The planned route
The Lesotho mountain bike crossing is planned for early October 2025. As I am planning to cycle without any seconding I need to carry everything I need. This means I have to add bike packing features to my mountain bike. I also would like to keep my backpack as light as possible.
The route is based on Logan Watts’ The Lesotho Traverse Bikepacking Route however instead of going to Roma from Maseru I will go down to Ramabanta. This reduces the overall trip by a day. However, I’m still debating whether to begin cycling from Moshoeshoe Airport or take a minibus taxi to Ramabanta. I am also considering a third alternative of getting to the start, which is driving from Durban via Qachas Nek pass to Ramabanta.
The journey will end at the bottom of Sani Pass, where my South African holiday will begin. The Lesotho crossing covers about 440 km, with an ascent of 10,490 m and a descent of 10,519 m.
I’m currently planning the routes and details. After the trip, I’ll upload the recorded tracks and all relevant information. I am very excited and hope the Lesotho mountain bike crossing will live up to the expectations that the planning is building.
I’ll blog each day to share my impressions—find the link in the menu at the top of this page. Every morning, I’ll also post a live tracking link so you can follow my daily progress.
The stages as shown in the table below are not necessary fixed to the days. I may do more or less than a stage in any one day. It is easier to do planning in smaller chunks. The Stages however normally have an end point in a larger settlement.
The general plan is to carry enough food for two days and refill whenever there is an opportunity.
| Stage | Start | End | km | Ascent (m) | Descent (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Maseru | Ramabanta | 45,1 | 990 | 870 |
| Stage 2 | Ramabanta | Semonkong | 48,5 | 1620 | 1170 |
| Stage 3 | Semonkong | Nyane | 59,1 | 1720 | 1650 |
| Stage 4 | Nyane | Thaba Tseka | 68,5 | 1510 | 1560 |
| Stage 5 | Thaba Tseka | Semenanyane | 51,4 | 1067 | 889 |
| Stage 6 | Semenanyane | Mapholaneng | 57,8 | 1260 | 1480 |
| Stage 7 | Mapholaneng | Mokhotlong | 46,7 | 1010 | 950 |
| Stage 8 | Mokhotlong | Sani Pass | 66,4 | 1310 | 1950 |
| Totals | 443,5 | 10487 | 10519 |