Lesotho Rock'N'Roll

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Third serving

I went back to Lesotho in April for a third time on 500 to try to focus my exploration south. As always my plan was ambitious, and as usually I failed to achieve most of it. But as on the prior installements, I have managed to find some new tracks that will help to finish the overall objective - find nice dual sport route through Lesotho that would be doable and yet sill very demanding on loaded lightweight dual sport such as 500. My route sitll has some big gaps, but with few more trips I'm sure I'll manage to collate the route I would not be ashamed to recommend to any aspiring or even experienced dual sporter out there.

The objective this time was to attempt again to explore a loop mostly south and east of Katse dam, including getting to Mohale, then getting to Semonkong using new track I spotted on googlemaps west of Senquanyane, then explore south towards and including Adam Kok road teased here few times by IanTheTooth and from there head east to Sehlabathebe and ride Drakensberg escarpment up to Sani and, time allowing - further up to Orange river source. As said, I managed much less, mostly because I just couldn't make it down the escarpment south of Semonkong on the route that IanTheTooth has done with his mates few month back. They are clearly in different skill category than I am. So I had to turn east towards Thaba Tseka using well trodden Mantsonyane shortcut. And from Thaba Tseka due to some backpain and lack of time I headed back to Katse on the eastern side of Malibiamatso river - a tracks I found on the last trip - but this time for the second half I didn't follow the river in the valley, but rather continued on the east side until I connected to what I believe is Village Chief road (not sure about that though as the road was unbelievably washed out and rough and I cannot imagine anybody on big bike barring someone like Losper, making it through.

Here is the map of the routes I have ridden:


40390441380_61aa0a1290_b.jpg


Attached below are the GPX tracks:

- Day 1 - Katse to Mohale Optimised Track: This is track of the route over mountains from Katse to Mohale that I have discovered last time, but this one is optimised as I managed to find alternative to one tricky off camber section that almost send me back last time. This track is a must for everybody on light DS bike (i.e. lightweight enduro bike) who wants to go from Katse to Mohale

- Day 2 - Mohale to Semonkong: This is new route I have found running down to Semonkong. This is basically a road doable even on big adventure bike  and the best alternative for people traveling between Katse/Thaba Tseka and Semonkong (unless they are complete tar wuss). I was very surprised as I have never heard about this road and even Losper who knows every little track in Lesotho wasn't aware of it. Seeing that some sections looked very new, it is probably quite recent road.

- Day 3 & 4 - Semohkong to Nthamatha & back: these are tracks heading south towards Mt Moorosi, but all of them stop at the escarpment where I chickened out on the two tries I did there. IanTheTooth actually made it down, so full track all the way down to Ongeluksnek is posted in his RR on WD.

- Day 5 - Semonkong East towards Sehonkong: these are also dead end tracks when I was trying to find route down escarpment this time east towards Sehonkong. I found three options, but all of them way above my paygrade, so I had to retreat with tail between my legs back to Semonkong.

- Day 6 - Semonkong to Thaba Tseka: this is a known Mantsonyane shortcut (Video in the first post of this RR is from there), which I did this time from west to east. It is pretty washed out and I battled more than I expected. I originaly wanted to combine it with the dirt tracks I found in prior trip that joins A3 10 km before Thaba Tseka, but I run out of time and took tar from Mantsonyane to TT.

- Day 7 - Thaba Tseka to Katse: Roundabout trip to Katse on the eastern side of Malibiamatso river and eventually connecting to Village Chief road for last bit to Katse. This track can be used as great and more entertaining alternative to A3 for ride between Thaba Tseka  and Mokhotlong.
 

Attachments

  • Lesotho Apr 2018 - Day 1 - Katse to Mohale Optimised Track.GPX.zip
    74.9 KB
  • Lesotho Apr 2018 - Day 2 - Mohale to Semonkong.GPX.zip
    73.2 KB
  • Lesotho Apr 2018 - Day 3 & 4 - Semonkong to Nthamaha & back.GPX.zip
    58.1 KB
  • Lesotho Apr 2018 - Day 5 - Semonkong East towards Sehonkong.GPX.zip
    51 KB
  • Lesotho Apr 2018 - Day 6 - Semonkong to Thaba Tseka.GPX.zip
    76.8 KB
  • Lesotho Apr 2018 - Day 7 - Thaba Tseka to Sehonkong to Katse.GPX.zip
    105.7 KB
Here are some random pictures from this instalment. You can view the pictures in better resolution here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskygrPS8


Katse to Mohale:


41296107705_3030c409aa_b.jpg



42196501901_95366a0b69_b.jpg



41296123105_458c0309e6_b.jpg



40389734460_74e54caf22_b.jpg



27325327917_758616e68a_b.jpg


Mohale to Semonkong:


27325353647_970e0d7cde_b.jpg



40389765810_ebed3da0d5_b.jpg



42196607851_bdb9054c2f_b.jpg



41296178645_57040c6553_b.jpg



41296194115_d69d7c119c_b.jpg



28323965718_eea0478911_b.jpg


Nthamatha escarpment failure:


42150358402_c1e9b1c3a9_b.jpg



41475683544_c94d511b3e_b.jpg



28324029758_72b367d426_b.jpg



40389938760_6b70c1a400_b.jpg



42150424422_a2d08b9361_b.jpg



42150443222_b8be53f9cb_b.jpg



28324119738_651e41fafc_b.jpg



28324137548_2d11468ea1_b.jpg


The escarpment track at the beginning of which I chickened out:


41296368225_d3832f150a_b.jpg



41475810564_9e62e72e3b_b.jpg



41296401285_4e88f1fdb6_b.jpg



41475846994_a2c5b6f3bb_b.jpg



42196943101_809f530b50_b.jpg



42196958651_037a21a1bf_b.jpg


Trying to find a route down escarpment east towards Sehonkong:


41475908874_b6ae6c0f3e_b.jpg



28324275988_cfacc46415_b.jpg



40390169240_492d10a907_b.jpg



27325747277_211a6eaea6_b.jpg



41296568405_64da76b303_b.jpg



40390224460_32d7d422e9_b.jpg



27325809317_ed7ee57b40_b.jpg



28324412618_bb00edc3c6_b.jpg



41476050854_3abacc9d95_b.jpg



40390309730_04072eac72_b.jpg



27325908437_3ab39201b6_b.jpg


Semonkong - Thaba Tseka: Mantsonyane shortcut:


41296689505_59e31c03c3_b.jpg



41296702925_9e963c9f83_b.jpg



42150842082_1e455738c1_b.jpg



28324498438_ee492abe5d_b.jpg



41296739155_e93bdb4b6f_b.jpg


Thaba Tseka - Katse:

28324519328_02153d3d87_b.jpg



27326008977_9d96644f5e_b.jpg



27326021957_51982a82e8_b.jpg
 
Epic riding & photos Xpat. :hello2:

This one here must be one of the best southern African biking related photos I have seen in the last 10yrs :thumleft:

41296194115_d69d7c119c_b.jpg
 
And AGAIN you left me speechless----------------------------
 
:thumleft: Cheers BB & Schalk
 
Brilliant RR, thank you, kept me entertained for 2 days when I had a gap to read.
 
Top