LESOTHO 2013 with the BMW MCC Cape : "Dirties" Tour to Lesotho : 16th to 25th March
BMW MCC Cape : Tours
Lesotho 2013
Two Seperate Tours
"Roadies" & "Dirties"
The approach to Ongeluksnek
There Will be two separate Club Tours to the Lesotho area during early 2013.
Passports will be needed for both of these Tours. Please ensure that you still have 6 full months validity in your Passport from the day we leave Lesotho.
Ongeluksnek
Roadies :
The Roadies Tour will be called "The Around Lesotho" tour and will include a visit to and an overnight stay at The Orion Katse Lodge http://www.oriongroup.co.za/katse-overview.html.
It will also include a visit to the Gods Window area as well as a stay in the Natal Drakensberg.
The itinerary for this Tour as well as the proposed dates, duration & accommodation are still in their infancy and will be supplied in the near future.
If you would like to put your name down for this Tour with your confirmed bookings being dependent on dates, times & costs please feel free to contact me or make a posting on the Forum. Remember if we do not know each other well I will need details like your proper name, e mail address and if you are interested in the Dirt or Tar option.
One of the valleys
Dirties (Off Road) :
The arrangements for this Tour are at an advanced stage and all that we still need to do is put the finishing touches to our route. This is causing loads of frustration as between the weather and the Chinese who are building loads of roads in Lesotho it is difficult to find the true state of the roads and tracks that we want to take you on. Due to this factor the final route will only be confirmed much nearer the time.
Although the accommodation has all been planned (with alternatives) we are still trying to get consecutive nights at the establishments we wish to stay in. We are working hard on this so as to finalise costs as soon as possible.
At this stage (subject to change) our route is vaguely as follows :
From Cape Town we head to Matatiele and the Resthaven guest house www.resthaven.co.za which is our springboard into Lesotho.
Camping
The following is our planned itinerary :-
Day 1) From Matatiele we head for the Ongeluksnek Border post where there is only a South African Customs control office. The Lesotho side has no border control.
Once we enter Lesotho we head for our overnight accommodation at Mt Moorosi. We will have covered less than 130kms today and your muscles will be reminding you of the
breathtaking scenery that we have already passed through. http://www.placenamesa.com/Mountain%20Post/Mount%20Moorosi%20Chalets.htm
Day 2) From Mt Moorosi we back track a bit then head off towards the East before Turning North towards Semongkong and the Donkey Road. This section will either be recce'd or we will get
up to date info on it as the Chinese are busy on this road. www.placeofsmoke.co.ls/ or possibly The Trading Post Lodge www.tradingpost.co.za/
Day 3) We visit the Maletsunyane Falls http://www.google.co.za/search?q=maletsunyane+falls&hl=en&client=firefox... before heading towards Ramabanta and on to Roma before we head off towards Katse Dam & Katse Lodge http://www.oriongroup.co.za/katse-overview.html
Day 4) Today is a circular route sort of around the Dam with an off road route that include a section called "the Chiefs House" and returning to Katse Lodge.
Day 5) We leave Katse Lodge for Sani Pass and Sani Top (Hotel). A full days beautiful ride to the Top of Sani Pass where we will have lots of refreshments at the highest pub in Africa.
Day 6) We descend Sani Pass and start heading for home.
The long and winding road
Please note that all of these routes are weather dependent and can be very difficult in wet conditions.
The weather in Lesotho can be very fickle. Rain, Snow, Wind & Sunshine are all part of a normal day, so we will need to go prepared.
All routes are subject to change and or amendment depending on prevailing conditions and updated information as I receive it.
There will be a back up vehicle that carries our luggage and a trailer with us on the Tour.
All bikes will have to be shod with new knobblies.
Teamwork, sweat and venturing into the unknown will all be part of this fantastic adventure. The ride will suite the more experienced riders (and yes Tony Schlee this includes you!!), if you are in doubt talk to me!!
Pillions are welcome but only with very experienced riders. (Dr Denkhaus this includes you!!!!)
Remember that we will be riding mountain passes and mountain tracks, the terrain will vary from Tar to dirt to twee spoor to een spoor. From rocks to river crossings. You will see scenery that is to beautiful to comprehend and be blown away by the fantastic valleys and rivers. We will have times of utter relaxation next to a lake in the mountains and times of sweat and manual labour as we help each other over the testing bits. You will laugh and c.. (no you won't do that)......shout to the havens and shouts of "Sweets" from the local kid's will become your mother tongue. We will experience different cultures and maybe even go for a sundowner cruise on Katse Dam!!?? We will make friends and become brothers in arms!!
It will be a Tour you will not easily forget.
Not all establishments are able to offer "single supplement" (your own room) . Most will.
The Tour is 10 months away and as most of you know before we know it it will be pre trip get together time. There is however ample time to put something in the Kitty every month towards the Tour.
Interested?
It can't all be easy
Drop me a mail on russell@aroma.co.za or make a posting on the Forum.
As soon as I have the exact accommodation, dates & costs I will pass this on to those interested and then shortly thereafter call for deposits.
BOOKINGS & PAYMENT :
Please note that bookings are made on a first come first served basis.
Although non members are welcome PAID UP MEMBERS RECEIVE PREFERENCE WITH THE BOOKINGS.
All payments received are non refundable unless you are able to replace yourself on the Tour. We will try our best to assist you.
