* Cold, Cold and more cold!
* Lesotho - a day of massive passes
* Trips & Tours
* Ben 10 Official
* How to safely tow a caravan
* Wild Coast Shenanigans
* Featured Pass
Listen to an AI-generated discusion of this newsletter:
COLD, COLD & MORE COLD
Cry our beloved country for warmth and especially electricity. Escom have published a 4 week load shedding plan which will range between Stage 4 and 6, due to high demand for power. Now is the time to make sure your backup systems are working properly.
Record snow falls have been recorded in most of the high lying areas, leaving the country with very low temperatures, frost and icy conditions. Heavy rain has fallen in the Western Cape with dam levels having risen by 10% from last week's rain, but there's more arriving this week as another major frontal system sweeps across the country.
Meanwhile, Afriski in Lesotho is seeing something of a financial revival as visitors are streaming in to enjoy some decent skiing.
LESOTHO - A DAY OF MASSIVE PASSES
Imagine driving for over 127 km along 7 back to back passes. Our fifth day of our recent Mountain Kingdom offered that experience. Trying to judge where one pass ends and the next one starts is a tricky affair, but we are getting to grips with the technicalities and production of these passes has begun in earnest.
Our goal for the day was to get to Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village, near Maseru. Along the route we would get to drive Mokhoabong Pass, Pass of Jackals, Cheche's Pass, Marakabei Pass, Likalaneng Pass, visit the imressive Mohale Dam, Blue Mountain Pass, God help me Pass and Bushmens Pass, the latter which loses a lot of elevation and delivers travelers to the lowlands near Maseru.
For those of you unfamiliar with Lesotho, here are some basic statistics to help you wrap your mind around what it's like driving these huge passes.
Mokhoabong Pass: 2893m / 32 km
Pass of Jackals: 2700m / 11 km
Cheche's Pass: 2553m / 19 km
Marakabei Pass: 2476m / 8.4 km
Likalaneng Pass: 2625m / 17 km
Blue Mountain Pass: 2639m / 19.3 km
God Help Me Pass: 2332m / 8.2 km
Bushmen's Pass: 2277m / 12 km
We were once again fortunate to visit the Mohale Dam at very close to full capacity. The short drive to the dam via the Likalaneng Pass is a mountain pass in itself, packed with beautifully cambered corners and grand scenery. Due to time constraints on this day, we were unable to do the official guided tour and drive the multiple switchbacks up the dam wall as well as the spillway underpass, which is very impressive when the dam is overflowing.
This map helps to orienteer the major dams of the LHWP
All too soon we were heading down the last pass of the day (Bushmen's Pass) to reach the plateau area around Maseru, from where we diverted along a few gravel back roads to Roma and ultimately arrived at Thaba Bosiu Cutural Village.
The afternoon was spent visiting Kome Caves and a new addition to this tour - locating the Metolong Suspension Bridge - said to the longest of its type in the world. It spans the Metolong Dam, which is a fairly new dam (Chinese built), which is Maseru's main water supply. The bridge is unusual in that it has a single supporting pier, which is not in the centre of the distance, but offset by sbout 25%. The bridge was built to facilitate easy passage for local villagers.
Metolong Bridge near Thaba Bosiu / Photo: Trygve Roberts MPSA
We all walked the bridge which surprisingly had no sway or movement. It's a really solid construction. For other visitors trying to find this bridge, be warned it's not easy and there are zero signs to help you. Plan your route on a GPS before you go.
Wherever we tour, we do our best to integrate with the locals. This youngster and his pals were fascinated by the 4x4's. We had a chat with him. When asked what he wanted to be when he grows up, his response was "A Soldier"
Soldier Boy / Photo: Trygve Roberts MPSA
We visited Qiloane Mountain just as the sun was setting for group photos. The mountain is said to have been the inspiration for the straw hat with a top knot, worn by most Mosotho in the summer months, called the 'mokorotlo'
It was a weary, but happy group that descended on the restaurant that night to enjoy a good meal and some local Sani Wine.
