General
Climbing
Key

Home to The King of The Basutu people the South Eastern regions of Lesotho are the gentler mountain regions offering a less harsh living environment while maintaining the mountain spectacle. The region is also home to two of the most important sets of dinosaur footprints in the Southern Africa!

The abundance of water, waterfal and a large panel of Bushman paintings have made the region the agricultural as well as touristic hub of Lesotho. With the lower elevations of 1,500m to 2,600m above the sea level, these lands are slightly less agricultural than their Western counterparts but are significantly more economically productive than the harsher highlands to the North. The average annual rainfall in the region is 100cm, most of which is received during the (warmer) rainy season of October to April. Snow is common in the winter months and it must be noted that snow is possible even in the Summer months on rare occasions.

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Accommodation in the Drakensberg Amphitheatre near The Chain LaddersAccommodation in the Drakensberg Amphitheatre near The Chain Ladders

The region has a temperate climate due to the elevation and is humid from Spring to Autumn. Temperatures vary from 32 °C summer high's to −12 °C winter lows.

Overland tourism is well-established with hiking, 4x4ing, and adventure biking being historically popular. Recent years have seen slow exploration of trail running and mountain biking, and in 2024 the first known bouldering was developed at Sehlabathebe National Park. The ingdom of Lesotho remains wild, and underdeveloped and, as such, offers the intrepid adventurer an empty canvas to explore the remote mountains - the South East is no different. Still, it has better road access than the North East and better weather in general.

Passports are required and visitors are advised to be as self-sufficient as possible as far as camping, vehicle repairs and food go.

Roads are steadily improving in Lesotho, however it is still recommended to travel in more than one vehicle, almost exclusively a 4x4 is recommended (a 2x4 diff lock with high clearance will suffice much of the time).

Bouldering
Map view of The Old Sehlabathebe Lodge Boulders
Looking back at The Old Sehlabathebe Lodge from the Bushmans Nek trail
The main entrance to Sehlabathebe National Park

Sehlebathebe

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Boulder
Sport
Trad
Big wall
Alpine
Ice
Recently developed, the area has large potential for adventure bouldering/climbing. Rock quality is variable and typical of the Sandstone on the escarpment (Clarens, Harrismith)
10
min
-
1
hr
2400
m ASL
The secret weapon for climbers who demand flawless grip, long-lasting performance, and a chalk that works as hard as they doThe secret weapon for climbers who demand flawless grip, long-lasting performance, and a chalk that works as hard as they do
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Icons and Symbols

AM Shade
Morning ; Afternoon ; All Day or NO Shade
10B | Ch
Equipped with x number of Bolts & Chains (lower off rings)
Alpine
Area's or routes located in mountainous regions and requiring multiple mountain skills (navigation ; extreme weather ; self sufficiency ; remote )
Ice
Area or Route requires Ice Climbing and associated Winter skills
Sport
Area or Route is fully equipped as a sport climb. Separate distinction for # of PITCHES
Sport & Trad
Area or Route is a mixture of SPORT & Trad climbing styles
Trad
Area or Route requires Traditional equipment and experties
2 Pitches
Indicates the typical # of pitches of the area or route
Special
Indicates that a specialised Rack or Traditional equipment is typically required and will be mentioned in the Route Description BETA
Standard
Indicates that typically a Standard Traditional Rack will suffice. Typically in ZA that is a 8-10 Cams + 10-15 wires/nuts.
50m
Indicates the minimum length rope needed to typically climb safely.
Double
Typically climbed using half ropes
Corner
Climbs or mostly climbs a corner system. This often requires stemming as a technique.
Crack Climb
Follows a crack-system predominantly and may require good jamming technique.
Overhang
Indicates the overall style. Face climbing is steeper than slab usually on small holds and edges, often feeling delicate / insecure.
Overhang
Overhanging, usually involving roofs.
Powerful
Powerful style is often in conjunction with another style but feeling more powerful than is common for the style.
Slab
Usually not quite vertical and requiring smearing and friction techniques.
Steep
Consistently steeper than Vertical but not overhanging / roof-y
Technical
Additional to general styles, requiring careful sequence and thoughtful climbing.
Vert
General vertical climbing with no other defining style.