READER STORY
Things don’t always work out according to plan, but if the opportunity for adventure rears its head you shouldn’t think twice, says Clive George from Durban.
Their plan to tackle the Senqunyane Valley in Lesotho with their 4x4s in August 2016 was put on hold by the heaviest snowfall in this area in 50 years. Clive George and his son, Craig, were planning on camping on the riverbank en route to the Sani Pass, but the weather gods had other plans. This setback, however, only made them more determined to traverse the valley and experience the extreme 4x4 challenges and remoteness. When they departed in a group of nine people in five 4x4s from the Ongeluks Nek Pass in the south of Lesotho last year in September, Clive and his friends were amped for the adventure that evaded them the year before.
Men on a mission
Our team from Natal planned on staying at different destinations over four nights and then to leave Lesotho on the fifth day by way of the Sani Pass. We wanted to spend the first night at Semonkong Lodge, the second night next to the Senqunyane River, the third at Katse Dam in Central Lesotho, and then the last night at the Linakeng River, southeast of the Katse Dam. Craig is the team leader and tackles the trip in his Mitsubishi Colt 2.8 with Trevor Pitt. David Southwick drives his Ford Ranger 3.2, and Leon Erwee and his 16-year-old son, Kavan, travel in a Land Rover Discovery V8. A three-man team consisting of André Greeff, Ralph Koen and Dino Koulountis are in a Toyota Hilux 3.0, and I’m in my Mitsubushi Triton 3.2. Our trip gets off to a shaky start after we refuel at Matatiele en route to Ongeluks Nek Pass. Leon’s Discovery starts losing power (we suspect dirt in the fuel) and the problem is so serious that Leon, Kavan and David decide to rather return home to Durban – much to our disappointment. But half an hour later David phones Craig to say they’re on their way back as the fuel problem had improved considerably. After waiting for Leon and company for a short while, we proceed up Ongeluks Nek Pass to the border post. We leave the border post at about 1 pm and travel up the pass. It’s not the toughest challenge but we have to engage low range and diff lock occasionally to ultimately reach the pinnacle of the pass (approximately 2 400 m). The drive through the plateau reveals spectacular views and it’s especially a view over a lake that emphasises that feeling of isolation and vastness. After skirting down the mountain pass on our way to Semonkong Lodge, we come across a small village with friendly locals who happily point out a shack to us where we buy a case of Lesotho’s Maluti beers at a reasonable price. It ensures a good vibe in the group and at 6 pm we arrive at the lodge, enjoying a hearty meal and a good night’s rest in the backpackers.
Rocks and ditches
The next morning we fill our tanks from the jerry cans we’ve been carrying. This will take some weight off the roof of our vehicles so they’re more stable when we’re descending the steep passes ahead. Craig leads the way again and our convoy leaves at 9 am on the so-called Bus Route southeast in the direction of the Senqu River. For the first hour or so the road is relatively easy. Then Craig signals a turn-off (according to his GPS) to the right. It’s a bridle path running along the grassy plateau of the escarpment and winding its way down the >
The plateau spoils us with beautiful scenery and it’s especially the view of a lake that adds to the feeling of remoteness.
Senqu Valley. Although this path isn’t difficult to drive, it’s not without its fair share of obstacles. It’s easy to lose the track, but luckily we have satellite navigation to help us when we (literally) go off the route. But it’s not long before our adventure starts in full force. We reach a point where it suddenly becomes more challenging: In front of us the path is littered with rocks that look like they’ve been strategically placed there to test our 4x4 skills. Progress is slow. Hordes of curious locals gather round to see how our vehicles will fare down this challenging stretch of road. Although Craig, Andre, Ralph, David and I had been down this pass two years ago, the condition of it has since deteriorated considerably. And, Dino, Trevor, Leon and Kavan have never been to the Senqu before and there is some doubt in their minds, and ours, as to our vehicles’ abilities to make it down to the river. We knew it would be difficult and that’s exactly why we came here. So with Trevor as guide, Craig leads the way around and over the first steep hairpin bend down to the escarpment, only to find that there’s a succession of other steep gullies, rocks, boulders and dropoffs ahead of us. With diff lock and low range permanently engaged, the rest of the team (guided by Dino, Kavan, Ralph
Before us, the path is strewn with rocks and ditches that seem to be strategically placed there to test our 4x4 skills.