Next episode: Thaba Bosiu to Malealea
TRIPS & TOURS
SWARTBERG TOUR 2025
One of our most popular tours takes place in August (17th to 23rd) to coincide with the spring wild flowers. From a technical driving aspect, this is one of our easier tours, where the accent is on Mother Nature, relaxation, warm evenings around the hearth, fine cuisine and the comfort of the best lodges the area has on offer.
These include 3 nights at the Rooiberg Lodge, 2 nights at Bosch Luys Kloof Lodge, 1 night at the 5 start Mont D'Or Hotel in Prince Albert and one night at the Swartberg Country Manor.
Experience the grandeur of the Langeberg and Swartberg ranges, waterfalls, dust free roads, farm stall visits, a visit to Boplaas at Calitzdorp - SA's famous port producer, a squiggly journey down the vertigo inducing Elands Pass into Die Hel and of course we will be driving all the best passes, including the Swartberg Pass, Bosluiskloof Pass, Rooiberg Pass, Seweweekspoort, Kruisrivierpoort, Meiringspoort and the little known, but very impressive Lawson's Pass in the heart of the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve.
We have 2 spots open for this amazing tour.
BOOK HERE: SWARTBERG CLASSIC TOUR
BEN 10 OFFICIAL
After much deliberation, we have decided to retain the pure essence of the original concept behind the Ben 10 Eco Challenge. We're giving it a slight rebrand [Ben 10 Official] and reducing the distances by adding another day.
Dates have been set for 24th to 30th November, 2025. The new tour will be loaded soon. If you want to reserve a place, pop us an email to
HOW TO TOW A HEAVY TRAILER OR CARAVAN
With school holidays looming, the roads will be busy as families make use of the July school holidays. What you don't want to happen is that your caravan towing experience turns into a nightmare. In this article it's explained correctly.
- Do you have the correct driving license for what you are towing? An ordinary driver’s license (Code B) only allows you to tow trailers lighter than 750kg. For anything larger, such as a caravan, one requires a Code EB license.
- Is this the first time that you're towing something? Usually you would need a bit of instruction or training, as it's not as straightforward as it looks. Have a practice run in a car park after hours, so you'll know what to expect. When you reverse, begin in a straight line, then slowly turn your car in the opposite direction to the one you want your trailer to turn.
- Is your vehicle capable of handling the weight it is about to tow? Check your vehicle's instruction manual to make sure that it is.
The GVM of your trailer/caravan should not exceed that of the towing vehicle. - Is your trailer roadworthy? Perhaps it's been standing outside in the sun and needs new tyres. Make sure you check ahead of time so you don't have to stress about this at the very last minute. Tyres are made from rubber, a natural product, which deteriorate over time and especially if exposed to the sun. Even though your caravan might have what appears to be virtually new tyres, they could have hairline cracks, that can fail at a critical moment. So just because the tread depth looks good, it doesnt mean the tyres are safe. Also check that all the lights are in good, working condition.
- Ensure that you distribute the weight on the trailer evenly to prevent trailer sway. Always adhere to the stipulated limits for the gross- and tow bar weight. Keeping a low centre of gravity (CG) is vital to ensure stable towing. Pack all the heavy items directly over the axle. Keep the front and rear of the caravan light. You can easily measure the tow-hitch weight, by putting a block of timber below the hitch and the bottom end onto a bathroom scale. You should always have a positive weight on the hitch. Around 80 kg downward force is good, but not more than 100 kg. You can remedy the front mass by moving heavier items slightly further back. Avoid heavy items high up and avoid packing items on the roof if at all possible (ie. Bicycles, canoes, water tanks, etc.)
- Safety chains should be crossed under the hitch in an 'X' shape. This means that the trailer will drop onto these chains in the event that it unhitches, helping you stay in control and minimizing risk.
- Remember to empty the caravan's water tanks before leaving.
- Ensure that bearings are greased properly, especially in boat trailers, and even more so if you live near the coast.
