Advice for Lesotho

[Dede]

Hi all
we are actually at fouriesburg and before going down to port -Elizabeth, we wanted to visit « quickly » Lesotho during 4/5 days.
we wanted to see if doable katse dam, semonkong, maletsunyane falls and for sure try to have the best scenic roads
we were wondering if the road conditions were currently good and what itinerary you would recommend to us.
indeed, Google map seems to recommend to only enter and exit by Maseru (not butha-bete closer to our current position) and to go to the dam, go back to Maseru and go to the falls and go back to Maseru rather than to make a loop through thaba-tseka and to exit via the south.
We hope you would have good advice for us
we travel in an truck motorhome 4x4

thanks a lot for your help

a small French Family

[OffTheHamsterWheel]

From Fouriesburg it is definitely better to enter Lesotho at Caledonspoort and go through Butha-Buthe and Hlotse to Katse. Try and do the guided tour of the dam wall at Katse, it is very interesting.

From Katse head towards Thaba-Tseka and then on the A3 as far as Roma where you will take the A5 to Somonkong. If you are going to Port Elizabeth I would suggest taking the A4 and exiting Lesotho at Telle Bridge.

The roads above are all good tarred roads except the bit from Katse to Thaba Tseka and the scenery is beautiful

Back into South Africa you can head up Lundeans Neck Pass towards Wartrail and Rhodes then to Barkley East. This is the far southern Drakensberg and also a beautiful, rugged area.

Just remember to check your fuel, there are not many filling stations on this route.

[Dede]

From Katse head towards Thaba-Tseka and then on the A3 as far as Roma where you will take the A5 to Somonkong.
The roads above are all good tarred roads except the bit from Katse to Thaba Tseka and the scenery is beautiful

thank you so much
The road from Katse to thaba tseka seems quiet long and difficult no ? Especially with a big truck ? Or is it easyli doable ?

[pete le roux]

Just be careful about the Butha-Buthe - Hlotse stretch of the road - a month ago it was pretty bad!

When I was there in mid-August (Pretoria -> Bokong) there were massive roadworks and progress for vehicles was very, very slow (due to trucks crawling through the rough patches). On the return journey we ended up rather leaving Lesotho at Fickburg, and then driving the Fickburg-Fauriesburg route (which had a few bad patches of potholes, but was much easier and faster than those roadworks!).

But maybe someone who's been there more recently can share an update?

[Viertrek]

Don't know what tipe of engine you have in your truck, but be advised that it may be difficult, if not down right dangerous to traverse the high passes in Lesotho with a normally aspirated petrol engine. 4x4 low range may be of grate help in some places.

Some of the passes may be at an alavation of more than 3000 meters or 9 800 ft. with some very steep inclines.

The best engine for that terrain would be a turbo diesel, espesially in a truck.

And make sure to use engine braking power down the passes in order to prevent brakes from overheating. Again a diesel engine is great for engine braking.

Good luck and enjoy. Lesotho is a buetiful country.

[OffTheHamsterWheel]

thank you so much
The road from Katse to thaba tseka seems quiet long and difficult no ? Especially with a big truck ? Or is it easyli doable ?

Like nearly all roads in Lesotho, this one is very slow going with many twists and turns but it should not be a problem for your truck. There is a saying that distances in Lesotho are measured in time, not kilometres. This is because of the mountainous terrain throughout the country.

[Dede]

Some of the passes may be at an alavation of more than 3000 meters or 9 800 ft. with some very steep inclines.

The best engine for that terrain would be a turbo diesel, espesially in a truck.

And make sure to use engine braking power down the passes in order to prevent brakes from overheating. Again a diesel engine is great for engine braking.

Good luck and enjoy. Lesotho is a buetiful country.

thanks a lot. We have a diesel engine and a low gear box but quiet worried about the brake… even with the engine break : 15t

we will see in regard also to the weather. I understand that il will not be very clever this week

[Dede]

Just for you to know. The gravel road is ok with 4x4 truck but it took for us (on same for friends) 4 hours.
‘thanks a lot to all for your advices

[khotso]

Have 2 triangles and a fire extiquisher .... Would save you a lot of time at the road blocks...

[Davedusty]

Does anyone know if Katse Lodge has reopened following the refurbishment process?

[DieterK]

I am planning a similar crossing of Lesotho, but want to exit at Ramatsediso (if still operational) or Quachas nek. Any advice on the road from Thaba-Tseka crossing the Orange river and then on the "back-roads" south to Mashai and onwards over the Matebeng Pass towards the SA border?

[DieterK]

I am planning a similar crossing of Lesotho, but want to exit at Ramatsediso (if still operational) or Quachas nek. Any advice on the road from Thaba-Tseka crossing the Orange river and then on the "back-roads" south to Mashai and onwards over the Matebeng Pass towards the SA border?

[OffTheHamsterWheel]

I am planning a similar crossing of Lesotho, but want to exit at Ramatsediso (if still operational) or Quachas nek. Any advice on the road from Thaba-Tseka crossing the Orange river and then on the "back-roads" south to Mashai and onwards over the Matebeng Pass towards the SA border?

The road from Thaba Tseka to Mashai and then to Sehonghong is fine. From there there’s a newish (still gravel) road heading to Tsoelike and then Ramatsediso which is also fine and quite a scenic drive. To get to Matabeng you’re going to turn off that road, over Matabeng then to Sehlabathebe. The pass hasn’t been maintained for a long time and it’s quite a challenge. If you’re specifically looking for the challenge and preferably more than one vehicle then it’s fine, otherwise I’d just stay on the newer road. From Sehlabathebe via Ramasediso to Quacka’s Nek had been tarred now. As far as I know construction is complete.