Bucket List / Adventure Travel Goals
Abseil Semonkong Falls
Still to do
Lower yourself down a sheer cliff beside a waterfall that plunges almost 200 metres in a single drop, high in Lesotho.
The adventure
Semonkong means "place of smoke", named after the spray thrown up by Maletsunyane Falls as the river tips over a basalt lip and drops roughly 190 metres into a deep gorge. The village sits more than 2,000 metres up in the highlands, where Basotho horsemen ride past wrapped in blankets and the air is thin and clear.
The abseil starts with the hardest part: leaning back over the edge with nothing but rope and a harness holding you. As you walk backwards down the rock, the roar of the falls grows and the spray drifts across your face. Further down, the cliff curves away so you hang free on the rope, slowly spinning beside the water. At the bottom it is just you, the plunge pool and the long, steep walk back up out of the gorge.
Why it’s epic
- Maletsunyane Falls drops around 190 metres in a single fall, one of the highest in southern Africa.
- The abseil, at over 200 metres, has held a Guinness World Record as the longest commercially operated single-drop abseil.
- Lesotho is entirely above 1,000 metres, the only country in the world that can claim that.
- Pony trekking with Basotho guides can be added from the same lodge.
What it is
Semonkong Lodge offers what has been one of the world's longest commercially operated single-drop abseils, beside the Maletsunyane Falls.
How to do it
Book through Semonkong Lodge. No experience is needed.
Top tip
The waterfall is at its best after summer rain.
Need to know
- No experience is needed, but you need a head for heights and enough fitness for the hike out of the gorge.
- The falls are fullest after summer rain, roughly November to March; winter brings snow and very cold nights.
- Semonkong is a few hours' drive from Maseru on mountain roads, and most visitors fly in via Johannesburg.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Best time to go
- October to April
- Fly into
- MSU airport
The abseil itself is modest; long-haul flights to southern Africa and a hire car are the real costs.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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