High above Lesotho

We went for an ambitious hike yesterday that took us up to Mount Fuku-fuku. We have no idea what the distance was, but that the literature had said it went along the top of a ridge of mountains and that it was for "experienced hikers only". And that it was an all day hike.

So a guide was assigned to us, and we set off at about 8:30am.

Our guide Johannes, said that we should be able to make it back to the lodge by 2:00pm or so. I didn't see how that was possible, but we didn't question it.

In the pic above, you can see the rocky face of Mount Fuku-fuku just to the left of center. But the route to get up there runs up the right hand side, and long the ridge. You can see that it was a beautiful day, but it would get hot later on in the morning. Especially when you're going uphill!

But before we could go uphill, we had to go down! Across the valley, and then up the right hand side.

Starting to get a view. Looking back at the village of Malealea.

Break time. Yep, we are heading up there!

We made it up to the first ridge that gave us a view of another village over the other side.

Johannes showed us a little shelter where a herdsman will sleep while tending to their sheep when they bring them up here to graze. Sometimes, the herdsman will spend weeks at a time up here.

Only seconds before the above picture was taken, my sunglasses went flying off my hat and over the edge! I had forgotten they were on my hat and not my face, so when I grabbed my hat and outstretched my arms, off went the sunglasses into the air, and gone forever. This is why we don't buy expensive sunglasses!

This is as high as we made it. 

Apparently on the next ridge there was a circumcision initiation ceremony under way. This is a six month event, where a group of young men live in the hills for six months! Wearing nothing but a blanket! So Johannes said that we would have to climb back down the mountain and go up on the other side.

By this time, we said we would not be prepared to go back up once we came down. Too much work in the hot sun, and to be honest we figured there was no way that we would make it all the way along the ridge. Maybe if we were 25 again, but as we found out a few times over the last year or so...we're not 25 anymore!

There wasn't much of a trail at these levels. It was hard work getting through some of the brush and some parts were pretty steep as well!

We headed back down through a gully in between the mountains, and then took a dirt road back to the lodge. Maybe Johannes knew something we didn't, but it was shortly after 2:00pm when we arrived back. Good thing we cut it short because we were pretty much exhausted!

Saw this fenced off area with this sign. They have a lot more work to do, and there's nothing currently happening here. We don't understand why "charities" have to spend money on signs like this to advertise their good deeds.

A day of rest today as we are doing an overnight hike on Saturday. Six hours to a waterfall, stay overnight, and six hours back on Sunday. At least we will have a pack horse to carry our gear!!!

Sorry for not responding to any of your comments. We are reading each and every one of them so keep 'em coming, but it's all we can do to get a blog post updated.