{"id":50383,"date":"2026-09-24T10:54:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T08:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/?p=50383"},"modified":"2026-09-22T11:15:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:15:52","slug":"rise-above","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/","title":{"rendered":"Rise above"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We set out to climb Thabana Ntlenyana expecting a physical challenge. What we brought home was something far more personal.<\/p>\n<p>Long before sunrise, the world outside our rooms at Sani Mountain Escape was almost completely black. It was cold. There was snow underfoot. And beyond the beam of our headlamps lay a mountain we could barely see.<\/p>\n<p>We knew we were about to spend the next few hours making our way towards Thabana Ntlenyana &#8230; but nothing quite prepares you for the reality of being on a mountain at that hour, with darkness all around you and a long day ahead.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50395\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50395\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50395\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4894.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50395\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Tantalising Twins Content Creators<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The previous afternoon had been spent getting used to the altitude and taking in our surroundings. Getting up Sani Pass had been an adventure in itself. With its steep, winding road and dramatic views, our experienced driver, who knows the pass intimately, made the journey feel reassuring rather than intimidating. Once at the lodge, we settled in, enjoyed the peaceful surroundings and tried to get our heads around what we had signed up for.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50396\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50396\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50396 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5016.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50396\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Tantalising Twins Content Creators<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We also did what seemed like the sensible thing before a big day on our feet &#8211; we ate well. The evening meal options included steak and veg as well as the famous Sani Mountain chicken pasta, a rich Tuscan-style Alfredo made with cream, garlic and fresh herbs, with chicken as an option. After a hearty dinner and an early night, there was little left to do but sleep and hope we were ready for what morning would bring.<\/p>\n<p>By 4am, we were on our way. The first hours of the climb were almost otherworldly. There was little to see beyond the trail immediately in front of us, and the darkness made the mountain feel even bigger. We could hear the crunch of snow beneath our boots, feel the cold and occasionally hear one of our group laughing nervously as we tried to gauge just how far we had come and, perhaps more importantly, how far we still had to go.<\/p>\n<p>Then the sky began to lighten. As the sun rose, the landscape slowly revealed itself, and we realised just how much of it we had been walking through in the dark. Both the Drakensberg and Maloti mountains stretched out around us, enormous and almost impossibly beautiful. There was snow, silence and an extraordinary sense of space.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50388 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407-265x198.jpg 265w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_062407.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was one of those moments when you instinctively become quieter. Standing in that vast landscape, you cannot help but feel small. The mountains put everything into perspective, and for a while the tired legs, cold fingers and long road ahead seemed almost insignificant.<\/p>\n<p>Our guide, Joseph, was a steady presence throughout the day. He has been working in the mountains and guiding since 2016 and is also a pastor, something that seemed particularly fitting as the climb became more challenging. His patience, knowledge and calm manner made a real difference, especially when fatigue started to set in.<\/p>\n<p>Thabana Ntlenyana is not a walk to underestimate. Although preparation and training make a significant difference, a mountain day asks something very different of your body. We had put in the work beforehand, building our endurance, but hours of sustained climbing at altitude are another matter altogether.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50391 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-315x420.jpg 315w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-696x928.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-1068x1424.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_092454-rotated.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The altitude affected people differently. Some barely noticed it, while others experienced light dizziness or shortness of breath. Sleeping at altitude was not quite the same as sleeping at home.<\/p>\n<p>The important lesson was to pay attention to our bodies, regulate our breathing, maintain a sensible pace and understand that there is no single way to experience a mountain. That lesson became even more important as the day progressed.\u00a0 Two members of our group made the brave decision not to continue to the summit. There was no shame in that. In fact, watching them make that decision became one of the most powerful parts of the experience.<\/p>\n<p>They had trained, they had worked hard and they had already achieved something that was outside their normal experience. But the mountain was asking for more, and they listened to their bodies.<\/p>\n<p>It reminded us that adventure is not about proving how tough you are. Sometimes it is about knowing when enough is enough. We were all climbing the same mountain, but we were not necessarily experiencing the same mountain.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50397\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50397\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50397\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5051.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50397\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Tantalising Twins Content Creators, Amy 082 494 8887, Meg 082 494 8888, tantalisingtwins@gmail.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For those of us who continued, the kilometres slowly disappeared beneath our feet until the summit finally came into view. At 3,482m above sea level, Thabana Ntlenyana is the highest point in Southern Africa, and standing at the top feels like an achievement that is difficult to put into words. The summit offers a remarkable 360-degree panorama, with the Drakensberg escarpment stretching towards South Africa and the highlands of Lesotho unfolding in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50386 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit-265x198.jpg 265w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/Thabana-summit.jpg 1448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For a moment, there was nothing to do but stand there and take it all in.\u00a0 Yet the summit itself was only one moment of the day. The real story was everything that had happened before we reached it. The darkness of the early morning, the sunrise, the snow, the aching feet, the conversations, the laughter, the moments of doubt and the decisions we had made along the way. We had started the day thinking about reaching the highest point. We ended it thinking much more about the journey.<\/p>\n<p>There were plenty of lighter moments too. We fell in the snow, made snow angels, laughed at our own exhaustion and found humour in the fact that our feet could hurt so much while there was still so much walking to do.<\/p>\n<p>And when we finally made it back, the simple pleasures felt extraordinary &#8211; a piping hot shower, a buffet dinner, a wood fire over a glass of Old Brown and finally, a bed turned down with a long hot-water bottle waiting beneath the covers. How genuinely heavenly it all was!<\/p>\n<p>We celebrated our return with a mixture of relief and gratitude, knowing that we had experienced something that would stay with us long after the aching muscles disappeared. Perhaps that\u2019s what makes a mountain like Thabana Ntlenyana so memorable.<\/p>\n<p>You arrive thinking you are going to conquer it, but somewhere along the way you realise that the mountain does not owe you a summit. It does not care about your plans, your expectations or how badly you want to prove that you can do something.