Day 7 – Lake Naverone and Sani MTB

Posted August 26, 2010 By Pheather
After an early breakfast we were back on the road early heading for our next stop at Lake Naverone, deep in the heart of the southern Drakensberg near Castle Rock. If yesterdays drive felt rural, then thid days drive felt like deepest darkest Africa. We were impressed with the quality of the homes built here, most of them seemily built by the owners with little or no brick laying experience. Fortunately most of them were well constructed although here and there you could see the house that Jack built. It seems that there is some inniative to encourage small business in the form of brick production in this area, not sure if it is government sponsored but with all the impromptu brick yards we passed it seems that in a few years time this part of the Eastern Cape will look very different.
We arrived at Lake Naverone down a shady tree lined avenue between two picture perfect lakes. I geusse they are picture perfect because they are man made lakes providing water frontage for all of the cottages around them. Dove cottage was set aprt from the rest in a shady copse of trees in front of a third smaller lake, our own private lake except we did share it with a heard of horses. The accommodation was the biggest that we have stayed in yet, almost a house on its own with two large bedrooms a double bed in the one room and 4 beds in the other, a large lounge fireplace, fully stocked kitchen and best of all an anthracite stove to warm the chilly drakensberg air. Although the house was clean and lacked nothing the carpets furnishings and curtains, wall paint, bathroom and toilet all seemed a little tired and dated and in general the entire place needed a little refurbishment at R1400 for two nights we felt that this accommodation should have been in better order, especially since the photographs on the brochure were not the same as what we ended up with. Aside from that we had a wonderful stay here.
On the Saturday I woke up sick having inherited Heathers cold from the day before, but this was the only day available for me to tackle the brutal Sani Pass ride. After an hours drive I parked the Bakkie at the Sani Hotel and set off on my bike. The first 13km up the South African border post was a continous and difficult up hill although not technically challenging immediately after stamping my passport and riding through to the Lesotho side of the trail it suddenly got alot steeper and alot more technical. I managed 5km of the total 8km remaining and then had to turn around due to serious cramping and concern that I may not make it back in time to cross the border before they close at 4pm. Its still extremely cold in this part of the world and there is nothing warm to overnight with on the Lesotho side of the fence unless I can find a friendly baboon.
The return down the mountain was almost more technical than the accent, with me having to compensate for the very steep decline by feathering brakes while attempying not to slide on the loose rocky surface on the Lesotho side. I descended the slope and got back to the Hotel, just in time to receive Heathers sms that she was busy calling mountain rescue because she had not received any of the sms I had sent her during my ride apparently due to poor reception. I was missing from 10am until 3pm.

After an early breakfast we were back on the road early heading for our next stop at Lake Naverone, deep in the heart of the southern Drakensberg near Castle Rock. If yesterdays drive felt rural, then thid days drive felt like deepest darkest Africa. We were impressed with the quality of the homes built here, most of them seemily built by the owners with little or no brick laying experience. Fortunately most of them were well constructed although here and there you could see the house that Jack built. It seems that there is some inniative to encourage small business in the form of brick production in this area, not sure if it is government sponsored but with all the impromptu brick yards we passed it seems that in a few years time this part of the Eastern Cape will look very different.
We arrived at Lake Naverone down a shady tree lined avenue between two picture perfect lakes. I geusse they are picture perfect because they are man made lakes providing water frontage for all of the cottages around them. Dove cottage was set aprt from the rest in a shady copse of trees in front of a third smaller lake, our own private lake except we did share it with a heard of horses. The accommodation was the biggest that we have stayed in yet, almost a house on its own with two large bedrooms a double bed in the one room and 4 beds in the other, a large lounge fireplace, fully stocked kitchen and best of all an anthracite stove to warm the chilly drakensberg air. Although the house was clean and lacked nothing the carpets furnishings and curtains, wall paint, bathroom and toilet all seemed a little tired and dated and in general the entire place needed a little refurbishment at R1400 for two nights we felt that this accommodation should have been in better order, especially since the photographs on the brochure were not the same as what we ended up with. Aside from that we had a wonderful stay here.
On the Saturday I woke up sick having inherited Heathers cold from the day before, but this was the only day available for me to tackle the brutal Sani Pass ride. After an hours drive I parked the Bakkie at the Sani Hotel and set off on my bike. The first 13km up the South African border post was a continous and difficult up hill although not technically challenging immediately after stamping my passport and riding through to the Lesotho side of the trail it suddenly got alot steeper and alot more technical. I managed 5km of the total 8km remaining and then had to turn around due to serious cramping and concern that I may not make it back in time to cross the border before they close at 4pm. Its still extremely cold in this part of the world and there is nothing warm to overnight with on the Lesotho side of the fence unless I can find a friendly baboon.
The return down the mountain was almost more technical than the accent, with me having to compensate for the very steep decline by feathering brakes while attempying not to slide on the loose rocky surface on the Lesotho side. I descended the slope and got back to the Hotel, just in time to receive Heathers sms that she was busy calling mountain rescue because she had not received any of the sms I had sent her during my ride apparently due to poor reception. I was missing from 10am until 3pm.

Categories: Road trip to Kruger National Park