and Trevor) follows Craig after he successfully manages to get around the first hairpin bend. After negotiating several similar steep gullies down the escarpment, the Lesotho locals who followed us on foot stares at our convoy with looks of disbelief and try to warn us about what lies ahead. I must admit, the warnings of “This road is no” and “You must go back” does little for our self-confidence. But we’d already reached the point of no return. Our vehicles would never make it back up the steep pass even with low range and diff lock. So we have no option but to press on regardless of the condition of the road. We’re determined to persevere, and with the help of our guides who remove boulders and help with hand signals when we can’t see over the bonnets of our cars, our vehicles slowly crawl down the rocky terrain to the river, where we arrive at approximately 2 pm. It had taken us five hours to do about 30 km. After setting up camp on the banks of the river, and to celebrate the successful completion of the first leg of our trip down the rugged escarpment, we drink several Maluti beers and braai some meat while we discuss the hectic day’s events and what lies ahead of us the next day. We all agree that the most extreme part of our trip is over and that our ascent up the Senqu Valley to Katse Dam will be plain sailing. But we have no idea how wrong we are...
Stress levels climb the higher we go
It’s the third day of our trip. We pack up camp and leave in convoy at 8 am. We cross the river with ease, up the steep escarpment of the Sequ Valley in a northeasterly direction to Katse Dam via Thaba-Tseka. The higher we climb the more we realise this rough and steep mountain road is more difficult than we anticipated. Luckily we’re rewarded with magnificent views. We can understand why some people refer to this section as the “stairway to hell”. The biggest challenge is if you try to tackle an obstacle without a guide. I find that out the hard way when I attempt to negotiate a gully and almost roll my bakkie in the process. The team members behind me see my left front wheel lifting half a metre. Luckily I realise it immediately and reverse, preventing the Triton from ending up on its roof. It’s a slow, tricky and tedious ascent up Lesotho’s dry, rocky terrain and ultimately it takes us four hours to complete 20 km. By the time we reach St Martins Mission at the end of the pass on the way to Katse Dam, we’d covered 42 km in six hours. Credit goes to Ralph, Kavan, Trevor and Dino for guiding us through this tricky terrain. We fill up at Thaba-Tseka and eventually arrive at 6 pm in pouring rain at the Katse Dam, where we overnight. So far the weather had been fine and a little while later it stops raining. We pitch camp on the banks of the river >
near the Katse Dam. Craig decides to inspect his Colt’s engine and discovers that three bolts are missing on the exhaust manifold. We celebrate another successful day in the Senqu Valley with several Maluti beers and a braai, but it’s clear the events of the past two days have taken their toll on the team. The stress is visible. Andre has to return home to Durban earlier than expected for business reasons so we decide to abandon the last leg of our trip to the Linakeng River. The next morning we’re driving straight to the Sani Pass. Heading home After packing up camp, we drive to Katse Village where Craig finds a mechanic to fit the three missing bolts to his exhaust manifold. It’s worth the time and money because it gives Craig peace of mind for the journey ahead. We head for the Sani Pass, travelling mainly on good dirt and tar roads in a southeasterly direction back through Thaba-Tseka and Mokhotlong. This part of our journey is in stark contrast to the previous two days, but it’s a welcome change because we’re able to relax and take advantage of the magnificent mountainous scenery of Lesotho instead of focussing on the hazardous road ahead of us. It’s the best of both worlds: hardcore 4x4 challenges and the opportunity to drive slowly and marvel at your surroundings. We spend our last night on the Sani Pass and as per usual we light a fire and cook some meat on the coals – it’s one thing we never tire of. We hang out on the backpackers’ patio while it’s pouring down and we chat about the wonderful challenges and the experience we’ll never forget. Sure, Craig and I would have loved to complete the course to the Linakeng River like we had planned, but we’re satisfied that we achieved the main objective of the trip. We went looking for a taxing 4x4 adventure through the Senqunyane Valley and we found it. And we couldn’t have asked for a better sense of camaraderie amongst the team members. During the three and a half days of travelling through the vast and magic mountain ranges of Lesotho – and under Craig’s sound leadership and navigation – we covered approximately 600 km, from Ongeluks Nek in the south to ThabanaNtlenyana and Sani Pass in the east. This trip was a memorable adventure and one of the best experiences of my life. I will never forget it.