17.14 Sani Pass: One of the highest in Africa, up and over the Drakensberg/Maloti Mountains
The target, Sani Pass, at top right. If you're going to be drinking, then you may as well start at the top. He doesn't look too impressed. It's a helluva long way to hike for a coke and a 'whine'. We have mentioned a few times that the Drakensberg/Maloti Mountains form a natural boundary between South Africa and Lesotho, formerly Basutoland. The only way to cross into either state through KWA-Zulu Natal by road, is over Sani Pass, one of the highest in Africa. The pub, which is the destination of many tourists making the trip from South Africa, gets its name from its position at the top of the pass. The high point of 9,400 feet above sea level is just over 3,000 feet in elevation gain from the South African Border Control Office and five miles distant. Sani Pass is also known as the ‘Roof of Africa’. It sounded enticing to walk out of South Africa, climb a mountain track and arrive in another country. We couldn’t wait to try the adventure. Ed...