Once the Tour is full we will go onto a waiting list. At this time the riders who have booked as "tentative" or "TBC" will be asked to confirm their booking or they will be replaced from the waiting list.
A deposit will be called for as soon as the Tour is full.
Geoff Russell
0828078130
Always keen!
Sani Pass is definitely on my bucket list!!
Sean Hidden
Brent Sender
Road Tour : Member : Yes/No
Geoff Russell Yes
Noelene Russell Yes
Chris Dunn Yes
Belinda Dunn Yes
Francois & Eileen vd Westhuizen Yes
Marc & Irene deFleuriot Yes
Lyn Nicol Yes
Keith Millington Yes
John & Des Gillespie Yes
Garth Clarkson Yes
Johan + Dulcie van der Westhuizen Yes
Mike Shield Yes
Harold Mead and partner
Anida De Villiers
Dries van Tonder
Henri & Louise Basson
An e mail was sent (4/6) to all respondents on the Off Road Tour asking that they should confirm their attendance in order that I may get the final bookings confirmed
Off Road Tour:
Geoff Russell x Yes - Confirmed
Tony Schlee (Share Graham) Yes - Confirmed
Graham Montgomery (Share Tony) x Yes - Confirmed
Geoffrey Kite x Yes - Confirmed -Single
Sean Hidden x Yes - Confirmed
Rob Selig Withdrawn
Brent Sender x Yes - Confirmed
Cecil Hill x Yes - Confirmed
Adie Adendorf Yes- Confirmed
Mike Adendorf Yes- Confirmed
Christopher Bothma Yes - Confirmed
Kevin Charleston x Yes - Confirmed - Single
Geoff Edwards x Yes - Confirmed
Stan van Rensburg Withdrawn
Adrian Lee x Yes- Confirmed- single
Frans Coetsee x Yes - Confirmed
Herman Ebersohn Withdrawn
Derrick Geary Yes - Confirmed
Hein Carstens Yes
Henk Kotzee x Yes - Confirmed
Garth Clarkson Withdrawn
Johan DeVilliers Yes
Peter o Hanlon x Yes - Confirmed
Trevor Versveld x Yes - Confirmed
Bruce Ravenhill x Yes - Confirmed - Single
DuToit Viljoen Yes - Confirmed
Andre Nel x Yes - Confirmed
David Cade x Yes - Confirmed
Cobus Burger No
Jeanne Vermaak No
Derrick Morillion No - Confirmed
Gunther Kritzinger (Gauteng Club member) x No - Confirmed.
Manie Steyn (Gauteng) No
Gerhard Kritzinger (Gauteng) No
Geoff Spence x No - Confirmed
Tymen Bouma x No - Confirmed
Jeanne Groenewald No
Kellie Becker No - Confirmed
Marius Wurth x No - Confirmed
John Finch yes - confirmed
Martin Denkhaus Yes - Confirmed
Cassie Steyn No
Martin Jooste No
Derick Bekker No
Me too please........
I was planning on doing a Lesotho trip anyway next year again, might just probably tag along on this trip depending on the dates.
Cobus,
I have put you on the list you can confirm in due course.
Looks like March the week before the Easter weekend week.
Hi Geoff. Francois & Eileen vd Westhuizen definitely interested. Put our names down please.
Francois.
Depending on business commitments we would be keen on a roadies trip.
I see we meet in Matatiel - is that someone in the Northern Suburbs...half an hour from Stellenbosch?
Or can you meet us at Donfords along the way?
Regards
Marc
Lets meet at Donfords!!!!!
definately, I want to get a badge for not having missed any of the long distance roadies.
I am in with the roadies, thanx
Hi
Mike and I (Adie) are definitely interested.
It could fit in with our 4000km round trip we started to plan earlier this year for March or April 2013.
Basically we were looking from Cape Town east towards Baviaans and then Underberg. We wanted to go UP Sani past Katse towards Bloemfontein. From there west towards Augrabies and then back home. We are looking at approx 300 to 350km per day with MAX gravel and mostly tenting and friends at night. It was 15 days.
I will now look at including this tour.
Seeya
Adie
I have put you guys as tentative Adie. You can confirm in due course.
In with the dirties.
+1 on dirt pls Geoff
Geoff Edwards and Adrian Lee on dirt please.
All booked!
please add me on the dirt ride.Thanks
Hang af van die datum.Hein Carstens
Please add Trevor and Sian(pillion) to the dirties waiting list.
Thanks
Sian
Tentative dates are :
Roadies : 27th April to 5th May
Dirties : 16th to 24th March
Only 286 more sleeps
dates for roadies are super. thanx
Updated.
Hi Geoff, after reading your report about how hectic things could get on the Dirties tour I have decided not to pillion with Trevor. Could you therefore please amend the list.
Thanks Sian 
So noted Sian. But with Trevor's riding skills with you as a pillion I would recon that you 2 would be fine.
I doubt the Tour will be "hectic" as you have put it. There will certainly be intermittent places where inexperienced riders will take lots of strain and probably not make it but these places will be reasonably isolated.
The warning in my e mail of yesterday was aimed more at the many people who put their names down that I don't know and or have never ridden with before rather than those that I do. I therefore have no idea of their riding capabilities.
There is little worse than being on a Tour with participants on your case as to why they were not warned about the conditions.
Having said this if it rains in Lesotho and we are not on the "roads" the going could get "hectic"!!
Now you are making me nervous !!!
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