Working 4WD car finally secured, we set off up the Sani Pass into Lesotho, a country whose lowest point is higher than Ben Nevis. Even before reaching the South African border post at the bottom we were pleased to be in high clearance car as the road is very rough. Border formalities completed, we continued on up, and, being the first car of the day to cross the border, we had the road to ourselves. It is certainly steep, narrow, windy and strewn with boulders, but thanks to Richard's expert driving and the 4WD we sailed up with no problems, and when I was feeling brave enough to actually have my eyes open the views were spectacular. You would, however, be pretty brave (read stupid) to try this without a suitable car. Going up, you risk loosing grip and sliding backwards over the cliff edge, and coming down wearing out the brakes becomes a problem if you don't have a low range gear box.
As soon as you arrive at the top you know you are in a different country. For a start it is much colder, meaning that the couple of people that were there were wrapped in the traditional colourful rug worn throughout the country. Secondly, the border post was little more than a tin shack marking how much less developed Lesotho is compared to South Africa. We stopped off at the Sani Top Chalet, the highest pub in Africa, which offers great views down the pass (although shoddy lager).
From Sani Top, we continued north up through the mountains (the highest point being the Tlaeeng Pass at 3255m), stopping just south of Mokhotlong. Here, in a small remote village is the Molumong Guest House and Backpackers where we found a rondavel in which to spend the night. It was very basic, having no electricity, but the setting is idyllic. Thanks to our early start, we were able to fit in a two hour horse trek. Whilst neither of our horses were inclined to go faster than walking pace, it was still a gorgeous way to see more of the valley. Our evening was spent cooking by candle light and desperately trying to stay warm. Once our hosts had lit the fire they left us for the evening, we had a chance to soak up the silence and isolation, as we were the only guests.
The next two days we did a whistle stop driving tour of the North East and Central region of the country. We had a brief refueling stop at the dusty town of Mokhotlong, which although has a modern bank and a few basic shops, has nearly as many people arriving by donkey as by car. The next stretch of road, referred to as “The roof of Africa”, winds through the mountains and is made all the more exciting by the countless potholes. After the town of Butha-Buthe we headed south, stopping for the night in Pitseng at the unremarkable Aloe's Guest House.
Continuing south, the road winds dramatically up the mountains again and into the Bokong Nature Reserve. The visitors centre offers great views, although given the wind and cold, we were more comfortable enjoying drinking a coffee inside. From here we descended again to the shore of the massive Katse Reservoir and finally the Katse dam. This impressive dam is the result of one of Africa's largest ever engineering projects and provides South Africa with much needed water in exchange for much needed money for Lesotho.
After passing the small district capital of Thaba-Tseka, we were very excited to find a excellent quality tarred road, sans-potholes. Unfortunately they seemed to have forgotten to build most of it, and after 30km we were back to a dirt track and extensive road works, much of which would have been challenge in a lesser car than ours. The slower pace of the dirt roads does however give you more chance to soak up the atmosphere of the my tiny settlements and the people that you pass on the way. These are what to me were the most enduring image of our visit to Lesotho. The villages which are much less developed than those we have seen in South Africa are mostly made up of stone rondavels. Most people travel by foot or donkey, wrapped up in thick rugs to keep out the bitter cold. You need to keep your wits about you whilst driving, as the cows, goats, chickens and dogs appear to have the right of way. And, no matter the time of day, there are hoards of children walking back and forth to school. No doubt this walk is unbelievable arduous for many given how remote many of the villages and how mountainous the terrain is. We got mixed responses from the children we past, mostly broad smiles and waves but sometimes, stares of amazement, demands for sweets or money, and in the case of the latter not being forthcoming, rude gestures.
Before leaving, we just had time to visit Thaba Bosiu, Lesotho's most important historical sight. This flat toped mountain was the last stronghold of the Moshoeshoe I who moved his people, the Basotho, there to protect them from warring factions created by the difaqane (the upheaval as a result of the formation and expansion of the Zulu nation). Later it also had to be defended against the land grabbing Boers. It proved an excellent location, easily defended and able to support thousands of people given the natural spring. We ascended shortly before a hoard of school kids; trying to climb down the mountain as they were climbing up, was an interesting experience.
After a quick visit to the tiny national museum in Morija, we said a sad farewell and headed over the border into the Orange Free State for the rugby.
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