Skiing and Snowboarding

Given that Lesotho boasts the highest average altitude of any country in Africa, and lies well outside the tropics, it should come as no surprise that its loftier reaches are often blanketed with snow for part of the winter, or that people first skied there in the 1920s.

Commercial skiing in Lesotho dates back to 2004 when Afriski Mountain Resort opened in the part of the Maluti Mountains closest to the northern border with South Africa, an Afroalpine region often referred to as the ‘Roof of Africa’. Afriski is the highest of sub-equatorial Africa’s only two skiing and snowboarding destinations, perched at an altitude of 3,050 metres, and in midwinter it attracts a steady stream of devoted and aspirant skiers from Johannesburg, only a half-day’s drive to the north.

Skiing and snowboarding at Afriski are restricted to the midwinter months of June to August. Even at this chilliest time of year, however, a natural cover of skiable snow cannot be guaranteed. As a result, Afriski operates a battery of 34 snow cannons to supplement the natural snowfall, thereby ensuring that its main 1km slope and two beginner slopes are always skiable in season. Conditions permitting, there is also a longer natural ski run at the nearby Mahlasela Pass, which rises to 3,222 metres immediately west of the resort.

Afriski operates much like any European ski village, offering ski lifts to transport guests up the slopes, ski equipment for hire, and tuition as required. It also has accommodation facilities for up to 150 people, and it is the site of Africa’s highest restaurant.