Sani Pass top

Africa travels start: (8 March to 13 March 2011)
Pietermaritzburg to Underberg and camping on the banks of the Umzinkulu River.
Ascent of Sani Pass into Lesotho and lunch at “the highest Pub in Africa!”
Traverse of Lesotho
Golden Gate

Tubing on the Umzinkulu River

Only moments after we had squeezed the last ammo box into the car did we notice engine oil dripping out the back of the car! Our oil container was firmly packed under a ton of baggage but there was no other option but to dig it out of the bowels of the vehicle and remedy the problem. This we did and we expected to find our medical kit swimming in engine oil but to our surprise there was no leak! Some skillful diagnostics from Ilda located the leak from oil container number 2 nestled discretely in the wheel hub on top of the roof and dripping vigorously onto the roof and running back to be deposited in a glutinous puddle at the rear end of the vehicle. Problem solved!

First Campsite on the Umzinkulu River

We set off from Maritzburg bidding farewell to Grandpa/Dad and headed west towards the Drakensberg Mountains. We set up our first camp in intermittent rain and were delighted with our new awning which provided superb shelter for us as we dined on roast chicken and sipped ice cold beer from the fridge, loaned to us with a multitude of other bits and pieces, from Guy and Leigh Henderson (thanks so much Guy and Leigh). The next morning dawned bright and sunny and, after fighting off our first animal attack in the form of red ants, that had actually bitten through the ground sheet of our tent and my mattress, we started with an invigorating plunge in the fresh Umzinkulu River before the girls sat down to their first morning of school on the road! What a setting; clean brisk flowing river, rolling meadows and rich green hills drifting off towards the spectacular mountains of the Drakensberg. (Thank-you Mark and Belinda). We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our trip with a wonderful horse ride, tubing down the river, lots of swimming and some schooling. It was a great chance to test all our gear and then we set off up Sani Pass to really test things.

Sani Pass Zigzags

What a drive it was. The pass is spectacular, climbing to 2865m up a rocky, serpentine, zigzagging, white knuckle rollercoaster that left us exhilarated and euphoric that our Nissan Pathfinder had passed this first big test. The bends are aptly named things like “suicide corner, reverse bend and ice corner” which I was relieved to see after the deed.

We then enjoyed lunch (a superb hot smoked trout) in “the highest pub in Africa” and set up our tents at the local backpackers which was very comfortable and even had our first hot showers in a few days.



A stroll amongst the local Basotho huts was both heartbreaking and joyful. The poverty and squalor is extreme with spartan stone huts, mud floors, no electricity and no hope of growing anything. Heat is provided by burning dried cow dung or heather type brush wood. However the girls played briefly with children making toys from bottle tops, scraps of plastic and molded clay and got a smile and then became engrossed in a game of “mancala” with a number of Basotho women and Margot helped preparing vegetables. It is this sort of interaction that we hope to nurture on our travels. The girls asked to stay on there! We were entertained that night to a thunderstorm that was palpable and dramatic, so much so that one felt the thunder vibrate through ones body and the lightning was blinding and prompted a bit of tent shuffling by the girls. We also got to meet our first “real”over-landers in Ruth and Ian who had driven from the UK all the way down the west of Africa in “Search of Thunder” as their blog suggests. We got some great tips from them and I’m sure they would have been delighted with their dose of thunder.

Sani Pass Basutho Hut

Girls playing "Mancala" with locals

Inglis Shadows

Basutho tribesmen

After a brief walk along the cliff edge at Sani pass we drove off into the interior and were awed at the vastness and beauty of Lesotho. (Ilda pronounces this Lesotto as in risotto!) The road remained epically rough and we were very happy to be in a 4x4 with good clearance. We passed Thaba Inhlanyana (Black Mountain) and the highest point in southern Africa at about 3300m and continued over two passes of over 3000m. The drive was rough but dramatic and the locals friendly but the begging became tiresome, probably a symptom of their desperate circumstances. Interesting sights included a ski resort called “Afri Ski” and a massive and ugly open cast diamond mine which, with water and hydroelectric power, make up most of the GDP.

We dropped off the highlands down an “Alpes d’Huez” type descent that the Tour de France would have been proud of and entered another world of lush pastures and ‘civilization’ and bought a bucket load of peaches from urchins on the road side. We slipped back into South Africa through a border post which demonstrated fantastically our inflated burocracy with large numbers of “officials” lounging about and one doing the crucial job of stamping our passports. A short drive took us to Golden Gate national park, so named for its dramatic sandstone cliffs under which we are now camped. Today was Sunday but school continued in a sense with a magnificent walk under the cliffs and discussions on rock strata and types and the girls using clay to make toys and draw ‘Bushman paintings”.

Echo Ravine- Golden Gate

The thunderstorms have persisted but fortunately predictably in the late afternoons so we have been prepared. Tomorrow we drive back into Lesotho with plans to do some pony trekking and visit the 200m Semonkong waterfall. From there we head west with stops at the “Big Hole” diamond mine of Kimberly and then on to the Orange River and Augrabies falls.