm. Parts of the town had electricity and we saw people going to the local pub. We also noticed that they had satellite TV! We arrived at the gate of the park at about 8pm, fortunately it was not locked, and then we took another hour to travel a mere 5 kms. A thunderstorm (we think) had made the road very wet, and vehicles driving through earlier had not helped. What Peter and Linda had learnt at their lessons had been put to good use frequently during the day, but it was here that the knowledge was of real value as we could have got stuck on more that one occasion. Despite a long and tiring day, Peter was still able to make split second decisions about what to do. The small light in the distance got closer and closer and eventually we arrived at the Lodge - had we been just 15 minutes later the place would have been in darkness as the other guests were off to bed. What a joy to have arrived. The staff even came to greet us, the rooms we had booked were ready for us and we quickly unpacked and put together a meal, which despite the late hour, we were glad to have. The night was really cold, but we were grateful that we had reached our first night stop and that we did not have to sleep in the bakkie, somewhere along the road. We had travelled 441 kms from Hillcrest.
We awoke early to a beautiful sunrise - the mountains were golden. We chatted to people staying at the Lodge. Two parties (including a former student from Edgewood!) had hiked from Bushman's Neck - Charles, Sally and Chris once did that hike in four hours (remember we took over 12 hours from Underberg!) and another party was on a fishing trip from Maseru. We were assured that we would have no further problems with very rough roads. Despite that, we knew that the road through the park was very slow and that we had a fair distance to travel so we decided against a walk in the Park. After our experiences of the previous day, the drive was almost an anti-climax! The road was slow in places, we went over a few more passes and we continued to marvel at the spectacular scenery.
For some distance near Ramatseliso's Gate, a border post, we were close to the KwaZulu-Natal border. Thereafter the road followed the Tsoelike River in a deep valley. Mike had been on part of the road, from Qacha's Nek to Sekake, in the early 60s, when he had hiked to Semonkong. Initially most vehicles were 4 x 4s, but we soon started to see cars and later buses. We were surprised to see fields of Cosmos, in full bloom. We noticed 'khaki' weed between the crops, presumably to discourage animals. We were also surprised to see many homes with satellite TV, even in remote areas. In areas near the bigger towns there was electricity. We had noticed an HEP scheme for Qacha's Nek on the Tsoelike River.
Shortly before Mpaki we came to tar - how pleasant is was not to be tossed and shaken! After being in basalt rock for much of the way from Sani, we were now aware of expanses of sandstone exposed through weathering and erosion. In places the weathering of the sandstone created interesting rock formations. The descent into the lowlands was over the Lebelonyane Pass, 2456 m at the summit, down the 'Devil's Staircase' to the Orange River, at 1500m.. It is interesting to note that the Orange River had dropped not more than 250 m from Sehonghong to the confluence of the Quthing River, whilst we had continued the 'roller coaster' over mountains and down to the valleys! The Orange River, which we had seen at regular intervals along the way was already fast flowing and wide. The river divides the country as there are almost no bridges over the river in these remote parts of Lesotho. We saw a number of small ferries, but certainly none able to take a vehicle. We eventually crossed the Orange at Moyeni.
We arrived at Mohale's Hoek late in the afternoon and were pleased to relax. The Mount Maluti Hotel had been recommended to us by Mike's cousin and we had a pleasant stop-over there. We were chatting about our experiences near the reception desk and noticed the smile on the receptionist's face get bigger and bigger. When asked if she knew the road we had been on the previous day, she explained that the staff are taken out on these roads, so that they can answer questions when prospective visitors phone in with enquiries. It is important that the local people can provide this sort of information. When planning the trip, we had originally planned to travel to Semonkong from the south but on making enquiries we were told that there was no road, despite the fact that a road is shown on the AA map. At Mohale's Hoek, we were told that people periodically arrive at the hotel, having tried to get through to Semonkong and being forced to turn back. Luckily we found out beforehand, or we could have been caught out as well! We travelled 323 km from Sehlabathebe to Mohale's Hoek.
Another beautiful day, but indications were that the weather was about to change. We decided to call in at a popular Lodge, Malealea, which would also take us on roads suited to 4 x 4s - after all, that is why we came in a 4 x 4 and not a car! Before we left, Peter added the 40 litres of petrol to the tank. The road to Malealea passes through the 'Gate of Paradise', at 2003m, with breathtaking views. Malealea is located on a spur and was rather like an oasis in the midst of treeless countryside. It is a popular resort as it offers pony trekking, camping etc. Mike's mother went there on horseback in her youth! At the Lodge we were pleased to purchase a Lesotho Government Survey Map and even though it was dated 1994, it provided good, accurate information. After Malealea, the road deteriorated, but was nowhere near as rough as the road we experienced on Day 1. More passes, more spectacular scenery, including Tsukutsoana's Pass at about 2000 m. We had to travel in a 'v' as there was no direct road in an easterly direction to Ramabanta. Mike and I recognised landmarks in the distance, such as Thabana-li-Mele, commonly known as 'the Breasts', which we remembered seeing on the road on our previous trip with Hugh and Heather. We joined the road to Semonkong at Moitsupeli. Shortly before Ramabanta the high point was 2020m, at the summit of the Nkesi's Pass. From here we could see our road climbing in the distance. After Ramabanta we crossed the Makhaleng River at an altitude of 1655 m and we then climbed over two more passes, unnamed, leading to the summit at about 2800 m, below Thabo-Putsoa which is at 3096 m. We arrived at Semonkong Lodge mid-afternoon, having travelled 208 km.
