Day 19
It was Monday and I had to be back in Joburg on Wednesday lunchtime. I have basically run out of time so there was just one more track to attempt. To round up the Drakensberg traverse I was attempting to do since I started in Monantsa, I wanted to follow Drakensberg escarpment from Sani Pass to Sehlabathebe, following the same track that IanTheTooth did with his gang few months back (documented here: https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=212796.0).
Planned route:
They have done it in the opposite direction in one day, including returning home in SA I believe. I was very much aware that they are in a different league (I suspect most of them have some Roof credentials), but figured I will give it a try and see how it goes - I could always pull my trademark trick and turn tail if things turn too difficult. I had to be back to Sani to fetch my car latest Tuesday afternoon to be able to cross to SA before the border closes so that I can get back to Joburg on time. So ideally I would make it to Sehlabathebe in one day, sleep over, and then I come back to Sani long way around on the main road through Sehongkong and Mokhotlong. Should I have to sleep out in the mountains, I better be pretty sure that I can make it to Sehlabathebe quickly enough to allow for that return leg.
With that tentative plan in place, I geared up and set-off after breakfast. The track followed tar for few km to the turn off to a lodge (I think it is called Sani Stone lodge, but I may be wrong), where I turned south and hit dirt road heading for the lodge few km away.
Once I passed the lodge, the track deteriorated immediately into very rocky double track that followed that flat plains further south.
After few km the track turned up the valley heading up to a ridge closer to the SA/Lesotho border. There was still discernible double track, but just. I rode more off the track than on it. The riding was the usual cross-country over rocks and grass knolls, but nothing extreme. I made it to the top of the first ridge without glitch:
I continued down the valley and then up the next ridge after crossing a river. The riding was manageable, but the river crossings gave me few hairy moments. I didn’t take and risks and walked the bike, but the streams were flowing strong and the rocks at the bottom were very slippery - even walking without bike one had good chance of going into the drink.
The tracks followed along at some distance along the escarpment south, crossing valleys, ridges, plateaux and one or two more rivers.
Eventually - just short of half way I came to a ridge that ends in Rhino Peak. Ian warned me about one place in particular - I couldn’t remember which, but had a strong hunch that it was the ascent up on this ridge. So I expected that this is going to be the breakeven point - I either make it and then I’m on my way to Sehlabathebe or not and I’m going back (I have re-read Ian’s report afterwards and realized that actually I already did was actually the easy bit, it was the bits south of Rhino peak that looked tough with plenty of off-camber and such, but I failed miserably on that research before I set-off).
First glimpse of Rhino peak on the left above escarpment:
I made it to the bottom of the ascent going up to the Rhino peak ridge and my confidence plummeted. It was pretty steep with no obvious line to take. I had GPS track that Ian took, but they went down and it didn’t look too likely I will be able to follow it in reverse.
I did what I do best and started looking for an easy alternative. I could see on my contour map that the ridge run inland for many km, but there seemed to be some lower passes further west, on some of which iPhone was even showing herdsman huts on top as well as both sides of the ridge. I argued that herdsmen probably were located there as those were the easier passes to get over and decided to go and check them out.
So I turned right away from the escarpment and followed the ridge west. Initially I was making good progress boosting my confidence that I may get lucky and find easier way around. Further on the riding got more technical and I wasn’t helping by idiotically riding up high on the slopes just in case an easy pass will come my way. Riding down in the flatter valley would have saved me precious energy and time.
The riding on the slopes was made trickier by dense grass bushes/knolls that made it pretty exhausting. I have eventually made it to that pass I was aiming for and crashed my way over the rocks and grass knolls up to the first set of huts. There was no one there.
By now it was about 2 pm and I was getting properly tired. I still had the pass to negotiate - it looked tough, but easier than the original route up next to Rhino and I thought I might have a chance - if I would still have an energy. Which I didn’t. So I stopped for quick bite and drink and then went to investigate on foot possible approaches to the pass. There was no obvious easy way up - I would have to crash my way up the quote steep pass through rocks and those grassy knolls that become my main adversary there. Again, if this would be at the beginning of the day, I might give it a try, but at by now almost 3pm with most of my energy spent, I knew I will have to throw the towel in again.
Even if I would made it over the ridge, I was not even halfway through and I had no idea what kind of terrains waits further on. And unless it was beautiful dirt road, my chances of making it back to Sani on time next day were nil. On top of it the clouds were closing in and I could hear thunder.
So I did what I had to do, turned back and retraced back to Sani. As usually it took me less than half the time I took to get here from Sani, to get back - it is amazing how faster one is even over tricky bits once they have done them already before.
The picnic & turnaround point:
On the way back:
I made it back to Sani at about 6pm, just in time for shower and dinner. I failed again, but didn’t worry about it too much - there will be another day to try and now I will know what to expect for the northern half of the track, which gives always gives me great boost in confidence.
- I don't like when something requires PHD in math to supposedly make sense. I don't think nature does math or duality like particla/wave duality (wave of what?). But that is beside the point - I was just trying to lighten up end of that episode a bit.
