When we were recently in Lesotho we were privileged enough to take a hike up the mountain of Thaba Bosio. Thaba Bosio means “Mountain at Night,” it is the mountain where King Moshoeshoe the Great established his stronghold in 1824. It was a place of refuge for the king’s people and it was believed that the mountain while small in the day would grow at night, leaving would be attackers exposed on the slopes in the morning light. This mountain is a national monument and is of great historical importance to the people of Lesotho as it is considered to be the birthplace of the Basotho nation.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that it isn’t quite a climb!!!
It is a long way … up and up…
As you climb the steep slopes so the view opens up…
Where the path reaches the plateau there is a pile of “lucky pebbles” that are deposited by passing travelers as they move into an area of where a chief previously lived.
On the top of the mountain is a flat grassy plateau…
Which makes you wonder if you really did climb such a steep hill to get there…
With swaths of little flowers…
The view from the mountain top is incredible and you really can see forever…
There are guides to take you for a walk around the sights but we were lucky enough to have a chief related to the pastor of the church we were visiting… and he was more than familiar with this mountain and all that it had to tell us.
Like where to find the spring waters…
This mountain is a typical,to the area, flat-topped mountain, what makes this one special is that it was used as a fortress by the Basotho in times of war. At the top of the mountain are some ruins… part of the original settlement. Including the palace of King Moshoeshoe himself.
There is also a grave site where the chiefs related to King Moshoeshoe are buried there.
We found some local horses wandering through the site.
There is also a large flat sand dune of red sand… And we were told that the spirit of the Basotho Chief Moshoeshoe lingers on in this wandering dune. Just as he promised to never leave the summit of the mountain so the sand never leaves the summit. Even the sand grains that folk might try to take off the summit as a souvenir are said to return to the summit on their own accord.
From the plateau you can also see the famous Qiloane Hill, which is the inspiration for the famous Basotho hat that you can see worn by people throughout the country.
We stopped at the ancient court for a picnic lunch.
And the one thing we saw plenty of while we were up there were children – one thing Lesotho has is children and because we were there on a a national holiday bus loads of bubbling kids had arrived for a tour of the mountain.
And back to the edge…
And down again…
Leaving red sand and the wild life behind.
those pics are awsome but i will leave the hiking for the energy freaks hahahahaha lakka post.
This looks like such a wonderful trip. I have to confess that I’m not really thinking about the views… I’m thinking about the koeksisters in your last post. A lot! We’re celebrating our annual International Sunday (our church is in North London and really multicultural) in November. Being a Saffer who is now a Brit and hasn’t been back in over a decade I get a bit shy of baking from back home but you’ve done it. You’ve convinced me that millions of mini koeksisters need to happen. If only I can wait that long! Love your blog!
Hi Tinygoesretail… Nice to meet you!!! The hike was a bit intense!!! But not too long, I was up to it – just!!! Hope you have a great day!!!
Hi Anenthusiast, It was a brilliant trip… but besides that – you totally can make a heap of koeksisters!!! If I were you I would get practicing – hehe!!! Any excuse and really they were quite easy to make… When you break it down set by step – it really is manageable!!! All the best with your project!!! Have a great week!!!
What a wonderful place to visit and what unbelievable views once you reach the top of the mountain. I have to admit to being relieved to see it all on your blog instead of having to slog up that long, hot, steep and wearisome mountain trail.
Hay Granny Ant… Great to have you visiting our blog, sometimes a little armchair travel is a good thing!!! But I have a feeling that a number of little hoods will tell you that nothing beats being there. Hope you have a great week!!!
Hi
Are you opened on Saturday and Sunday? My intention is to go on hiking on either Saturday or Sunday during the month of June 2016
Hi Mahlori, I actually live in Cape Town and when we visited Lesotho we did stop by and do this visit… perhaps you can get more information from a tourist center when you are in Lesotho… wishing you all the best.