A New way through: Semonkong/Nthamaha/Ketane River/Mt Moorosi/Ongeluks

A New way through: Semonkong/Nthamaha/Ketane River/Mt Moorosi/Ongeluks

When the Chinese built the world’s most magnificent alpine superbike tar road from Seforong to Semonkong it didn’t please everyone. There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth from the adventure bike community that their favourite ride had been tarred. One big cry baby told me he was so upset that he would sell his adventure bike, never return to Lesotho and stick to masturbation. So far he has been good to his word.  This is not entirely true, from the magnificent Kings Gorge to Semonkong there are many of the original bridal paths that you can take, enough for “Mountain Man” Iain McDonald to get lost on one of his “shortcuts.” [Shortcut: a device used by Iain to take his fellow riders out of their comfort zone and do some extreme P.T.]

However, climbing from Seforong is not the only way to get into the central range and Semonkong. There is also the approach from Mt Moroosi along the Ketane river. I was told a long time ago that Elmer Symons had found a way down to the Ketane river from Semonkong  but that knowledge went to the grave with poor old Elmer and his Dakar attempt. In 2009 after a trip on the top of the range with Greg English I looked at the area on Google Earth and gave it up as a bad job.

Recently I heard Iain and Stuart Joyner talking about it. They had tried to get up to Nthamaha a couple of years ago while riding to the Roof but they were caught in torrential rain and decided to turn back. Later Iain returned solo with his KTM Freeride and worked out a route to the top and back down again. His reservation was that it involved some big rock steps, a certain amount of bulldogging and some horrifying drop-offs from a narrow path high up in the mountain face.  We decided that we would try again this year but first Stuart dropped out to do seed planting and then on the day we were to leave it snowed. We wimped out and took Iain’s Landcruiser to Semonkong with the bikes on the back. A very good call! This is the story of the trip in reverse, from Semonkong to RSA.  .  I’ll post the complete tracks as GDB and KML with the ride in blue and the rest of the Google Earth proposed route in yellow.

Below: GPS of route (GBD for Garmin and KLM for Google Earth)
Pictures of protagonists of the new way:

PART 1    Nthamaha Xtreme

Doing the trip in reverse had a couple of enormous advantages. First of all Stuart Joyner was able to join us. He was a bit sick and tired of planting and didn’t need to be asked twice. By 9am on Sunday he was with us. He had left his farm in Matatiele at dawn, cleared the border, retrieved the side stand and gear shift which vibrated off of his KTM 450exc along the road and filled up with petrol at Frasers. He still had 8.30 hours of riding to do making a grand total of 450km on his KTM. So, if you have a cast iron arse and a body of steel like Stuart you can do this as a day trip from RSA. For the rest of us mortals I would advise a night at the Semonkong  Lodge. Your family will love it. We were also joined by Brad the Matatiele Vetenarian who pulled in with his KTM 300exc and girlfriend after watching the Roof. Brad, Stuart and Iain are all next door neighbours at the moment. It also meant we could travel without our camping gear and kit. The plan was that Iain and Brad would stick with us until we found a way down then Stuart and myself would complete the ride and the other two would return and collect the vehicles


We left the hotel on one of Iain’s “shortcuts.” It was interesting enough but a much better shortcut is just to take the road out of town.  It is a relatively short 30km to the drop into the Ketane valley. Iain did have to replace a tube which slowed us down a bit. At first we looked at what I thought was a really good way down from the middle of a saddle down a pretty even gradient that I had found on Google Earth. Iain had previously had his doubts and he was absolutely correct. The path I had plotted was an endless hill of loose rock in thick bush. It didn’t take Iain long to announce that his way was much better so with a certain amount of trepidation we returned to the saddle and picked up his route. His route is the de facto way the locals get through and it is a pretty good way through. I'm sure it would be the way that Elmer had found. There are identifiable roads at each end and the path takes a lot of traffic, but a word of warning; if you suffer from vertigo or are challenged in the inside leg measurement department this is not for you. It is a thin path with some significant rock steps with a big drop off.  Brad and Iain came down with us until the switch in the valleys and then headed back up after lunch. Stuart and I carried on down to the village on the Ketane River . We had to choose between bulldogging down the scree or taking the high path on the edge of the kranz. Once again Iain was right and the high path was the way to go but I found it nerve wracking to head around the side of Kranz not knowing if you can get through and knowing that you won't be able to turn your bike round if you got stuck. 

Pictures

Watching with interest Ian  :thumleft:

I have checked your track and funnily enough I have plotted the same route from Semonkong down to Orange river, where I took detour around to Quithing and Adam Kok road. So I'm keen to see how the first part looks.

More Nthamaha pictures:

OK, I already dont like those off-cambers. They are bane of my life  O0

More Nthamaha:

Next: Ketane & Senqu new all weather bridge.

