Malealea Lodge - Hiking in Lesotho.
Our most popular hike is the journey to Botsoela Waterfalls. It takes about three hours and you will journey across the crushed red soil of the Malealea Highway, down pebbly gray switchbacks, and over a few small ravines. Your destination is, naturally, the beautiful cascading waters of the Botsoela Waterfalls.
Of similar difficulty is the trek to the Bushman Paintings. The Bushman Paintings are relics from the first human civilization here and are awe-inspiring to behold. Reaching the paintings requires some steep hiking, but the impact of seeing something older than anything else you have ever seen in its original state and location is usually worth the effort.
If you are quite keen, you can see both the falls and the paintings on a journey that will take between 5 and 7 hours. The journey is not for the faint hearted.
If you are looking for a walk across mostly flat terrain with beautiful views, Top of the Gorge trek is recommended. It will take about two hours across mostly flat terrain, and will lead you to a beautiful overlook of the Pitseng Gorge. For something more challenging, you can descend into the gorge to find the rockpools at the bottom. This longer trek will take about six hours.
We also offer the Griffiths day hike. This is a 6-hour loop. It was one of the favorites for its stunning contrast and beautiful, evolving views of our green mountains and red rocks.
Overnight hikes can also be arranged and offer you a chance to take in the scenery and experience village life for a night. All hikes, can be arranged at the office.
Basics:
● Top of Pitseng Gorge: easy 2 hours, overlook the Gorge
● Pitseng Gorge Loop: moderate 2-3 hours, explore the Gorge and rockpools
● Botsoela Waterfalls – moderate 4 hours, see waterfall
● Bushman Paintings – moderate with steep hiking, 3 hours, see ancient cave paintings
● Botsoela Waterfalls & Bushman Paintings – moderate-to-difficult with steep hiking, 5-7 hours, see waterfalls and ancient cave paintings
● Griffiths Day Trek – moderate, 6 hours, see beautiful, varied scenery