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Lesotho

Stream flowing through Lesotho winter mountain landscape covered with snow and ice
Red rocks and riverbed winter wonderland
Stream flowing through Lesotho winter mountain landscape covered with snow and ice
A very special winter landscape: due to its high altitude, Lesotho can get quite a lot of seasonal snow. Combined with a dark blue sky and the clean fresh air, the vast mountain region becomes a very scenic destination. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-01)
Low angle view of melting icicles against dark blue Lesotho winter sky
Icicle curtain melting in the powerful Lesotho sun
Low angle view of melting icicles against dark blue Lesotho winter sky
Changing perspective! After taking a number of photos of the icicles covering the colourful boulders, I leaned against the rocks and captured the melting needles from below and behind. Small change in position, big change of the image. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-10)
Typical Lesotho round stone house located in a remote snow covered mountain area
Lesotho round house in snow-covered mountain area
Typical Lesotho round stone house located in a remote snow covered mountain area
Built entirely from local materials (stones, wood, grass), this typical hut can provide shelter even in Winter, even though it seemed uninhabited at the time of our visit. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-08)
Red rocks in Lesotho winter landscape, covered with a frozen waterfall of icicles
Icicle waterfall on the rocks
Red rocks in Lesotho winter landscape, covered with a frozen waterfall of icicles
Same location, different perspective. Instead of taking an image from behind the icicles, this overview shows the stunning beauty of the frozen waterfall in the Lesotho highlands. A temporary feast for the eyes... (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-05)
Stream flowing in curves through snow and ice covered winter landscape in Lesotho
Icy stream flowing through Lesotho's winter landscape
Stream flowing in curves through snow and ice covered winter landscape in Lesotho
Another breathtaking view of a little stream, flowing peacefully in various curves through the higlhlands of Lesotho. With the entire landscape beautifully covered with fresh and clean snow, this place was just magic. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-03)
Low angle view of a steep wall of snow against the dark blue cloudless Lesotho winter sky
A wall of snow towards the dark blue sky
Low angle view of a steep wall of snow against the dark blue cloudless Lesotho winter sky
One of my favourite pics from this short trip into Lesotho: a step wall of snow including an overhang at the top. The bright white creates an extreme contrast with the ultra-dark and blue sky. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-02)
View of a village with typical round stone houses in the remote rural Lesotho highlands in winter
Typical rural Lesotho village in winter
View of a village with typical round stone houses in the remote rural Lesotho highlands in winter
For the local people living at this altitude, winter weather conditions are pretty tough. This is how many villages in rural areas of this beautiful, but also very poor country look like, with theit traditional round houses. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-06)
Rear view of a curtain of icicles melting in the Lesotho winter sun
Icicles melting in the powerful Lesotho highland sun
Rear view of a curtain of icicles melting in the Lesotho winter sun
No matter how cold it may get during the Lesotho mountain nights, things quickly change as soon as the sun comes up. Enhanced by the clean air and high altitude, the magic of winter wonderland quickly starts to melt away. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-04)
three cows feeding on grass pasture in the Lesotho highlands with snow covered mountain peaks
Cows high mountain pasture feast
three cows feeding on grass pasture in the Lesotho highlands with snow covered mountain peaks
Cattle breeding and agriculture are an important part of most people's life in Lesotho. These cows have found a snow-free area with juicy grass to feed on, whereas the mountains in the background are fully covered with snow. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-07)
Small green shrub breaking through a cover of snow and ice in Lesotho winter
Vegetation in the fight with snow and ice
Small green shrub breaking through a cover of snow and ice in Lesotho winter
Even though Winter doesn't last long in Lesotho, it poses some challenges to local plants that need to survive the time they are covered with snow and ice. (Lesotho, August 2012 - Image ID 201208-LS-09)

About this archive

The Lesotho archives contain all the images that I took in this little-known country back in August 2012.

Why Lesotho? I would probably never have thought about visiting this remote mountain kingdom if we had not lived several years in South Africa. However, since we spent some days in the Eastern Free State, we decided to include a cross-border day trip.

Being in the Southern hemisphere, August obviously is right in the middle of winter. Due to its high elevation, Lesotho sometimes gets quite a lot of snowfall. And we were extremely lucky that on the day we drove up into the highlands, the weather was perfect. Clear dark blue skies with the strong African sun beautifully illuminated the fresh white snow and ice, a true winter wonderland.

Retroactively, we didn't plan this properly. Otherwise, we should have stayed in Lesotho overnight. They even have a small ski resort there, that was fully operational when we passed by.

But since we didn't prepare for this, we made the best out of this unique opportunity. We explored the villages in lower elevations, talking with some of the local people. And we were truly spoiled by the spectacular natural beauty of the vast landscapes at higher altitudes.

As much as we enjoyed the visual impressions, we also realized that life for people living in these rural areas must be tough. In winter because of the cold temperatures, and in summer because of the heat, both of them combined with insufficient public infrastructure. Overall, it was a day well spent that we will never forget.

Please enjoy scrolling through my Lesotho archives.

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Small green shrub breaking through a cover of snow and ice in Lesotho winter
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