- Take it slow and allow more time to reach your destination. If your car is connected to a trailer, things like accelerating, slowing down, and especially overtaking will take a bit of planning in advance. You will also need much larger gaps in order to overtake, and this is easy to forget if you're not used to towing.
- You also need to take trailer sway into consideration; yet another reason why you shouldn't speed. Slow down when you take a turn. You will likely need to take a turn wider than usual, as your trailer or caravan's wheels will be closer to the inside of the turn than your vehicle's." Not judging the angle carefully can result in hitting a pavement, telephone pole or stationary vehicle, and ruining your holiday before it's even started. Should you experience traler sway (fish tailing) take your foot off the accellerator and brake very gently.
When fish tailing goes south - When you stop for a break, check for any potential problems.Tyre pressure should be checked before you leave, and regularly as you travel.
- Another point to remember if you don't tow on a regular basis is to not slam on the brakes, as it can cause jack-knifing.
- A safe towing speed is 80 kph, but should never exceed 100 kph.
Some information in this article credited to Auto Trader Magazine.
WILD COAST SHENANIGANS
It was with heavy hearts (and a few kilos heavier) that we ran the comms check at Umngazi that morning. All good things must come to an end, the saying goes. Our destination for the day was Coffee Bay.
We had received good news just two weeks ahead of the tour, that the damaged bridge over the Mthakatye River had been repaired and was open to traffic. That meant a saving of at least 1.5 hours of travelling time and an earlier arrival at our destination.
The section closest to the camera had been washed away and has now been repaired / Photo: MPSA Guest
The day was full of good surprises as another two brand new bridges had been built along the route. Whilst it does detract (in its own bizarre way) from some of the more exciting challenges that we used to have, one must spare a thought for the locals, who have had to endure these damaged bridges for many years. To the untrained eye (mine), I had a good look at the type of construction, which consists of a steel bed spanning the river with no supporting piers or columns. I must admit they did look a bit flimsy, but time will tell.
One of the new steel bridges near Gologodwini / Photo: MPSA Guest
As such, we had an easy day of it, arriving at Coffee Bay well ahead of schedule. Our venue was Green Fields Hotel, who really went out of their way to ensure we were well looked after. It included the local school sending a dancing group to perform some traditional dances, which always goes down a treat with our guests.
The next day was devoted to visiting Mapuzi Mouth, Whale Hill (to support the local bead sellers) and the highlight - Hole in the Wall. Our gang of tsotsis were eagerly awaiting our arrival, buckets, soap and water ready to wash our cars. Our system of creating some meaningful employment seems to be working well. Four of them washed 8 cars in the space of an hour at a fee of R50 per car. Everyone was happy!
The afternoon started with a visit to White Clay Restaurant which is located just below our hotel - an easy walk there, but a very steep walk back, laden down with seafood and wine in the belly. Owner, Roy Sparg (one of many Spargs that live and do business in the Transkei) served up delicious food for us and the oysters were ridiculously large. It was a feast that lasted until almost sunset, with the main trouble makers being the 5 Du Toit brothers! (They were very quiet the next day!)
News just in is that the Ocean View Hotel has a new owner; money has been invested; the buildings have been painted and repaired; the rooms have all been upgraded to much better standards. During our next Wild Coast Tour, we will pay them a visit and see for ourselves. Watch this space.
Next Episode: Cwebe Nature Reserve, Waterfalls and The Haven
FEATURED PASS
Lying amongst 7 back to back passes on Lesotho's A3 route, the Blue Mountain Pass, or more correctly Lekhalo La Thaba Putsoa offers the traveller a range of stunning scenery and some exciting driving.
Allow 15 minutes to watch the video, which was recorded with the latest tech. DJI Osmo 5 Pro camera @ 4K / 25 fps with full telemetry.
* * * BLUE MOUNTAIN PASS * * *
Trygve Roberts / Founder MPSA
"If folly link with elegance, no man knows which is which"
