Di Carolin tells us about her unique and epic adventure at the Lesotho Sky Mountain Bike Race.
It’s been a week since I got back from the breathtaking Lesotho and I’m still telling people about it and showing them the pictures. It is such an unusual place in that such a small country is so diverse in what it has to offer. The ex British Colony boasts so much; the bustle of towns, rural areas high up in the mountains where you hardly see a shop or a car and the preferred mode of transport is donkey or Basotho pony, vast areas of agriculture, bursts of pink blossoming peach trees in dark black loamy soil, no fences dividing land anywhere! Majestic mountains with incredible rock formations and long twisting roads snaking up them, and valleys dotted with patches of bright green willow trees swaying in the wind in stark contrast to the brown dry earth. There is hiking, motor biking, 4x4ing, pony trekking, trout fishing, mountain biking and so much more on offer in Lesotho. It is a magical land where I was lucky enough to ride my bike in the Lesotho Sky Mountain bike Race.
The race is six days long, consisting of a 24km prologue and five longer days. We were two of the only nine women riding – eight out of eighty-six riders! In the ladies’ category it was just the Novus OMX duo of Cherie Vale and Vera Adrian, and us – the Full Sus ladies team – Lolita van Aardt and I. The other four ladies were racing in the mixed category.
All the women did incredibly well and showed just how tough we can be. People have often asked me about the daily distances and I look at them and smile…
Distances mean nothing in Lesotho! 47kms can be a more challenging ride that 87km.
We stayed at the Ramabanta Trading post for the first two nights. It’s a lovely place built on the edge of a hill overlooking the valley towards Semonkong, which is where the prologue was to be held. We started at Semonkong Lodge which is at 2 200m above sea level, and was quite a shock to the system on day one. The Lodge is set near a river and is quite unique and a fitting place to start our adventure. We were led out at the start by some local men on their horses, all looking very smart in matching saddle blankets. The route itself was heaven for me as it was pretty technical and amazingly scenic. We ended at the edge of the highest single drop falls in the southern hemisphere! Quite spectacular!
Each day brought a new challenge and wonderful experiences; massive torturous climbs of up to 8km long, super technical singletracks, fast and flowing BMX style trails that brought out whoops of joy, long tar high speed descents sent from heaven and the result of high fives at the end of the day. We dodged donkeys and cattle and waved at kids and adults, shouted “lumala” and “lumeleng” (the local greeting for one or more people), forged rivers and carried our bikes over rocks, gasped in awe at views and almost cried a couple of times due to sheer exhaustion. We laughed a lot with fellow riders and felt part of a special family all week. The kindness and hospitality from the race organisers, crew, lodge managers and staff was heart warming, as were the cheers from the local women who were delighted to see us ladies slogging away on our bikes. The beds at the lodges were comfy and warm and most welcome when the thunderstorms hit. What spectacular displays the skies put on for us! Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
In the evenings we had dinner and a show of the photos from the day and a video done specially by one of the media guys. He did a great job capturing the best moments and sights of the race and it was a great ending to each day. One evening we had a talk by Mark West about the ACE Lesotho Pro team and their amazing achievements, and another evening by Tumisang from Sentebale Charity, a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help Lesotho’s vulnerable children. It is the official charity partner of the Lesotho Sky Event. (Check it out at www.sentebale.org and please do help them in any way you can.) I know they’d be very grateful.
All in all it was a truly fantastic week, and I think we all left richer for the experience. I’d like to say a big thanks to Darol and Chris for inviting me to come and share my experience of the race with the Full Sus readers. I hope to be back in Lesotho soon. Ladies this is a must for the bucket list, but make sure you train for it!
Where are we?
The Lesotho Sky mountain bike stage race is a six day race through the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. The initial race village is hosted by the Ramabanta Trading Post which is located in central Lesotho to the south of the capital city of Maseru. The 2016 race takes place from the 19th to the 24th September and entries are open. Visit www.lesothosky.com to find out more.