Then: Mt Moorosi, Quithing river valley, Lake Letsie, Ongeluks Nek, Matatiele.

KETANE VALLEY

Lesotho has often been described as a Switzerland in Africa. I don't get it. You only have to look at a picture of a pristine Swiss village nestling in the mountains and compare it with a scrubby bunch of Basuto huts surrounded by rubbish and bits of defunct cars to know that you are being sold a pup. The village that you arrive at on the Ketane river is different. It really is picture perfect.  Iain said it was a shame not to be carrying on to Mt Moorosi and he was quite correct. It is a beautiful drive through a spectacular gorge. Worth driving up from Mt Moorosi just to see. There is a new all weather bridge over the Senqu now so you won't be stranded by a flooded causeway any more.

pictures:

Mt Moorosi to Ongeluks Nek and Matatiele

Mt. Moorosi was quite a surprise to me. Even on Sunday it is a bustling commercial center. There is apparently reasonable accommodation there but you would have to ask Iain about that.  After getting our fill of petrol and Coca Cola we headed off on the road along the Quithing valley to the turn off to Ongeluks Nek.  I have never been on this road before but heard good reports. I was stunned, it really is a fantastic drive up a boulder strewn river deep in a gorge opening up to a wide valley with two great passes. You don't  have to carry on to Ongeluks Nek on this road. It does a loop from the tar A4 at Mt. Moorosi to the tar A4 at Letsielo. Take your wife and a camera.  At this time in the afternoon I was getting a bit worried about the amount of daylight left and getting through the border so there aren't many photographs.

When we arrived at Quachas on Thursday the border was closed due to the snow and we were not allowed through. Iain made a call to his connection in Matatiele and the gates swung open and we were told to continue at our own peril. Our passports weren't stamped on either side of the border although the Lesotho side were quite keen to collect the road tax and we were told we must return the same way on Sunday.

We arrived at the Ongeluks border post a bit after 5pm. My front brakes had finally vanished at Lake Letsie (and I'm stunned how much a master cylinder kit is!) but Ongeluks Nek in the dry is a *****. I put it in 2nd and trailed down to the bottom. Stuart, always a better man than me on the day, had snuck it into 3rd and done the same thing so by the time I'd got to border control he'd already chatted up his mate in charge so after a brief tease about having to ride back to Quacha's I was waved through. A bit of local knowledge is a wonderful thing!  The final picture is the sunset driving out of Iain's farm. If you look at the logo on his "Rock Rabbits" website you will see it is this outline of mountains. 

Sunset Iain's Farm "The Meads"

ADDENDUM

Iain is full of surprises. Driving up to Semonkong in his Landcruiser we were treated to Janis Joplin, he tells me his older sisters were into it. When I got back I pulled out the vinyl for some further listening. Since a teenager I thought the cover art was done by Gilbert Shelton of the "fabulous Furry Freak brothers" fame but Wiki tells me it was one Robert Crumb.
I've attached a link to the rest of my Roof watching pictures that I took over the weekend

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hJb-czPRGGMkMsQaXJ0WxbIt0ROVzeYB

The gnarly pass you see on the Friday pictures is Iain's "shortcut" from Semonkong to Bushman's Pass and the man on the Africa Twin with all the luggage including the braai wood and grill is Barry. It's just as well Barry is such a capable and competent rider otherwise this would have ended in tears.   

Well, that's two seminal rides for 2017, one with Iain McDonald and the other with Stuart. What's next?
Adam Kok's road. This will be serious plastics only. Losper has already signed up.
Sani to Amphitheatre along the escarpment. Will look like Xpats trip with some nights out & re-supply parties .

Great stuff Ian. Stunning pics and scenery.

Very nice Ian; thanks for a great report.

One day ask Mr Joyner if he remembers one of the first trips from Matat direct across the Orange in winter low tide to Semonkong, early 80's, plastic bikes. The other guy I half remember on the trip was Charles Barber from Matat who organised fuel at a trading store. Stuart, who was the only one with energy to go an look at the falls, may remember one member, who shall remain nameless, of the party who was kakked on for getting into bed with his muddy boots still on at Semonkong Lodge. Another trip along the Orange, without Stuart, ended in getting properly bogged in some soft mud even a 495 couldn't pull out of and portaging down a waterfall  The older I get the faster I wuz.

Nice looking trip that.
Something to work my way towards...

Thanks for the share Ian

great trip and photos.
Also thanks for sharing the track.

Great RR and was good to see you guys in support at Bushmans and also Ramabanta. Pity I was distracted by 'admin' and could not chat properly - respect to all ballies who are up to this kind of riding  :ricky:

Less of this "old" narrative Dominic.

IanTheTooth said:

Less of this "old" narrative Dominic.

Click to expand...

If the "old" refers to ageism you will note that I did not use this word ... being a ballie in my 60th year on this planet and still gung-ho myself