Underberg

Underberg is a small farming town in the uMzimkulu valley, under the southern wall of the Drakensberg, where the railway from Pietermaritzburg ended in 1917. Hlogoma Peak, “place of echoes”, stands over it at 1,904 m. Most visitors come for one reason: the Sani Pass, the gravel 4x4 track that climbs out of the valley to the Lesotho border. Underberg and the neighbouring village of Himeville are where you sleep, fuel up and find a tour operator.

Getting there

Himeville is about 130 km from Pietermaritzburg by road, with Underberg alongside it. There is no useful public transport, so drive. The Shell garage in Underberg and the Puma in Himeville are the last fuel before the pass. From Himeville it is 37 km to the South African border post at the foot of the pass, about an hour’s drive without stops and often two with them.

When to go

Summer, roughly October to March, is green and warm with afternoon thunderstorms that can turn the pass to mud. Winter is cold, clear and dry, and snow falls on the high ground; the pass is often closed by snow and ice and conditions can change overnight. Allow extra time in winter and bring warm clothing in any season; the top is 1,300 m higher than the valley. Splashy Fen, the longest-running music festival in the country, has filled a farm outside town every Easter since 1990.

What to do

The Sani Pass climbs from 1,544 m at the border post to 2,876 m at the summit in about 9 km, with gradients up to 1 in 3 and a run of hairpins at the top. It is 4x4 only. Lower sections have been tarred, but the stretch between the border posts is still mostly gravel. You pass through the South African border post at the bottom and the Lesotho post at the top; both are open 06:00 to 18:00. Bring your passport, and birth certificates for children. If you do not have a 4x4, book a day tour from Underberg or Himeville. Lunch at the pub at the top, 2,874 m up and billed as the highest in Africa, is part of the ritual. Serious walkers go on from there to Thabana Ntlenyana, Lesotho’s highest peak at 3,482 m, an eight-hour round trip.

Lower down, the uMzimkulu and its tributaries are among the best trout waters in South Africa; the Drak Challenge canoe race runs the river each year, and the Sani2c mountain bike stage race starts in Underberg. The Himeville Museum is in a stone fort built in the 1890s, when the village was a police outpost against cattle rustlers and gun-runners.

Good to know

The pass has killed people. Do not attempt it in a hired sedan, in rain or in snow, and turn back if cloud closes in. Fill the tank before you leave town; there is nothing on the pass. Book accommodation early for Easter and for winter long weekends.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Wikipedia, Truck with a View, 4x4 Community forum, Wikipedia.