If your idea of risk consists of arguing politics with Schwarzenegger in a gorge or humming Serrat at an AC/DC concert, you have what you need to undertake the risk. 4x4 ascent through Sani Pass.

I invite you to explore this South African area by off-road vehicle so that you can discover how good the adrenaline of happiness feels.

Those who love off-roading do not opt for this car to pamper the chassis, but to check its toughness. Nothing better than doing it in Sani Pass, he adventure destination par excellence for 4×4 drivers.

At any time of the year and from any point of South Africa Vehicles arrive ready to achieve their challenge: reach the top of the most feared, respected and admired mountain pass of the country, located at 2,873 meters of altitude.  

What to do at Sani Pass

If you come, keep in mind eight keys in this mountain pass:

1. Land Rover Essence   

The Land Rover is an extension of the hard beard, the pith jacket and the country boots. It is a rough vehicle, unsuitable for attending the girl's debut, but ideal for treating you to the wild scenery of this route.

Precisely, it was a vehicle of this model that in October 1948 reached the Sani Pass, hosted by Godfrey Edmonds. It took this former RAF pilot five and a half hours to complete the journey. It seems like a lot, but its merit lies in the fact that when he traveled it the track had not been adapted for off-road vehicles.  

The feat brought world fame to Edmonds, who in 1961 founded the company Mokhotlong Mountain Transport Sani, so that adventurers who did not want to get behind the wheel could reach Sani Pass.

It was a business success, as demonstrated by the fact that even today it rents guided vehicles to those who want to enjoy the journey without having to worry about the gearbox.

2. Dragon Mountains

Nestled in the heart of the Drakensberg mountain range, or Dragon Mountains, the Sani Pass offers wonderful views.

The mountain range on which it sits is the 250 km natural border between Lesotho and South Africa. It is a collection of places full of charm that make it one of the most beautiful enclaves in this area of Africa covered in a thick vegetation cover.

3. special fauna

On the upward journey towards the Sani Pass port and Lesotho through the Drakensberg you will cross a spectacular protected area. On its right side, the route is flanked by the Ukhahlamba-Maloti National Park, declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. On the left, the Mkhomazi Wild Reserve stands out.

In these protected enclaves you can find several species of mountain antelope, most of them native to this area of Africa. They are also inhabited by 290 species of birds, among which the Cape vulture and the bearded vulture stand out, or unique passerines such as the montane pipit, the Drakensberg rockhopper or the South African stonechat.

The white rhinoceros, eland antelope and white-tailed wildebeest coexist in its valleys and lowlands, as well as numerous amphibians and chameleons, some of them also endemic to the lowlands.

Do not generate false expectations: only the luckiest will spot these splendid and elusive animals in the distance.

The bearded vulture is also an emblematic species of the Pyrenees. You can spend three days tracking him with this bearded vulture observation activity in the Pyrenees of Huesca.

4. Low clouds

Not only the orography brings risk to the off-road trip. Also the weather. In addition to the chronic difficulties related to the slope and altitude, there is the possibility of low clouds appearing that make driving difficult.

In such an unstable place from a meteorological point of view, the presence of rain, hail and even snow is not surprising. In any case, it is an added incentive for drivers.

5. Last 6 corners  

The initial gentle slope is deceptive. The final stretch is fearsome. The progressive slope leads to a demanding concatenation of curves, some of almost 180 degrees, in which the vehicle borders the precipice. Loose rocks add tension to the adventure.  

The last 6 corners will test your skills on unpaved roads. The steep slope forces you to use third, second and even first gear, in addition to the 4 wheel drive.

In this section you will have to drive very concentrated, clutch decisively and not make mistakes when choosing the most appropriate gear for each moment.

6. Pub in the heights

When you arrive they don't greet you with garlands. This is not Hawaii. It is something serious. The reward is a cold beer at the highest altitude pub in Africa.

At the top there is a pleasant, clean and cozy accommodation, the Sani Mountain Lodge, where they serve you typical food and local Maluti beer while you talk about the adventures of the trip.  

7. Lesotho Gate

If you reach the top you will come across a customs office, the one that separates South Africa from Lesotho, which, technologically, does not even know Steve Jobs by hearsay and, architecturally, is little more than a hut with pretentiousness. In this rough vestige of the early 20th century, however, the possibility of ending your trip in Lesotho awaits you.

8. valley sunset

The sunset in Sani Pass It's like doing an astral trip.

If you choose to return along the route, spend at least the night at the top so as not to miss the wonderful spectacle of the sunrise that spreads across the valley between a tangle of clouds.

If you like to enjoy wonderful sunsets, don't miss the opportunity to enjoy them from the air with this paragliding flight activity in La Muela (Guadalajara).

[hr type=»line»]

The spider that wants to be a hummingbird just has to evolve. At Nattule we teach sedentary people to fly. And for the nomads, who wear wings as standard, we open the horizon to show them Sani Pass, a 33-kilometer path of convoluted design.

Seen from the air, it looks like a cardiogram. At ground level, it makes your heart sink.  

Take the 4×4 for it now!

[hr type=»line»]