Cycling and Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a fantastic way to appreciate the small mountainous kingdom of Lesotho. Whether you book onto a short morning or afternoon cycling excursion or embark on a more adventurous multi-day expedition, the majestic highland scenery, unique flora and fauna, picturesque stone-and-thatch villages - not to mention an abundance of unsurfaced country roads and well-worn bridle paths - make Lesotho a cyclist’s paradise.

Many of Lesotho’s best-known travel hubs offer guided or unguided cycling packages ranging from a few hours to five days or longer in duration. These include Malealea Lodge in Malealea, Semonkong Lodge near the Maletsunyane Falls, and the Roma Trading Post outside Roma. A popular centre for high altitude cycling training in summer is the Afriski Mountain Resort, which stands at an altitude of 3,050 metres in the Maluti Mountains.

For experienced and self-sufficient cyclists, Lesotho offers plenty of opportunities for self-guided exploration. The eastern half of the country is particularly exciting in this respect, following a route connecting such off-the-beaten-track delights as the Tsatsane Valley, Lake Letsie and Sehlabathebe National Park north towards Sani Top. But in truth there are very few parts of Lesotho that aren’t suited to mountain biking.

Lesotho hosts three exciting annual mountain biking events in September and October. The Lesotho Thin Air Challenge is not a race, but a challenging and scenic four-day adventure aimed at experienced cyclists. Limited to 100 participants, the Lesotho Sky Stage Race, a six-day event that takes in several iconic mountain passes and many remote bridle paths, is fully supported inclusive of accommodation, meals, water points and medical support. By contrast, the Malealea Monster, held every September at Malealea Lodge, is a more relaxed family-oriented race with four different courses, ranging in length from 8km to 75km, to accommodate most skill levels.

For experienced off-road motorcyclists, the cross-country Roof of Africa Rally is a challenging multi-day annual event that was first held in 1967 and now usually takes place in early December.