Finally got to drive up Sani pass, was not as daunting as its made out to be. the few pics of the road below are as you drive through the border gate and are deceiving as after that first km or two the road is nothing like that.

 

it turns into a rocky uneven trail full of holes, its as if rocks are strewn about down the side of the mountain to resemble a road, 1st gear all the way in 4h and had to engage 4l near the top to get out of a hole, all in all the 9kms took 45 min.

A stop at the highest pub for lunch.

A spaza shop down the road from the highest pub.

We then drove from the top of Sani across the width of Lesotho , approx. 225kms of a twisty road with many switch backs like on Sani pass but this time on a tar road, we travelled over the roof of Africa and excited at Caldenspoort / Fouriesburg almost 5 hours later.

More of Lesotho and going over the highest point

Nipped into Fouriesburg to have a look , just a very small town with a good plaas kobuise. 

Carried on about halfway to Clarens and stopped at a campsite called Stoppenbly  where we spent the night in the bakkie.

The Stoppenbly campsite.

The next morning on to Clarens, came across this shop but they were closed

More of Clarens, found a really good bakery. 

Onto Golden gate national park, i guess the entrance gate must have looked the part at one time, its abandoned now.

We drove the Blesbok loop , one of two of the main road, did see what appeared to be blesbok but they were way in the distance, all we got close to we zebra.

The vulture loop, there is a stop place where after some walking there is a hide where one can see these birds, however the wind on top there was blowing so hard that we could barely stand , let alone walk so we passed on that one.

Thyanks for sharing George.

Beautifully scenery George, thanks a lot. 

1 x tick from the bucket list though 

I am wondering about the gate at Golden Gate.. We have been through there a few times, the last one about two years ago and I cannot remember such a gate.  Seems like another white elephant someone decided to build quite recently without a reason.

The pic of the gate is on the Clarens side of the park, appears is was a toll gate, the gate on the Harrismith side looks like it been ploughed through buy a large truck, its smashed flat.

I remember the gate from our honeymoon in the area '98 and from previous visit in '20

As it is officially a National Park that you are entering, but with a public road passing through, it makes sense that there would be a gate .... ???

Thanks George, pleased you got to do the trip. We have only done the Clarens through Golden Gate and down Oliviers neck pass portion.

In May we had a fair amount of animals, Zebra, Black Widerbeast, Eland etc and at the Vulture Restaurant very happy to see Cape Vultures, and lifer, and target bird, Bearded Vultures (saw on 2 days circling overhead, sadly did not land). A Black-backed Jackal was also feeding.

Otherwise birding quite good in the park.

Besides the animals, the mountains you pass through on the Golden Gate route is absolitrly spectagular. The hiking routes in the vicinity of the reception area also is a must do. There is a shallow cave just above the camp from which you have an impressive view.

Richards, we must have been looking at the scenery with more attention than the road to have missed the two gates.

George kan jy dalk vir ons die pad se oppervlakte vanaf Fouriesburg na Clarens beskryf. Ons wil dit volgende jaar ry. Maurits

Hi Maurits, good tar road right through.