Hi all
I live in Durban South Africa and was in Johannesburg on business earlier this week. The route between these two cities is littered with toll booths and one of the alternatives is to return through lesotho, somthing I have been meaning to do for some time.
Anyway, not having anything too pressing I decided that I would come home that way yesterday. On the map it looked like it should entail maybey an extra hour or two. Well, it took me all day to cover 300 odd kilometers trough Lesotho. Much of the route is tarred, but do not be deceived, with altitude ranging between 2500m and 3300m the trusty, just overhauled Nissan LD28 was fairly gasping on some of the passes. On of the passes was marked, and I kid you not here, 19% grade, and this at 3200m! Anyway it really is beautiful country and worth visiting at a more leasurely sojurn.
By mid afternoon I realized I was going to be cutting it a little fine to make the Sani Pass (probably familiar to readers of this group) border post. I set about cracking on, realative term you understand! Of course at this stage the road, that up till then had been quite nice, suddenly turned into a potholed mess. All I can say is I am glad I was not driving an X5 with 20" rims, as I hit most of the potholes at a gallop. At Mothelhong, the road changes from potholed tar to dirt proper, and of course it was raining. Still the pace was pored on with a vengance, stream crossing, and boulders tackled with no let up.
The Landy seemed to be falling apart around me it was shaking and rattling so much, but there was no time to ease off. A night in the Sani Top backpackers hut did not appeal! Finally I started slithering down black mountain pass (3300m) towards Sani. I slithered into the Sani border post by this stage going sideways as much as forwards. They were still open! Having cleared customs, I deceided it was time to lock the hubs.
With the landy feeling more settled, it was time to tackle the pass proper. For those who do not know. Sani pass it 4x4 only teritory (first conquered in a ser1 I believe) but having recently been graded it was dooable in ordinary sedans. Well for the LR cognicenti, the old pass is back! There were plenty of tire shredding rocks well exposed, there seem to have been a few rock falls, and loads of mud, although oddly enough the stream crossing seemed a little tame considering he amount of rain.
Anyway, the landy eventually bounced into the SA border post at the bottom of the pass with only failed headlights to showfor its exertions. After another 20km of dirt it was back onto tar and with daylight rapidly fading I thought a quick look at the headlights was prudent. It turns out it was only a broken fuse, so finding a small garage still open, I bought another two and headed for home without further incident.
I felt quite proud having cheated the toll companies out of about R80, although it did take me all day and probably half a tank of diesel. Still the road less travelled is what Landy's are all about and I certainly had fun. I shall have to spend the weekend trying to retighten everything that has ratteled and shaken loose now but it was still worth it.
Regards Stephen