Dispatch 10 - Below zero
Mike Nixon, he's the bloke who's done the world's seven summits and is now leading the Boundless cyclist team across Lesotho. His Zulu name is quite apt - uMashovashova, 'the one who pushes and pedals'. He's been on the satellite phone to Cape Town getting news as to how Leith is getting on after his Sani Pass accident. "It's worse than we thought - a serious operation with plate and pins and no cycling for three months - but he's in good spirits, and all he wishes is to be back on expedition," says uMashovashova. Our destination for the day is Litseng Diamond Mine and the new home of one of the highest clarity diamonds found in Africa. Des Mostert who's in charge of community projects for the mine As the Landies crawl through sleet and snow and over the Maluti's highest mountain pass, Matabeng, it's a far cry from the usual tropical jungles and North African deserts of our previous expedition to track the outside edge of Africa. An incredible 4x4 route highlighted by the brightest rainbow we've ever seen in our lives, takes us down into the valley. In the freezing cold we are warmly received with traditional song and dance at the Maloraneng Chalets which is the start or end point for one of Lesotho's most exciting adventure 4x4 routes. The adventure fraternity is concerned about the rumor of the tarring of historic Sani Pass, sure it will end a piece of historic motoring history but fortunately Lesotho is crisscrossed by other wonderful 4x4 trails. Silhouetted against the setting sun, women wrapped in warm thick blankets, dance in a circle, pointing long sticks into the sky. They've slaughtered a beast and the pots are bubbling on the cooking fires. The Greybeard humbly requests that they name the next big sparkle the Boundless Spirit. Tall bearded Dr Gideon Groenewald, the Peace Parks facilitator for the Maluti Drakensberg, is a real child of Africa, determined in every way to retain the Transfrontier vision initiated by great men like Dr Anton Rupert, Prince Bernard of the Netherlands and Nelson Mandela. Gideon pauses from strumming his guitar to brief us on the next morning's activity - it's by military helicopter to the centre of Lesotho to a community day at Katse Dam. That night the temperature drops to -13. We'll keep you posted.
