The adventure officially began for everyone at different times and in different ways… as one would expect on an epic trip like this. Some athletes drove from Pretoria, a few of us caught the 6:30am flight from CPT to BFN, and Team Greyling made their way from Stellies to Bloem in their Kombie.
Myself (Kate), Michelle, Lisette and Liesl carpooled together in what was meant to be your standard Toyota Corolla… well, much to our surprise, our rather witty (and slightly sarcastic) rental car dealer greeted us with big smiles as he upgraded us to a BMW 320i. What more could a group of gals ask for on a trip to the mountains of Lesotho! Let’s just say we got plenty of waves (and looks) along the way… and the speed limits may or may not have been tested.
Upon arriving in Lesotho, we were welcomed with the unforgettable warmth of the staff at Maliba Lodge, our home for the next three nights. We got in late afternoon, so after a quick unpack, we headed up to the Boma at the main lodge for some welcome bubbles and a briefing from Landie and Christiaan. We also received our incredible goodie bags from our sponsors (Fuel & Feast, Biogen & ButtaNutt). After a delicious two-course dinner, we headed to bed, ready for the morning’s mountain adventure.
We woke up to rain the next morning, so—like experienced trail runners—we put on our rain jackets, left our sunglasses behind, and skipped the sunblock… well, by the end of the first climb, we were scrambling for sunblock, squinting into the sun, and packing our rain jackets away. Let’s just say the sunburn made for some great photos (but we’ll keep those to ourselves).
We climbed as high as 3200m above sea level (and ran 29km 1450m D+). While most athletes tried to play it cool, there was definitely a louder-than-usual chorus of deep breathing at the first viewpoint. The views? Something photos and videos will never do justice… absolutely breathtaking (literally). It’s something you have to experience for yourself—there’s a real sense of magic up there. Just us, fellow Lesotho Camp athletes, shepherds (and their dogs), sheep, wild horses and donkeys.
We then enjoyed an epic descent back to camp, passing the Three Cascades waterfall—which honestly never gets old. What a sight. Just as we got back, a storm rolled in. Not everyone made it in before the rain, but we all finished with huge smiles, proper stoke, and that deeply satisfying, tired feeling. That evening, we had a braai… the fire may or may not have cooperated… but we’ll keep those stories to ourselves.
That night brought an epic storm—loud thunder, lightning, the whole show. We just knew day two was going to be a bit of Type 2 fun. And it delivered. We started in the rain again—but don’t worry, we remembered our sunglasses and sunblock this time. Naturally… the sun didn’t come out at all.
Still, it was one unforgettable adventure (16km ~1200m D+). Christiaan described the route as: “we’re going to climb, then climb some more… then climb some more…” and that’s exactly what we did. WOW. No words. Those views… just wow.
At the top, we were greeted by a beautiful wild horse who happily entertained us for photos—and even offered one of our athletes a ride! From there, we descended a steep, technical, very-much-not-a-path kind of path, finishing with the happiest welcome from the Greyling kids (who somehow managed to outrun all of us through the mud). We wrapped up with a dreamy Maliba Lodge lunch, a few drinks, and some very necessary afternoon naps.
That evening, we gathered for our final Boma drinks, shared plenty of laughs and stories from the day, and enjoyed an epic three-course farewell dinner at the lodge.
On our final morning, we set off on one last run (6km, 400m D+) to a magnificent waterfall. The morning light was perfect, and we made our way there… after taking approximately 1,625 photos, of course. Once again—WOW. The energy of that powerful waterfall is something else… you can’t help but feel completely invigorated. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Most of us finished with an ice-cold plunge in the rock pool before heading back to pack up. Goodbyes were said, and we slowly made our way back to JHB. It was a gloomy, rainy drive—but wow, we all left with hearts full of mountain magic and trail running happiness.
If you’ve made it this far, it means you’re definitely joining us in Lesotho next year… so SAVE THE DATE: 19–22 March 2027! Early Bird entries are opening soon, and we would LOVE to have you join us.
Lastly, the BIGGEST thank you to our incredible sponsors, with them the trip wouldn’t have been such a great success.
ButtaNutt – the nut butters, the alternative milks, the rusks and most importantly the amazing caps! Your support over the years always goes above and beyond and we are so incredibly grateful for you.
Biogen – the energy gels, the new carb bars, plant protein powders and those epic water bottles… just wow! Thank you so much for your loyal support, our athletes would never have made it up those tough climbs without your fuelling. We can’t thank you enough!
Fuel and Feast Granola – wow! You blew us away with ALL your delicious treats from the salty trail mix that saved us on our longest days on the mountains to the yummy granola that helped us start our days. We are so incredibly grateful. Is it too soon to place an order for the protein balls? Thank you to Alison and the team for the amazing support this trip. Lesotho would not have been the same without all your treats!
Until next time,
Kate ⛰️
