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:
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.
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:
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.