We were glad to have visited the Lodge previously as we knew where it was and what it would be like. The accommodation was basic, but quite adequate and we enjoyed a delicious evening meal, cooked by a large Lesotho who told us that she had been trained at a cookery school in Leribe. Electricity comes from an HEP plant which provides electricity to part of the town. A bridle path passes directly behind the Lodge and had lots of people coming and going - some on foot and some on horse back. During the afternoon, Peter and Linda took some interesting videos, including a coffin (empty!) being carried on a horse.
Today was a Public Holiday in Lesotho. The reason for our visit to Semonkong was to see the famous Maletsunyane Falls, which at 189 m is the highest single fall south of Zimbabwe. This was Mike's fourth visit to the area! The weather had changed - from a beautiful starlit evening to an overnight thunderstorm, it was now cold with showers. We decided to walk to the Falls along the bridle path as we had been sitting in the bakkie for the last three days. We did not realise that the path would be covered in black mud and be slippery as well, but once we had set out, we did not feel inclined to turn back (we could have got there by another route in the bakkie, as we had done previously). So we plodded on , slipping and sliding, much to the amusement of the locals, who advised us to wear gum boots. The Falls were full of water and we have some good photos, though we could not see the mountains as they were covered in cloud, but the walk was worth the effort. We enjoyed coffee at the Falls before starting on the now cold and wet walk back to the Lodge. We returned before lunch to wash and change and had our picnic under a thatched shelter at the Lodge - it was cold and we were told that the temperature was 7 degrees Celsius. We were glad to get into the bakkie and warm up!
We re-traced our route to beyond Ramabanta. The final pass of the Lesotho part of our trip was the Ngakana's Pass, being 2035 m at the summit. As we descended we were again amazed at the spectacular sandstone rock faces and formations. Roma was busy so we did not stop and we made our way through a typical third world environment to Maseru. We did not stop for long in Maseru but Mike took Peter and Linda to see the home of his grandparents, though it is much changed. Maseru still bears the scars of the uprising two years ago. At Semongkong, we were told that the local residents had taken a firm stand against the 'rebels', resulting in very little damage to property there. This time we got through the border posts without any problems and we arrived in Ladybrand soon after 5pm. Peter bought petrol in Ladybrand and had he not added the petrol from the cans, there would have been just one litre left in the tank. Good planning? Peter estimated that the petrol consumption had been 15l per 100 kms. We travelled 138 kms, Semonkong being only 120 kms from Maseru.
Mike's second cousin, Norman Dixie and his wife, Candy had kindly invited the four of us to stay with them. We were given a warm welcome and enjoyed a wonderful family reunion that evening, attended by the Dixies, Norman and Candy, Peter and Ruth and Roger and Mabel Tully, who had driven over from Ficksburg. We had not seen some of the family for over 25 years!
Norman had hoped to take some of our party for a flight over the Katse Dam, but the weather was overcast so the flight was sadly cancelled. After a leisurely breakfast we set off for home. We caught glimpses of snow on the mountains and from the N3 we saw heavy snow in the Giant's Castle area. We stopped for lunch at Bergville and it was chilly. Though we had missed the snow, we were not too disappointed as the mountains would have been covered with cloud and the roads wet and slippery. As is was, it took a while to wash the mud out of our really muddy clothes - but an excellent advertisement for Cold Water Omo!
We travelled 514 km on the final day and altogether 1624 km.
Tips for a future trip? Thanks to our previous experience with Hugh and Heather, we had a reasonably good idea what to expect. We now know that we cannot rely on the accuracy of AA maps, but trying to get accurate information about the roads is easier said than done. The detailed map which we picked up along the way gave us the information we needed about mountain passes etc. It is probably better to travel with two or more vehicles - we did not have any problems and we had carried spare equipment, food etc, in case of a problem, but had we needed help, it may have been slow in coming in those isolated places!
Conclusion: We arrived home safe and sound after a wonderful experience, thanks to the kindness and generosity of Peter and Linda. We hope that this account, written by Stella, with much assistance from Mike, will enable others to capture a glimpse of an experience we will long remember.