Lesotho.....otherwise

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treemon

Pack Dog
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
71
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Location
joburg
Bike
BMW F800GS
So a little background context first:
I purchased Shani (my f800) back in 2008, (Shani means 'Adventure' in Swahili)
The day after purchase... I went on my first adv ride from Joburg through the back roads down to himeville and underberg and was hooked.  RR#001 - JHB to Himeville/Underberg

I have been through Lesotho a number of times but always the route from Sani to Ficksburg and out to get back up to Joburg...



Around 2010.. I started looking at all the little back roads on google maps and the pass between Sehlabathebe (Matabeng Pass)
I started planning routes on which I could get to do this pass (and a bit more of Lesotho)


April 2012. I did a route from Cape Town to Johannesburg (via Die Hel, Baviaanskloof, Hogsback and was going to incorporate Lesotho but had to abort that due to electrical issues (I might write a report on that if anyone is interested)
On this trip I got to experience Lundeans Nek which was stunning... I have since done this pass once more (at midnight :) ) and realized I am missing out on some amazing passes.

In 2015, I did a route with some mates from Joburg to Joburg (via Nottingham road, Sani, then through to Buthe Buthe, Ficksburg and Clarens (no new Lesotho for me... could just see the road changing to tar

May 2016, we got to explore a bit more of Lesotho (Sani to Buthe Buthe, then to Katse, then back to Sani via Kao Mine road).... New stuff, which was cool.... but still no Matabeng Pass or Sehlabathebe.

So... basically... I was Sani'd out and needed to see some other passes.

December 2016
Finally...... a possibility emerges...
I was going to a wedding in Port Shepstone for the public holiday (16 Dec) and as one does... thought about an interesting road I could take back.
Monantsa Pass (near top right of Lesotho) looked like an interesting one so I asked a friend if he was keen to join, which he was.
We then got to chatting and thought why don't we make a trip of it, take a few more days and have a bit more of an adventure (little did we know how much).

So it was settled, I would go to Port Shepstone on Thursday, wedding on Friday, shark dive and chill on Saturday.
Donavan (Donnas here on the dogs) would go 100km north of Durban on Friday, chill with a friend on Saturday and then wake up around sunrise on Sunday to head to Port Shepstone so we could leave at around 7 / 7:30.

Sunday we would then head for Mashai and find somewhere to sleep
Monday would be to Sani, a quick down up then to Clarens via Lesotho, Monantsa pass and Golden Gate and sleep there for the night.
Finally last day would be from Clarens to Joburg via some back roads.

As we all know... with these trips, planned vs actual to tend to differ...
 
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