The Last Sky-Riders of Sani Pass
Legendary African explorer and humanitarian Kingsley Holgate invited me to join him on a historic expedition to commemorate the end of an era: To drive 50-year old Land Rovers up across the fabled Sani Pass and deep into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
If you’re one of the lucky few who get to travel often, you’ll know that your time on the road is often defined by a singular, awe-inspiring moment which more than justifies the time, expense and effort you’ve invested in your journey. In Lesotho (‘Africa’s Kingdom in the Sky’) there are several such moments.
I can confidently say that no view will ever compare with the one I witnessed while standing on the rooftop of Africa. At 3 000-odd metres above sea level, huge expanses of lush green valleys and ancient mountains stretch out as far as the eye can see.
Here, on top of Sani Pass, the land is devoid of any human interference, except for the occasional low-suspension minibus taxi, carefully navigating passengers and cargo across this treacherous mountain pass. Driving along its upper reaches, it becomes evident that this place churns out one postcard moment after another.
North of Sani Pass, we find ourselves wild camping for the fourth consecutive night in the staggering heights of Thabana Ntlenyaya ('beautiful little mountain' in Sesotho) – the highest point in Lesotho and the highest mountain range in Southern Africa. Lesotho also boasts the highest average altitude of any country in the world.
Along with other journalists (including my good mate Patrick Cruywagen and social influencer Mike Eloff), we were transferred to a farm in Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal - the venue for the annual Splashy Fen Music Festival, and where our journey officially began.
Around the campfire that evening, Kingsley whipped out his famous ‘talking stick’. As is custom with his expeditions, the stick is passed around, allowing everyone a chance to speak or share a story. The stick made its way to Roger Gaisford, a historian with extensive knowledge of the pass and surrounding areas. His spoke of the first open-top Willys Jeep vehicles that crossed over Sani Pass during the late 1940s.
The Heroes of Himeville
The convoy of plucky 60-year-old stalwart Series I Landys made their way to Himeville, a quaint village situated in the picturesque foothills of the southern Drakensberg mountain range. After a quick pit stop at the legendary Himeville Arms Hotel, the expedition arrived at a nearby rural school, Faithway College, to judge a Rhino Art project.
The Kingsley Holgate Foundation, supported by Land Rover and Project Rhino KZN, started an initiative called Rhino Art - Let Our Children’s Voices Be Heard. By visiting
the school and spreading awareness against rhino poaching, this initiative has done some incredible work for the conservation of Africa’s most threatened specie.
It was a moving experience to hear the poignant voices of the kids in Himeville, who, through colourful pictures and messages, called for an end to the savagery of rhino poaching. Ngkulungisa Mncwabe (14) walked away with the grand prize of a Passion bicycle with her picture of a rhino dressed in the colours of the South African flag and and inspiring poem:
In the news today
see the rhino shed a tear
White flag upon the hill
Poachers do as you will
You better start to fear
Justice is drawing near
Run rhino run
From the man with the gun
Hear the sound of the gun
I see you stumble and fall
Also joining us on the trip was Mike Nixon, a Cape Epic Last Lion - one of only four people who have completed every single race since its inception. A self-confessed fitness junkie, Mike has completed several expeditions with Kingsley (including the Heart of Africa) and has conquered the Seven Summits of the World, including Mount Everest, twice.
In preparation for the upcoming Cape Epic, Mike and some of his fellow cyclists, rode their bicycles up some of the steeper sections of Sani Pass, giving them valuable training and conditioning for the arduous climbs of the Epic.
Sani Pass is seriously the mother of all mountain passes. It has all the dramatic views, inclement weather and treacherous conditions expected of a pass with a summit
altitude that borders on the need for pressurised aircraft cabins.
The daunting heights of the mountain loomed over us. We stretched our necks staring up at the lammergeiers (bearded vultures) circling high above the peaks of the pass, looking deceptively tiny from that distance. Some only recommend modern 4x4 vehicles for this pass, but here we were, with only a few 1950s classics at our disposal.
But the Series Land Rovers are the original conquerers – the vehicle that started everything. It exhibits a sweet mix of old-fashioned engineering and mechanical ability that has withstood the test of time.
We swooped through the border post with relative ease (easier than most other African countries), clambered up the short stretch of No Man’s Land and eventually reached
the rustic and well-hidden Sani Mountain Lodge. At an altitude of nearly 2 800 m, Sani Mountain Lodge boasts the highest pub in Africa. Of course, the trip would not have been complete without a few cold ones out on the veranda of Africa’s rooftop.
From here, the views are simply spectacular. But a thick misty fog made visibility poor and conditions chilly. But we could all appreciate the frightfully eerie and dead silent ambiance, providing an other-worldly experience of a more spooky-looking Sani Pass. Some crew members enjoyed a few cups of mulled Glühwein, while others settled in for lunch or partook in a game of chess around the fireplace.
Saving Lives in Sani
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that nearly 250 million people have poor vision and 90% of them live in developing countries. Through the Mashozi’s Rite to Sight initiative, Kingsley and his crew have distributed more than 100 000 pairs of reading spectacles throughout Africa since the campaign’s inception in 2013.
At Sani Mountain Lodge, Kingsley rustled up the locals – rural Basotho sheepherders who happened to be wandering by. After a rigorous eye test, the crew prescribed each ‘patient' with a set of reading glasses. Locals are treated with the utmost respect, and the process is clearly explained to them. Reading glasses are properly prescribed and not handed out as fashion accessories.
