- Joined
- Aug 28, 2006
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During my recent 18 month bikeless phase I was reading one of Ian de Toof's ride reports from Lesotho in and he mentioned that they had got near the peak of the Rhino Horn in the southern berg.
Now as a kid I had climbed to the top of Rhino Horn peak many times during our Drak Gardens Holidays, so naturally I was intrigued with the idea of getting to the peak of the horn (or as close as possible) by bike from the Lesotho side. So after one uneventful solo trip on my newly acquired KTM520 I decided I was ready to get back into the swing of things, and what better way than a ride up into Lesotho. I spent a fair bit of time searching for a route on google Earth without too much joy, so I opted for the easy route and sent Ian a pm asking if he could let me have his track. He obliged, so the ride was on.
The first person i contacted to go with me was Highsider, I like riding with him, he is keen to get off the beaten track, likes exploring and rides well. He was keen, so we set the date for Tuesday, as the weather looked good for the few days leading up to the day and on the day itself. The next decision was whether to ride our bikes all the way to Sani for the trip, or trailer to Himeville and ride from there. I must say I felt like a bit of a wimp even contemplating trailering to Himeville, in the past i wouldn't have thought twice about riding100 odd km to sani, but in the past i didn't have that torture device that passes for a seat on the 520.
So trailering it was and we organized to leave the vehicle and trailer at the Himeville Arms Hotel.
Sani itself was pretty dry and rocky, just like I remembered it from my last ride up about 2 years ago. the section between Sani Pass Hotel and the border post wasn't much fun, very dry and dusty, lots of construction taking place, new bridges etc and stacks of stop and go's.
At the bottom of the pass it was a bit windy but not really noticeable. As we got higher up the wind turned into a gale and it was almost unmanageable. A couple of times at the switchbacks near the top I could feel my bike being blown towards the edge of the road.
After clearing customs we decided to head for Sani Top lodge for a coffee while we waited for the wind to subside. I don't think I have ever ridden in wind that strong. At Sani Lodge we had to park our bikes on the veranda right next to the wall, they would have been blown over if left in the parking area.
We waited inside for about an hour and a half then decided that we better get going, the time was now getting on. the wind had subsided a bit, and as we rode inland towards Black Mountain Pass it did get better.
First pic is taken from the www of Rhino peak, our planned destination.
Now as a kid I had climbed to the top of Rhino Horn peak many times during our Drak Gardens Holidays, so naturally I was intrigued with the idea of getting to the peak of the horn (or as close as possible) by bike from the Lesotho side. So after one uneventful solo trip on my newly acquired KTM520 I decided I was ready to get back into the swing of things, and what better way than a ride up into Lesotho. I spent a fair bit of time searching for a route on google Earth without too much joy, so I opted for the easy route and sent Ian a pm asking if he could let me have his track. He obliged, so the ride was on.
The first person i contacted to go with me was Highsider, I like riding with him, he is keen to get off the beaten track, likes exploring and rides well. He was keen, so we set the date for Tuesday, as the weather looked good for the few days leading up to the day and on the day itself. The next decision was whether to ride our bikes all the way to Sani for the trip, or trailer to Himeville and ride from there. I must say I felt like a bit of a wimp even contemplating trailering to Himeville, in the past i wouldn't have thought twice about riding100 odd km to sani, but in the past i didn't have that torture device that passes for a seat on the 520.
So trailering it was and we organized to leave the vehicle and trailer at the Himeville Arms Hotel.
Sani itself was pretty dry and rocky, just like I remembered it from my last ride up about 2 years ago. the section between Sani Pass Hotel and the border post wasn't much fun, very dry and dusty, lots of construction taking place, new bridges etc and stacks of stop and go's.
At the bottom of the pass it was a bit windy but not really noticeable. As we got higher up the wind turned into a gale and it was almost unmanageable. A couple of times at the switchbacks near the top I could feel my bike being blown towards the edge of the road.
After clearing customs we decided to head for Sani Top lodge for a coffee while we waited for the wind to subside. I don't think I have ever ridden in wind that strong. At Sani Lodge we had to park our bikes on the veranda right next to the wall, they would have been blown over if left in the parking area.
We waited inside for about an hour and a half then decided that we better get going, the time was now getting on. the wind had subsided a bit, and as we rode inland towards Black Mountain Pass it did get better.
First pic is taken from the www of Rhino peak, our planned destination.
