Tsehlanyane National Park

Tsehlanyane covers a valley in the northern Maloti at around two thousand metres, and the reason it was protected is the forest: a stand of che-che, the indigenous Leucosidea woodland that once covered much more of these mountains and has been almost entirely cut for fuel elsewhere. Trails run up the valley through it and out onto the ridges above, where alpine grassland takes over and the country opens up.

Background

The park forms part of the wider Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area. Its altitude ranges from 1940 to 3112 metres, and most of it counts as sub-alpine. Its name is the local word for berg bamboo, Thamnocalamus tessellatus, which grows 3 to 4 metres tall on damp slopes and beside streams, and the park may be the plant's most important refuge in the whole Maloti-Drakensberg range. The park began with the access road built to the Mamohale tunnel, dated May 1991, the first adit drive of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. More than 220 flowering plant species have been recorded. Mammals include Cape clawless otter, caracal, serval, rhebok and eland, which were released in November 2009.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ts'ehlanyane National Park"

What you'll find

• The indigenous forest - the che-che woodland that has gone from most of the country.
• The valley trails - the routes up through the forest to the ridges.
• The alpine grassland - the open ground above the tree line.
• The mountain setting - a valley at around two thousand metres in the northern Maloti.

When to go

September to April is the warmer season with the trails open. Winter brings snow and hard frost. Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms.

Practical notes

The access road needs a suitable vehicle. Facilities are a lodge and basic camping. Weather at altitude changes fast and snow is possible outside summer.

Nearby

Bokong is south, and Hlotse is northwest.

Key facts