Real donkeys don’t jump (part I)

World famous, at least in Lesotho and South Africa, are the huge dams that recently have been built in the highlands. They provide South Africa with water and yield finances and electricity for Lesotho.
The water project, known as ‘The Lesotho Highlands Water Project’, was thought up for the first time in the fifties of the last century by Ninham Shand, the British high commissioner. At that time Lesotho was a British protectorate. South Africa initially rejected his plan, but a mid 1960’s drought forced South Africa’s renewed interest in Lesotho’s offer. Both countries began a full feasibility study. South Africas’ arid Gauteng province was expanding rapidly. Over 40% of the countries’ population live in this area and almost 60% of all industrial output is generated there. These residents and activities require more water than the single source, the Vaal River, can provide. Lesotho, one of the highest countries in the world, yearly receives more rainfall than it can consume in five years. In 1986 the stage was set for the signing of an agreement that would lead to one of the largest water delivery projects in the world. Phase I has just come to completion at the time we enter Lesotho, so off we go to the dams!

From Leribe we cycle eastwards, back to the highlands. After two hours of climbing only, we arrive in Pitseng, a real town according to our detailed map. We look around us and see three stone buildings and several shacks made of corrugated iron, that seem to be shops.
After a short descend the climb continues; we push-start the car of a desparate farmer (which is actually bad for our leg muscles) and pass a police post, from where the real climb starts. We’re riding on tar but hardly proceed on the many passages of 18%. Later than expected we drag ourselves over the top of the Mafika Lisiu Pass, at 3090 metres above sea level. A humble 1944 altitude metres have been conquered today with a steepest gradient of 21%. After looking around for just one minute and enjoying the stunning view, the sky gets overcast and the clouds are pitch black. The wind is picking up and a freezing rain descends upon us. Two kilometres beyond the top we find the visitors’ centre of the Bokong Nature Reserve; despite our timely arrival the centre is empty and closed. Shivering and cold we walk in the dark on the verandah of the circle-shaped building and find a door that has not been closed properly. The temptation is too big, rapidly we bring ourselves and the bags in dry safety. One hour later a flabbergasted night guard comes in for duty. Fortunately he understands our precarious situation and allows us to make up our bed inside, next to the still glowing hearth. This is definitely the first (and last) time that someone sleeps inside the visitor centre of the park!

Awakened by the first sun beams of a new day, from our bed we look out over the Maluti Mountains and the Lepaqoa Falls, while morning clouds slowly rise from the valleys, and ice rats start leaving their rock holes. It is strikingly beautiful here.
At seven o’clock, in warm clothes, we cycle to the Laitsoka Pass at 2650 metres, after having endured an icecold descend. Before the ascend we ride over the Malibamatso Bridge and cross the water of the Katse Dam reservoir. The reservoir is over thirty kilometres long, snaking through the rough scenery.
The ascend of the first pass is steep as always, but not insurmountable. Also the second climb, the Nkaobee Pass at 2510 metres, is overwon before we reach the Katse Dam, that was finished in 1997. The highest dam in Africa is very impressive and is the main contract of the whole water project. Except for the Katse Dam, some other smaller dams have been built, like the Mohale Dam and the Matsoku Weir. From an ingenious intake tower in the Katse reservoir, the water is being transferred to the Vaal River in South Africa, via a 45-kilometre long tunnel that has been drilled right through the northern Maluti Mountains. On its way the water runs through the hydro power station of Muela, that provides electricity to the whole country of Lesotho. Additional benefits of the project are employment and training facilities for thousands of local people, new tarred roads, a huge yearly income for the government, increasing tourism and the construction of hospitals and schools in backward areas.
We’re being allowed to put the tent next to the visitor centre, from where we have a full view at the Katse Dam. Close to our tent are three South African couples. On our first evening, they provide us with drinks and ‘potjie’ (pronounce: poiky, a delicious stew of potatoes, several vegetables and meats). South Africans hospitality knows no boundaries or limits, not even in Lesotho!

The next day, still with a full stomach, we cycle to the village for shopping. On our way we encounter a group of twenty boys, who just completed their initiation ritual. They are completely dressed in red clothes, even hair and skin have been dyed by red ochre. Whilst singing they walk from hut to hut to let everyone know that they are real men now and ready for marriage. When the boys reach the age of eightteen, an old teacher takes them to one of the many mountain ravines for three months. Here the circumcision takes place and they’re being taught to hunt and fight. They learn the craftmanship of making the traditional reed Basotho hat, to find food and to endure the hard rain season. For girls there is the same ritual, with this difference that that they are being taught how to prepare food, to mill grain and how to run a family and raise children. After these three months of ‘life education’ the boys and girls are ready for marriage: they are allowed to find a partner. In the tired faces of the boys we see that they have had a tough time, although the proud smile on some faces show something else as well: they are real men from now on!

In the afternoon we get a tour in and around the dam, led by the head of the PR department: Ms Mabasiea Ntoi. She takes us to the bottom of the dam wall in her luxurious Landcruiser, from where we experience its immense hugeness. The dam has completely been constructed from concrete (2,3 million m3 of concrete!). At the bottom its is sixty metres thick, at the crest it still is nine metres. With a height of 185 metres it is the highest dam in Africa. Inside the dam there are hallways seven hundred metres long and rooms full of instruments. Every minute of the day measurements are being made concerning the water, the dam and seismic movements.
The tour ends at the crest of the dam. At one side we look over the reservoir, at the other side we see the huge spillway with big concrete teeth to spread the water when the dam overflows. We are impressed!

But, what about that donkeys, the title of this story refers to? We’ll tell about it in part II, of:

Real donkeys don’t jump.