We have just returned from our “No Man’s Land” tour of Lesotho and the Southern Drakensberg, featuring the famous Sani Pass and a stop at the highest pub in Africa.
Joining us were Nick, a frequent traveller with GS Adventures, and his two good mates, Jason and Simon. We spent five days enjoying the mountains and gravel roads aboard dual-purpose machines.
Day 1 started early at 6 AM, departing from Sandton, Johannesburg. We had a good stretch of tar road to cover before reaching the dirt and crossing the border into Lesotho. Unfortunately, the guides—my dad Darrell and I—were tested early when Jason pulled up, saying his Suzuki V-Strom 800 wasn’t feeling right. Upon inspection, we found a puncture in the rear tyre. We pulled off the main road and got to work. tools out, we stripped off the wheel, removed the tyre, and put in a new tube. As BMW riders, we’re accustomed to the luxury of tubeless wheels, so dealing with tubes was a bit of an unpracticed art. Nevertheless, with all hands on deck, we managed to get it done. After losing about 45 minutes, we pushed on, stopping for breakfast before heading to the border, which was a smooth process.
Once we hit the dirt, we enjoyed the views and our motorcycles—until the puncture ghost struck again, with Jason getting a second flat tyre just a few hours later. Now well-practiced, we repeated the process and found some dirt inside the tyre. We cleaned it out, inserted the new tube, and off we went again. We enjoyed the last 200 km, a mix of twisty tar roads and even better dirt roads, with the last 80 km of gravel taking us through rural and mountainous Lesotho. Our lodge, nestled in the heart of the mountains, was a blissful retreat in the middle of nowhere.
Day 2 was all about gravel mountain passes. We headed west, crossing to the western side of Lesotho, and then exited back into South Africa to reach a small hamlet called Rhodes. The clients loved the ride, describing it as some of the best roads they had ever ridden on dual-purpose machines. Thankfully, there were no issues that day, just pure enjoyment.
Day 3 started off with a chilly morning, considering it’s spring and nearly summer here in South Africa. It was a full day of dirt roads and mountains, as we headed east around the Southern Drakensberg. Karma caught up with us GS Adventure guides when my dad cut his tyre on a piece of metal lying in the road. It was ironic because we had been telling the clients how tubeless tyres are much easier to fix. However, this one was a challenge—a large 10 cm cut that required 12 plugs to seal. Unfortunately, it still leaked slightly, but it was enough to get us to the next town where we had it repaired at a tyre shop. Other than that, it was another beautiful day in Africa, with scenery that words can hardly describe.
Day 4 was the day Nick, Jason, and Simon had been waiting for—the challenge of summiting the infamous Sani Pass. A quick ride from the lodge brought us to the base of the pass, where we stamped out of South Africa. The guys were eager yet nervous, as one can never be sure of the pass’s conditions. We started up the bikes and made our way up the pass, taking it slow and steady, metre by metre, enjoying the views and the challenge. The pass was actually in fairly good condition despite the early rains and snowfall from weeks before. At the top, we stamped back into Lesotho and made our way to the highest pub in Africa to reflect on the adventure and memories made.
Day 5 was, unfortunately, the last day of this tour. We headed for home, enjoying the twists and turns of the tar roads in Lesotho. It was a reminder of how capable these machines are—handling long, straight tar roads, winding twists, and even gravel and dirt tracks, all while climbing mountain passes. There truly is nothing better than the best of both worlds that an adventure bike offers.
Thank you, Nick, Jason, and Simon, for allowing us to guide you through these roads and bring to life the adventure you had imagined.
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