This was followed by a warm smile or a joyous outburst. In Africa, fine craftwork like needle sewing or hooking bait could be the difference between feeding or starving your family. Through this campaign, tens of thousands of poorly sighted people’s lives are improved throughout Africa.
The End of an Era
The pass between the Lesotho and South African border posts is still considered by some as one of the last No Man’s Land areas in the world. For the ardent Landy fans out there, Alwyn Bisschoff, an aircraft technician with theSouth African Air Force during World War II, drove the first Series I up Sani Pass in 1952, and was famously coined with the phrase: “If a Jeep could do it, so could a Land Rover.”
In 1955, a local Natal resident named David Alexander began constructing a trade route between Himeville and Mokhotlong. In 1960, the Mokhotlong Mountain Transport Company was formed and began running eight-ton 4x4 freight trucks up and down the pass, which was nowhere near as user-friendly as it is today. Although the roads have changed somewhat, the adventure of driving up Sani Pass is the main reason people travel it.
Its magic lies in the challenge of navigating roads too narrow for two vehicles to pass, three-point turning on hairpin bends and steering across slippery snow in winter or mudslides in summer. Coupled with the unspoilt wilderness and glorious views, the poor state of the road is what makes it attractive for 4x4 enthusiasts.
But does the tarring of Sani Pass spell an end for one of Africa’s best bad roads? It’s favoured as most people believe that improving access on Sani Pass will bring
more tourists, more hotels, more jobs and other benefits for the locals.
But the biggest driving motivator for the upgrade is the environmental factor. The pass is slowly eroding away. Erosion is also a serious problem in Lesotho due to the pressures of modern farming techniques and overgrazing.
Ironically, there are hardly any accidents on Sani Pass. The uneven roads force motorists to travel with caution and at very low speeds. What’s more, a dirt surface provides traction when the road is covered in snow and ice. It begs the question: Is it not better to have a bad dirt road than a badly tarred road? Reports suggest that nearly R887 million will be spent on tarring Sani Pass.
The Sacred Cows of Senqu
At the Senqu River crossing point, a group of local cattle herders came rushing towards our convoy, knee- and elbow-deep in brown, crusty mud. They frantically urge us over, requesting our assistance as one of their prized cows manage to bog itself down into the deep muddy banks of the Senqu.
Kingsley’s son, Ross, who can speak the native tongue, told us that the poor beast had been stuck for close to 12 hours and was showing signs of fatigue and shock. The valiant efforts of locals to rescue the cow (by using poles and ropes) proved fruitless. We needed something stronger.
Immediately, fellow expedition member David Visagie and Ross jumped in and started clearing mud from around the cow in an effort to free up some space for a winch strap. After some intense digging, one of the Series I vehicles with a winch (Kenneth’s 88-inch Series) was summoned closer.
A strap was pulled around the cow’s torso, and slow, careful winching (thanks to the strength of the Series) brought the animal closer to the dry banks. In a collective effort, the local Basotho and our crew grabbed the rope and managed to pull the big cow to safety.
We headed back to Pietermaritzburg the next day to catch our flight home, marking the end of our adventure. But we manage to find solace in a few tasty steaks (thanks Bruce) and fond memories of our trip, including the lasting friendships formed on this expedition - especially with the spirited group of Series owners.
While watching Kingsley stare intently into the fire, it suddenly hit me. The Series Land Rover covered the world as the choice of wheels for modern-day explorers like Kingsley (okay fine, it might have evolved to Defender and Discovery later on). But so many owners and drivers have confirmed the practicality of travelling long distances in these rudimentary, yet intoxicating vehicles.
The reason for its success? Utter ability, dependability, and an iconic appearance that simply oozes adventure. Ngiyabonga Kingsley Holgate and crew, and Ngiyabonga Land Rover, for one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.
THE KING'S SPEECH
This is a excerpt of Kingsley's final tribute around the campfire that night, entitled 'Friends, You Will Remember…'
“We will remember. True adventurers that you are will remember yet another Series I call-to-action that had you shaking the wet dew from your tents after a night of ‘talking sticks’, ‘Kenneth-strafdops’ and tales of Willys by Roger Gaisford at Splashy Fen. We will remember them in all their glory, the 60-year-old stalwarts.
Friends, you will remember the poignant voices of the rhino kids of Himeville, who through their colourful pictures and messages called for an end to the savagery of rhino poaching. To the Sani Series I adventurers, thank you all for bringing Rhino Art to Himeville as part of this expedition and adding your voices for rhinos to the kids. You will remember the jolly journey to the top of Sani, the mist and the cyclists as well.
You will remember being part of Mashozi’s Rite to Sight – the joy of using these crazy Land Rover adventures to help save lives. Oh, Series I adventurers, you’ll forever remember rescuing a cow from the Senqu- mud wrestlers supreme. You will remember the convoy, the Heart of Africa Landy, the cyclists and the plucky Series I’s crossing the old causeways.
We’ll never forget the mountain passes of the Malotis – a nation in the sky, sheep dogs, Agora goats, dancing horseman, white gumboots and smiling kids. And now, tonight, a broken bridge. No place, my friends, is like Mama Africa. Thanks and Siyabonga – on to the next one!”
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