Travelogue Lesotho

For the last three or four years Wendy has been saying, "I want to see Sehlabathebe National Park."  Someone had told her it was one of the most beautiful places in Lesotho.  Me, I only thought of the long, difficult drive to get to that far south east corner of Lesotho.  But finally I succoumbed to her persistence and we made plans to travel to Sehlabathebe National Park with some friends here in Lesotho.  It so happened our son Byron was here at the time so we enjoyed his company as well.



Leg 1:  316 km - 6 hours driving.
We stopped off in a little village where some friends live.  This time instead of taking our stuff across on the ferry (aka leaking row boat), Allan, our fellow traveller, tossed all in the back of his 4x4, sent Byron wading across the river to scout the way, engaged his diff lock, and headed across the river.  

Byron pointing the way.

It was nice not to have to pack our stuff up the long climb from the river, but chicken that I am, I still took the ferry both ways across the river.  We enjoyed the visit with our friends, spent the night in their tent, and then continued on the next day.


Leg 2: 129 km - 6 hours driving.
What a day this was!  Good thing I was again stopped at a police check point.  With no signs we missed a turnoff, and the kind officer amicably provided us with directions back and didn't even ask to see my drivers licence.  For the most part the road was a reasonable dirt road, one section winding along the Lesotho/South Africa border, the watershed atop the southern Drakensberg.  

Lesotho on the left : South Africa on the right

Along the way we made out but one rusted old sign that suggested we were going in the right direction but with asking directions a couple of times, 5-plus hours later we came to the entry gate of Sehlabathebe National Park.  The road we turned off onto, at least initially, appeared to be little more than a rocky creek bed.  Ten minutes down this road we came upon a beautiful set of building.  Here at last, we thought, relieved.  However, these beautiful buildings were an educational and conference centre build some years back but still not being used.  The guards directed us back to a turnoff we had not noticed and to another road, which turned out to be better than the beginning stretch.  We wound along this narrow mountain road for another 40 minutes, as the the evening shadows lengthened, wondering if there really was a light at the end of the road.


There was.  The staff employed by the park came out to greet us, and though they had not been told we were coming, showed us to our rooms, the kitchen and common room.  In short order they had a fire going in the common room to ward off the chill of the high mountain evening.  In the warmth of the fire the memories of the long and winding drive began to fade.  


Sehtabathebe National Park
The park turned out to be everything that we had been told to expect.  Remote, wide open, beautiful vistas, and with the most intriquing rock formations.  After the two day trip in, I was relieved that we would have three full days to enjoy the sights and solitude before having to contemplate the drive home.


We hiked.  We read. We ate. We relaxed.  We hiked some more.  


We enjoyed the roaring fire each evening, and thought - "Yes, this is a wonderful place." 

Why this scene conjured up "Camelot", I don't know.

A long abandoned shepherd's hut nestled under an overhang.

One of many arches.

A steep scramble.

Tucked in a valley nearby. 

Below, South Africa bathed in clouds.

Morning majesty.

Ice on one of many little ponds.

Leg 3: 130 km - 7 hours driving. 

On the way home we took an alternate route.  The first hour saw us out of the park and the next two hours of driving was an adventure.  We knew we had to get over some mountains but the road seemed to run into a wall.  We could not fathom where it would go, but continued to crawl and bounce along.  Back and forth up switchbacks.  Across to a different mountain face and more switchbacks.  Now around a corner and back to the initial mountain face, and there it was, the top.  Barely room to park to take in the view, and then the road plunged down the other side.  It had taken 3 hours to drive the first 39 km.  

And this was the supposedly the better part of the road.  The map showed the 4x4 only section was still to come!!  Fortunately the 4x4 only section had been upgraded.  While it was certainly the smoothest section, it also had some of the steepest grades.  On one long grade, I was down to first gear and even then the Honda could barely maintain it's speed.  Wendy and Byron were preparing to bail out to lighten the load if necessary, but we inched our way onward and finally crested the grade.

Along this stretch of road was some of the most barren and desolate areas I have seen in Lesotho.  I was relieved to leave that section of country behind and enter a section where villages and fields again appeared.  In these fields we passed numerous little stacks of grain drying in the sun, ...

and in one field, workers, using the breeze to winnow their recently threshed grain.  

Leg 4: 180 km - 4 hours driving
The last leg back to Maseru cut across the middle of the country.  Wendy and I can now truly say that we have traversed most of the length and breadth of the country.  The road wound in and around mountain after mountain.  The least winding part of the road was when we were again driving on or near the top of a mountain ridge.  Lower down erosion has created deep clefts in the mountain sides meaning in and out, in and out.  Up high the curves were long and sweeping.  But up high, we had to watch for those who shared the road with us.

Road congestion.

Back in Maseru

There is one last section of Lesotho that Wendy and I could yet traverse to say that we have made it totally around the perimeter of the country.  It is about a three day hike from Sehlabathebe to where we were when we climbed the highest point in Lesotho.  While we were in Sehlabathete, an intrepid American hiker showed up.  He had just completed the three day hike, having spent one night invited in to a shepherds hut by the ubiquitous herd boys.  I am not sure we will give that hike a try as the logistics of the vehicle drop off and pickup would be something of a challenge.

~ Benno ~