Navigate Lesotho
LesothoDAY 17: April 27 – 13:06
SUCCESS! After 16 days, 6 hours and 56 minutes, Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel have completed their circumnavigation of Lesotho. Stay tuned for a full report soon.
DAY 16: April 26 – 14:45
100km to go! The end is in sight. Ryan and Ryno are going to push on into the night and then hit the final stretch tomorrow.
DAY 14: April 24
DAY 12: April 22
More news from Ryan: "Ryno and I are nearing the end of the mountain section of the project. It’s been just under 650 kilometres and we have about 20 to go. Definitely been some very challenging days, really extreme weather conditions; definitely way out of our comfort zone and the terrain has been very slow moving, really taking it out of us. But at the same time we're very stoked with the experience and it's cool to think that in 20-kays’ time we would’ve traversed the entire Drakensberg mountain range in one go – not too sure if anyone else has done that before. Looking forward to getting off the mountain and eating something proper and then starting the western side."
DAY 11: April 21
We just received another photo (above) and voice note update from Ryan: "Last few days have been pretty epic. There has been loads of snow but the weather has cleared up. The snow has made the going really slow and the nights have been extremely cold - I think the past two nights in the tent were they coldest I've ever experienced. Super cool to experience snow on the high mountains, though, so we soaked up the experience. Looking forward to getting the mountains done and dropping into the lower lands. Big push today."
Day 11: 21 April
Word from the support crew is that Ryan and Ryno are putting in a big push over the next 24 hours (most likely without sleep) to get all the way to Mont-aux-Sources, so that they can descend the escarpment and get out of the snow zone.
Day 10: 20 April
Ryan and Ryno made it all the way from Sani Top to Mafadi, where they connected with Adrian Saffy for a refuel. Word is that it was one of the coldest nights any of them had ever experienced. Weather is looking better for the next few days.
DAY 9: 19 April
Ryan and Ryno set off from Sani Top early this morning. They will cross through the 400km mark today and have now climbed more than 15,000m of total elevation. The support crew will connect with them again in two days time as they complete some of the Drakensberg Grand Traverse in reverse.
DAY 8: 18 April
DAY 7: 17 April 10:35am
Safety first! The team is bunking down, waiting out the severe weather. The plan is to start 4am tomorrow. They camped last night and managed to find a cottage for tonight. Now the plan is to make it to the Sani Pass by tomorrow night.
DAY 6: 16 April – late evening
An update from Ryan Sandes on having to backtrack to safety due to the severe weather conditions.
Day 6: 16 April
Due to severe weather conditions, the team have had to make a slight backtrack down the mountain and set up camp for the night at Bushman's Nek. Once they're on the move, we'll be sure to monitor and pass on further news.
Day 5: 15 April
Guys are in good spirits after some sleep and food. They set off early this morning. Hopes are for a drier, warmer day.
14 April 22:27
14 April: 13:01
Word from the support crew is that the driving and running conditions have been treacherous due to the weather, but for the first time in days there is some sunlight. Ryan and Ryno are moving well and we'll hopefully have an update from them later when they connect with the support crew.
13 April: 13:47
Update from Ryan via voice note: ‘Hi guys, quick update - have a bit of signal. We had to make a bit of a detour to get resupplies, but back on track now. It’s super wet underfoot and really cold. Slowly, slowly we are getting there. Been really awesome to have the guys on horseback with us - it has been a huge help. They, unfortunately, cannot go into the night, so can’t go for as long as initially planned but that is the nature of an expedition.
12 April: 5:03
News from Craig Kolesky (our photographer and driver of one of the backup vehicles) is that Ryan and Ryno got about six hours sleep last night and fueled up well. They set off at 5am in the bitter cold with more rain and low temps forecast for the day. Press play below to hear some of Ryan's thoughts from last night.
Some insights after day one
11 April: 17:27
Ryan and Ryno just connected with the resupply team at the pre-planned spot. They're just under 75km in and in good spirits after a long, cold day out. Temperatures are plummeting and close to zero now, conditions underfoot are wet and soggy.
11 April: 13:15
Ryan and Ryno are forging ahead and have had a successful first morning despite low temps.
11 April: 6:00am
After a frustrating (but unavoidable) 24-hour weather delay Ryan and Ryno finally set off from Telle Border post at 6am this morning. As you can imagine they were super excited to get going!
8 April: Weather update
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster Lulama Pheme told IOL on Thursday, that snow is going to fall over the Lesotho area with a possibility of snow over Drakensberg.
“In the next three days, snowfall is expected over Lesotho. There is a possibility that it will reach Drakensberg towards the Eastern Cape side, but that is in an extreme case,” Pheme said.
A snowy start for the gents would certainly be an interesting way to get cracking. They are, of course, prepared for all eventualities and have the gear to adapt to any and all conditions.
8 April: Getting ready
After stopping in Aliwal North for a supply run, Ryan and Ryno are in Reedsdell near Wartrail, a spot with very little reception.
