Sani Pass
Looking Down Sani Pass
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Helene and I entered Lesotho by coming up this route. It is the only pass in the Drakensberg range that vehicles can travel. The long steep road was often just a single muddy track.We set out early from a lodge at the foot of the range in South Africa. Our destination was the Sani Top Chalet, located at the very top of the pass, just inside of the Lesotho border. At nearly 3000 meters, it boasts the highest pub in Africa. We hiked about 10 km until a German fellow, Christian, gave us a lift in an ancient VW bettle. It was only running on 3 cylinders so Helene and I had to get out and push on the steeper sections. Pour entrer au Lesotho, nous avons du emprunter une route escarpee qui donne sur un sommet de 3000 metres a la frontiere Lesothienne. Sans vehicule, nous avons du marcher, faire de l'auto-stop et meme pousser une voiture.
The Escarpment with South Africa Below
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The South African customs was located at the bottom of the steepest part of the pass, and refused to let the car further up because they thought it wouldn't make it. They also noted his Visa had expired days ago. Piece by piece we began to understand Christian's saga.
About 10 days earlier he had been drinking with some of the local workers at the Sani Top Chalet. Later that night someone found him passed out in the mud and rain with a head injury and a few broken ribs. Christian wasn't certain what exactly had happened to him. He made it through the night, and the next day he was taken by 4 wheel drive ambulance down the pass to a hospital in South Africa. He now was ready to go back to Germany, but he had left his own personal car at Sani Pass and now had to return there to retrieve it. Heureux qu'une voiture nous embarque one ne fait pas attention a son etaqt. Cinq kilometres plous loin, son propritetaire, un Allemand, nous demande de pousser. Mmmh, peute-etre que la marche n'est pas si mal apres tout. Une fois arrive au poste frontiere, situe a 10 km du sommet, la bagnole se fait refuse le droit de passage, alors que son propriose fait annonce que son visa de touriste est expire!!! Oops.
Basalt Cliffs
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Finally customs let him through with the promise that he would be right back with his own car. We all managed to hitch a ride with a Christian missionary up the last 8 km to the top of the pass. At the Chalet (a draft stone building with low ceilings) there were lots of dark looks from the local Lesotho employees. Christian made us promise that we would not leave him alone. On decide don de quitter notre emploi de "pousseux" ainsi que notre boss et de se remettre en marche vers le sommet. Un missionaire Americain nous laisse prendre place dans son "pick up" et notre Allemand nous y rejoint sans qu'on ni le courage, ni le temps de lui expliquer notre nouvelle position.
His car battery was dead, so in the fading twilight Helene and I pushed him nearly half a kilometer through the rain and mud from the Chalet to the edge of the escarpment. With a final shove he rolled over the edge, jump started his car, and waved good bye. Lentement, mais surement, Christian se devoile. Il se trouve que 10 jours plus tot, alors qu'il visitait le Lesotho, il s'est retrouve inconscient et en sang, etendu dans la boue. Il ne sait pas ce qui s'est passe et a bien failli y perdre sa vue. Il pense qu'il a ete attaque, la raison nous demeure inconnue. Quoiqu'il en soit, il etait tres nerveux d'y retourner apres un long sejour a l'hopital et nous fait promettre de ne pas le quitter jusqu'a ce qu'il en parte de nouveau. Voila la raison de l'expiration de son visa. Il doit revenir au Lesotho afin d'y chercher sa voiture qu'il avait laisse derriere lorsque l'ambulance est venue le chercher. Sa voiture se trouvait juste au haut de la route, au point d'entree du Lesotho, au Sani Chalet.
It snowed a week later on the plateau
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La batterie de sa voiture etait morte/capoute. Nous avons donc du le pousser, a nouveau, du haut de l'escarpement afin que sa voiture puisse demarrer. Ceci fut fait sous la pluie, dans la boue au son des ordres de cet ours mal leche qu'etait Christian. Il faut dire qu'il avait des cotes de brisees et devait souffrir enormement. Toute une facon qu'on a eu d'entrer au Lesotho. On ne sait plus trop ce qui nous attend dans ce charmant petit pays.
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