This is a great area for mountain-biking, offering exquisite scenery and challenging rides, either up the Sani Pass into Lesotho or along surrounding district roads. But, go out on your ride carrying warm clothing, since the weather can change from sunny to freezing in minutes around here. This is the course for the Sani Pass MTB Classic.
On your bike
If you are starting from Sani Lodge, expect a 16km of climbing before you even get to the first border post. This is not too bad, as every so often you’ll have a breather in the form of a short downhill. Then comes the exceptionally steep 8 km section up to the Lesotho border. The last 2 km are the steepest of the entire ride but you can see the pub on top of the mountain so you go for it. Here some riders cannot be blamed for refusing to go any further as they park off at the pub enjoying the view and an ice cold beer – not that it is warm at the top.
If conquering Sani Pass is not quite enough punishment for you, then there’s a twisty 10 km ride on the plateau. The air is thin, but further on there is another 5 km pass, taking you up the Black Mountain Pass. This ascent is not nearly as steep as Sani itself, but at this height there is just not enough air. Expect your heart rate to skyrocket. It takes an average rider about 5 hours to get up and less than an hour to come back down. To get an idea of the challenge you face, the change in altitude is 1,674 m above sea level at the start with the highest point in the Black Mountains at more than 3,200 m above sea level.
Contact Details
- Email: info@sanilodge.co.za
- Phone: +27 (0)33 7020330
- Website: www.sanilodge.co.za