Sani Pass

Sani is the only road crossing of the Drakensberg escarpment in this region, and it earns its reputation in the last eight kilometres: a gravel track of tight switchbacks climbing about 1,300 metres to a summit at 2,876 metres, with drops on the outside and no barriers. Four-wheel drive is legally required above the South African border post, and the South African authorities turn back vehicles that do not qualify. The pass has been used as a pack route since the nineteenth century, became a jeep track in the 1950s, and Lesotho has tarred its side while the South African section remains gravel - upgrading it has been proposed and contested for years. At the top the Sani Mountain Lodge markets itself as the highest pub in Africa, and the view back down the escarpment is the payoff. Snow closes the pass in winter, sometimes for days.

What you actually see

• The switchback climb - about 1,300 metres of ascent in the final eight kilometres.
• The 2,876-metre summit - the Lesotho border post at the top of the escarpment.
• The highest pub - the lodge at the summit and its claim, which nobody disputes locally.
• The two surfaces - tar on the Lesotho side, gravel on the South African.

When to go

March to May and September to November. A full day. Snow closes it in winter.

Honest expectations

4x4 is mandatory and enforced at the border post - ordinary cars are turned back. Passports are needed for the Lesotho side, and the posts have limited hours. Weather changes fast at the top and snow closes the road. Guided day tours are the usual option for people without a suitable vehicle.

Nearby

Underberg and Himeville are below; Lesotho's highlands begin at the top.