The Sani Pass

The Sani Pass is one of the most spectacular and legendary mountain roads in southern Africa, a dramatic route that climbs the sheer wall of the Drakensberg escarpment from the South African foothills into the high mountain kingdom of Lesotho. A rough, unpaved track of tight, vertiginous hairpin switchbacks, it demands a four-wheel drive and a steady nerve, rewarding the ascent with breathtaking views back over the mountains. At the top, some 2,876 metres up at the border, sits the Sani Mountain Lodge, home to a pub that proudly claims to be the highest in Africa, a welcome, warming reward for the thrilling climb.

History

The San and later Bantu peoples crossed the range here before it was called the Sani Pass. In 1922 the Basutoland government built a 2-metre track to Mokhotlong usable only by pack animals, and from 1949 David Alexander of Natal ran a transport business up it by jeep (Wikipedia, Sani Pass).

What's there

• The switchback climb - the dramatic hairpin ascent of the escarpment.
• The escarpment views - the sweeping vistas over the Drakensberg.
• The highest pub in Africa - the summit lodge and pub.
• The high mountain country - the entry to Lesotho's peaks.

When to go

The shoulder seasons of autumn, March to May, and spring, September to November, offer the best balance of clear weather and open roads; winter brings snow and ice that can close the pass, while it is also spectacular then for the hardy. The climb is by four-wheel drive only, often on a guided day tour from the South African side.

Practical notes

The pass is a rough, steep and genuinely challenging four-wheel-drive track, unsuitable for ordinary cars and best tackled with an experienced driver or on a guided tour, and it can close in bad weather or snow; a passport is needed for the border crossing at the top. For the thrill of one of Africa's great mountain drives, the breathtaking views and the novelty of the highest pub on the continent, though, the Sani Pass is an unforgettable adventure.

Nearby

The Drakensberg on the South African side and the Lesotho highlands beyond.

Key facts