Skiing in Lesotho – a winter adventure like no other

While winter in Southern Africa normally consists of huddling away at the nearest fireplace, trying to escape from the torrential downpour and cold outside, there is one place where the cold weather is embraced. Enter Afriski and one of only two ski slopes in Southern Africa!

I headed off on an epic road trip to Afriski Mountain Resort as a means to escape from one horrible windy and rainy day in Cape Town and discovered a winter adventure I never dreamed possible. Located in the mountain kingdom that is Lesotho, Afriski offers the unique opportunity to learn to ski or snowboard surrounded by the barren beauty that is the Lesotho mountains. We joined on an extra special weekend, being it opening of the ski season and the first Winterfest for 2018.

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In fact, as I write this Rubber Duc is playing up a storm at the base of a white slope and I have just spent the past couple hours learning to snowboard on a piece of equipment I have now labeled ‘the Punisher’. You see, skiing comes easy to me. I learnt when I was four and falling meant a shorter distance and less pain. But I set my sights on learning to master the art of snowboarding this weekend. And as I lay bum in the snow, wrist throbbing and growing twice as big as I look at it, a medic laughs, after checking that I am ok. He greets me like a long lost friend, “welcome to the snowboarder life.”

But not to fear, included in my weekend of adventure is a ski school session with Basil. Hailing from the famed French resort of Les Arcs Basil brings with him a wealth of knowledge and I am quite surprised to find such a high level of instruction out here in the heart of Southern Africa. In no time at all Basil has me maneuvering like a pro and I’m doing it – I’m really snowboarding!!

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The music is pumping, the slopes are beckoning and I discover I have a slope all to myself. I just can’t wait to get back out tomorrow and do it all over again!

Don’t miss out on joining the second Winterfest 2018 event at the close of the season and experiencing winter in Southern Africa like you never have before!

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