Thule Rustlers Route.

**Chris8d** · 2011/01/12, 09:58 AM

Went up the Thule Route this weekend, wow what a route, I could have stayed up there all week. The route is 26km and took 6hrs to complete. Weather was great and the views are awesome from up there. They had lots of rain, 90mm for Jan, so inside Lesotho it got a bit wet on the flat areas and one had to be careful not to get stuck all on your own up there. Lots of streams and little waterfalls to cool down in. Altitude is 8323 ft at Thule Beacon.

**daemon** · 2011/01/14, 10:39 AM

Looks nice, got a GPS route for this?

**Uys** · 2011/01/14, 10:42 AM

No bash plate!! Very irresponsible!

Where is this?

**Chris8d** · 2011/01/14, 11:10 AM

Bash plate was taken off, can't handle rocks to thin, and the one that is on there, look again, is made out of 5mm plate. A home made weekend job, just don't have the fancy tools to punch out HILUX or stofpad, in it

**Sakkie** · 2011/01/14, 11:33 AM

Who did you bribe to get the key to the gate....... I was up there couple of years ago and it took a LOT of fancy footwork.

It is stunningly beautiful up there.

**Chris8d** · 2011/01/14, 12:14 PM

I know the land owner, he is a mate of mine. And yes it is stunningly beautiful up there, hell of a nice route for a day outing and family.
Like I said I will stay up there for a week if I could. This was the first time taking my Hilux up there, normally go up on bikes and spend the night in the mountains.
But since I had to sell my bike

to get a car for SWAMBO all the outings is done in the Lux with the family now, is better in a way, spend quality time with wife and daughter. Told SWAMBO we going on a romantic drive

**Fastfly4** · 2016/04/14, 07:16 PM

Hello.

has anyone done this pass recently, want to go at the end of April as a day trip??

Thanks, Fast...

**Chris8d** · 2018/09/30, 12:37 PM

After some time, I have decided to revisit this wonderful pass, it is amazing how busy one gets in life and forget about these outings that is close to home, I find these outings to be very educational for the kids as well.

We found a dead sheep being taken apart by vultures, this was the first time the kids got up close to vultures and they remember them from our Transkei trip and the vulture colony at Msikaba.
They also had the opportunity to see a Lammergeier, Bearded Vulture, what a amazing sighting it was. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of it.

Once again, the pass did not fail to impress and the drive was great with amazing views of the surrounding area.
The main reason for my visit this time was to go find some caves up there that I had information on, these caves are not really known to people and there is nothing on the internet on these caves, which makes it an even better outing!

I’m not going to elaborate to much on these caves as I would like to keep them as is, I will post a few pictures thou.

The pass passes over private farm land and is not open to the public, permission is very seldom given to anyone, mostly not.
It is 20km to the top, Thule Beacon 8323 Ft asl.

From there you can make your way over mountains on cattle paths and get to Sehlabathebe, the Sehlabathebe lodge is occupied by the Lesotho Army, who also patrols the border, they are mostly very pleasant guys armed with AK 47's.
There are no “roads” in the Sehlabathebe National Park and you will only get around if you are with someone that knows the way.
One should not enter thou as you have not gone through a border post and have now entered illegally, you could be locked up for doing so.

I was explained in which direction the caves were and what to look out for, locals have such good ways of explain landmarks, I always find it very interesting and amusing. Like the one local says to me……

Local: If you enter from Sani it is near ThabaTseka
Me: On what side of Thaba Tseka?
Local: On the side towards Katse, the road toKatse, the big dam
Me: is it closer to Katse or Thaba Tseka?
Local: Closer to Katse, on the road there

I pull out a map and the guy see Sehlabathebe,“yes yes Sehlabathebe, that is where it is”

Anyone that has been into Lesotho will know how far apart these places is from one another, it’s like North and South apart.

So, after some time, landmarks start making sense and we get to the area that was explained, drive as close to the mountain as we could and started walking. You have to first find your way down the mountain and then enter from the valley below.

It did not take very long to find these caves as they are fairly big caves. It seems that the only visitors to these caves are the locals when the weather conditions turn bad and they seek shelter in the caves for their animals and them self’s.
There is some graffiti dated 1963 on a wall.
What we found in the caves was mind blowing for the kids as they have spent the last term learning a bout bushman, the way they lived and of cause their paintings.