Four Old Dudes Riding in Lesotho

[edgy]

Awesome trip!

 

[JonW]

So far our ride through Sehlabathebe had been basically along the SA border to the northernmost section of the park. Now we were going to head right through the middle of the park and exit the park in the south.

This section was probably the toughest riding of the day, with lots of river crossings along the way, so not many pics were taken.

The highlight of the section was the Tsolekile waterfall, where a few pics were taken

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

 

[OomD]

Geez that's beautiful. Some technical bits there, those narrow singletracks against the embankment look daunting. Thanks for sharing!

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

From the falls we didn't take many pics, the riding was quite tiring and I think we were all feeling a bit knackered.

Hats off to IanB for some great mountain navigating, we came down the side of a steep mountain and joined the main Sehlabathebe road just before the Chinese shop, where we stopped and each put in a few litres of fuel, not that we actually needed it. On my 12 l tank I actually would have had enough fuel for the whole trip.

 

[BuRP]

This section was probably the toughest riding of the day, with lots of river crossings along the way, so not many pics were taken.

I missed this bit, and still am glad I did.

Around 12h30 somewhere me & Ian struggled to cross a small stream, and we had to help each other: taking turns heaving our front wheels up & out of a gap inbetween two rocks.
For an onlooker this must have been a real funny sight to see, two old codgers trying to pose as fit bliksems helping each other by lifting a bike the other one tries to motor through, but both clearly done already.... anyway, I felt this bit finished me, that last straw, a bike's back etc, I knew I'd had had my share of hard work for the day.
And work it had been, and although not really hot up there it was warm enough already. I know myself: if I feel that way the canyon I'm going to tumble off & into is not far off, and when in there I'll be completely useless! This will not be good for the group spirit so let's ask Jon for a moffieroute out, and as luck would have it we just had crossed the first "road' of sorts.... so I did.
Jon said that another two hours of interesting stuff was lying ahead still before the stop at the 'China Shop', apparently the local oasis where a Coke can be bought - whilst following that road would do same after about 10 kilometers.
Ian was also tempted to go the easy way but decided to join the hardebaard group, so they continued.
This was close to 13h00 then, and I swore on someone's grave I'd wait for them at that China Shop, come hell or low water!
I tracked back to that road... which went wrong of course but I found 'a' road - which had to be the same one, as roads there are as common as massage parlours stocked with buxom therapists & cold beers.

Anyway, 10km se moer, almost 30km & 1 hour later I ended up at that famed Chinese Oasis after having to ask a few times of course.
It was closed however because the china was still on lunch, but he did wake up past 2 and opened up to the gathered community outside who clearly also were in dire need of his offered wares on sale!
This landmark-shop, a rather large one at that (a barnsized thing, park 3 Cessna's inside!) completely stunned me once inside - by its emptiness, the vast vacant areas, the sparsely stocked racks and the complete absence of any refrigeration equipment, there WAS nothing cold!
Oh wait, there, two small undercounter freezers... of which one was empty & smelly & warm inside, and the other one had some barely frozen chicken inside, the looks of it proving that you had to be utterly famished to buy any of it....
Yes, he had some 2L cooldrink bottles on his racks, but these were warmdrinks since their arrival there, and I still had my camelback with some cooler than that ***** water in it .... but after sitting outside, in the shade luckily, for half an hour I decided to do as the locals do, and bought a Coke.
No, not nice at all but at least sugary, so I could wait a bit more at ease for my riding buddies.

They arrived just before 4, so they'd taken almost 3 hours to get there .... and they were glad to see me there, or was it the big Coke bottle in my hand handed out to them?
If it was then this was short-lived, warm coke is noone's fave but it found it's way down several throats.
Suffice to say they were properly knackered, and the decision of "shall we buy some cold beers close by?" was a easy one!
So we did, and took some home to our overnight rondawels - iiicccceeeecold beers people, almost eish, very much earned also.

 

[the ruffian]

This is a grand ride report, with you @JonW maintaining your usual standard of excellence, and you @BuRP revealing a literary penchant (in the comment immediately above - notable for its segueing between formal and informal style; as well as its laconic , self-deprecating philosophizing ) that is belied by your actual physical demeanor ( as experienced by one meeting you for the first time).

As an even older ballie to you codgerized old farts: SALUD!

 

[JonW]

Pleased to find Bart waiting for us and still in reasonably good spirits, I told bart that the next stop was the shebeen, or as it's known locally, the '" blue house"

This is a couple of km down the road from the China Shop and they did have ice cold beers for sale. We decided not to drink them at the shebeen, but rather take them to our lodgings and enjoy them in comfort there. That night we were staying at the Thamatu Lodge in Thamatu Village, just North of Sehlabathebe.

 

[JonW]

With cold Malutis in hand we arrived at Thamatu Lodge in the late afternoon, to be warmly welcomed by the local lady whose job it is to look after the place. Everything was in tip top shape, the beds were freshly made, the rooms were clean, there were hot showers available and the kitchen was brilliantly stocked with implements, as well as nice to haves like Oros, salt, cooking oil and unbelievably, eggs. Also stacks of gas for the stoves, as well as drinking water.

Most impressed with the Lodge.

Some shots of the Lodge:

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]

After a good evening we all got off to bed quite early, our old bodies worn out by the day's hectic riding.

Next morning the plan was to have a bit of a shorter ride, go explore an area of Lesotho that I really love, massive wide open valleys, towering peaks and views to die for. As I told the others before we left, don't stick to the tracks I sent you, just ride wherever your bike takes you. The riding here is easy and just brilliant.

Here is a link to my FB page with a video of the view over KZN


Lesotho View

 

[JonW]

 

[JonW]