I have often explained on guided trips how most indigenous rural people in Africa find it difficult to understand why anyone would walk anywhere for pleasure. For most Africans a journey must have a practical purpose. To collect water, fuel, herd animals or go to and from their fields. When hiking in Lesotho, we are often stopped and asked ‘where we are going?’, and then ‘why?’ When we reply that we are climbing the mountain to ‘look at the view’ this is met with a mixture of perplexity and incredulity.
While relaxing at Sani Top Chalet after a hike to Hodgson’s Peaks the other day, in walked a group of about twelve or fourteen male and female hikers dressed in the latest up-to-date hiking kit, complete with large overnight packs, tents and sleeping bags. They had just completed a tough three or four day ‘High Traverse’ along the Drakensberg, through some very inclement weather including snow and high winds.
Nothing strange about that you think?
Except that they were all Basotho people, members of a hiking club from their capital Maseru! It turns out that their club has about thirty members and is active most weekends!
A few days later in general conversation, a hiking friend happened to remark, that the dagga (marijuana) smugglers in Lesotho ‘must be making lots of money these days’ as he had seen a party of smugglers behind the Drakensberg escarpment wearing really good hiking kit, one of them in particular wearing a jacket he would have liked for himself! I asked how he knew they were dagga smugglers? He replied ‘because they were carrying large bags… but they were friendly, and they returned my greetings!’…
When questioned further, it turned out that he was hiking exactly where the Thaphoha Hiking Club from Maseru would have been on their traverse to Sani Top…!
Philip Grant
April 2012
Southern Secrets Hiking 