Mike enlightens me with the details, “Once, the Sani Pass was a rough mule trail descending from the eastern highlands of the old Basutoland into Natal. Basuto traders brought wool and mohair down the pass on donkeys to be exchanged for blankets, clothing and maize meal, the essentials for life in a poor, remote place. Today, the Sani Pass leads to the only border post between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho.”
“And when did the first 4x4 travel the pass?” I ask.
Mike continues, “The first vehicle to conquer the road was driven by ex-RAF Spitfire pilot and adventurer, Godfrey Edmonds in 1948. It took three and a half hours to complete using the assistance of a Basuto labour gang, ponies, chain pulleys and a lot of rope to get to the top.
The Landrover sloshes through a water puddle, sliding in the mud to the edge. Mike manoeuvres the 4x4, regains control and returns it to its normal course. He laughs at the frightful expression on my face and then tries to calm me with, “Be glad there’s no snow on the road yet. Many trucks have slid over the icy edge, as you can see by the rusted chassis skeletons in the ravines."
The rest of the trip passes in silence. Just like the terrain around us. The only disturbance is the occasional smiling shepherd with his herd, which, as quickly as they appear, disappear over the ridge like ghosts.
From the outside, the Sani Top Chalet resembles a small edifice hidden from the world, but a billowing chimney signifies life and promises a warm and cosy hearth. The only other structure up here is the small border checkpoint in a scruffy hut across the road which houses the Lesotho border officials.
Three men huddle around a pot bellied stove, a small desk and a short wave radio playing. They look bored, staring at me with lifeless eyes. More than likely I’m one of only a few people they will see today. Yet they still give the impression that I’ve interrupted a very busy schedule and that by stamping my passport they're doing me a huge favour.
Sani Top Chalet is a charming house-like hostel. The lounge and bar’s hearty atmosphere makes me sigh with content. Feeling cheery I hop into a high arm chair in front of the glowing fire, awestruck firstly by the homeliness of it all and then by the view through huge windows next to the fireplace.
The wind whips up, sending snowflakes in a stream across the windowpane. “The weather changes in the close of a shutter here,” says host Jonathan Aldous. The sudden snow squall had swallowed the blue sky and golden green foothills, a grassland mountaintop setting that was there just minutes before.
Jonathan takes out the Gluwhein, pours some in a glass, offering it with a smile, “There’s not plenty to do here. In winter folks go snowboarding, yet many just want to pass the time reading in front of the fire. While in summer there’re endless ridges to explore, like Mount Thabana-Ntlenyana, the highest peak in Southern Africa at 3 482 metres. You can hike or book pony treks, which is the best way to explore the local villages.” He fills my glass again and I close my eyes, head touching the headrest of the seat, recapping the events of the day.
This is not a destination for the easily bored. Its isolation is its attraction with hours spent musing over weather patterns, studying the many photos on walls, from the first ascent of the Sani Pass to the building of the chalet, to the many occasions when visitors have been stranded up here for weeks, snowed-in to the height of the roof. Here, like most of Africa, there’s always a story and this one says: ‘Sani Top boasts to be one of the calmest settings and best viewpoints from the rooftop of Africa’.
By Rizel Delano
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