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50399\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50399\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50399\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5083.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50399\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Tantalising Twins Content Creators<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Instead, it teaches you to slow down, to keep going when you can, to ask for help when you need it and, importantly, to listen when your body tells you that it has had enough.<\/p>\n<p>There is courage in continuing, but there is also courage in saying, \u2018This is enough for today.\u2019 For us, that became one of the biggest lessons of the climb. We had gone up as a group, but each of us had our own mountain to climb. We did not all reach the same point, but we still shared something extraordinary.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps that is the beauty of adventure. It does not have to end with everyone standing in the same place. Sometimes the greatest achievement is simply coming home with a story to tell.<\/p>\n<p>Would we do it again? Without hesitation, yes. But we would also tell anyone considering the climb not to underestimate it. Thabana Ntlenyana is achievable, particularly with preparation, experienced guidance and the right equipment, but it is a serious day in the mountains.<\/p>\n<p>Building endurance and strength before arriving is less about being the fittest person on the trail and more about giving yourself the best chance of enjoying the experience safely.<\/p>\n<p>Good footwear, warm layers, sufficient food and water, and an understanding of how your body responds to altitude all matter. So does having the right people around you. We were fortunate to have experienced guidance and a group that understood that everyone would have a different experience of the mountain.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50398\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50398\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50398\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A5061.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50398\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thanks to The North Face, our feet were well taken care of in the Women\u2019s Verto GORE-TEX Alpine Mid Boots. They carried us through snow, ice, rocks and a very long day on the mountain, giving us the confidence and traction we needed when the trail became challenging.<br \/>Photo: Tantalising Twins Content Creators<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And, as we discovered, no day on a mountain is ever wasted.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you reach the summit or turn around a few kilometres before it, you have still spent the day doing something difficult. You have learned something about yourself, experienced a landscape few people ever see and discovered what happens when you keep putting one foot in front of the other.<\/p>\n<p>The summit may be the destination, but the journey is the story. And sometimes, the mountain teaches you that the journey was what you came for all along.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50394\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50394\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50394\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/2G6A4857.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50394\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Tantalising Twins Content Creators<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Plan your climb<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Enjoy a two-night stay at Sani Mountain Escape in a twin-bed rondavel for two, including dinner and breakfast, return transport from Underberg with secure parking, and a guided Thabana Ntlenyana hike for two, including packed breakfast and lunch.<br \/>\nRates should be confirmed with the lodge when booking.<\/p>\n<p>For those considering the climb, allow plenty of time for preparation and remember that mountain conditions can change quickly, particularly in Winter. Experienced guidance and appropriate equipment are essential.<\/p>\n<p>You can follow the lodge on Instagram: @Sanimountain and Facebook: Sani Mountain Escape.<\/p>\n<p><em>Details: sanimountain.co.za<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We set out to climb Thabana Ntlenyana expecting a physical challenge. What we brought home was something far more personal. Long before sunrise, the world outside our rooms at Sani Mountain Escape was almost completely black. It was cold. There was snow underfoot. And beyond the beam of our headlamps lay a mountain we could [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":50392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,35],"tags":[421,13223,13224,11743,13222,10826],"class_list":["post-50383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lifestyle-travel","category-travel","tag-drakensberg","tag-maloti-mountains","tag-sani-mountain-escape","tag-tantalising-twins-content-creators","tag-thabana-ntlenyana","tag-the-north-face"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rise above - Get it Highway &amp; Berea<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rise above - Get it Highway &amp; Berea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We set out to climb Thabana Ntlenyana expecting a physical challenge. What we brought home was something far more personal. Long before sunrise, the world outside our rooms at Sani Mountain Escape was almost completely black. It was cold. There was snow underfoot. And beyond the beam of our headlamps lay a mountain we could [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Get it Highway &amp; Berea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-24T08:54:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_112944.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda\"},\"headline\":\"Rise above\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-24T08:54:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1619,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/20260808_112944.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Drakensberg\",\"Maloti mountains\",\"Sani Mountain Escape\",\"Tantalising Twins Content Creators\",\"Thabana Ntlenyana\",\"The North Face\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle &amp; Travel\",\"Travel\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rise above - Get it Highway &amp; Berea\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/20260808_112944.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-24T08:54:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/20260808_112944.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/20260808_112944.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/24\\\/rise-above\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Rise above\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/\",\"name\":\"Get it Highway &amp; Berea\",\"description\":\"Lifestyle Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda\",\"name\":\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/DSC_9351-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/DSC_9351-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/DSC_9351-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\"},\"description\":\"getit@dbn.caxton.co.za\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/bronwynf\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Rise above - Get it Highway &amp; Berea","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Rise above - Get it Highway &amp; Berea","og_description":"We set out to climb Thabana Ntlenyana expecting a physical challenge. What we brought home was something far more personal. Long before sunrise, the world outside our rooms at Sani Mountain Escape was almost completely black. It was cold. There was snow underfoot. And beyond the beam of our headlamps lay a mountain we could [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/","og_site_name":"Get it Highway &amp; Berea","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetItDurban","article_published_time":"2026-09-24T08:54:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_112944.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GetItDurban","twitter_site":"@GetItDurban","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/"},"author":{"name":"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/#\/schema\/person\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda"},"headline":"Rise above","datePublished":"2026-09-24T08:54:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/"},"wordCount":1619,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_112944.jpg","keywords":["Drakensberg","Maloti mountains","Sani Mountain Escape","Tantalising Twins Content Creators","Thabana Ntlenyana","The North Face"],"articleSection":["Lifestyle &amp; Travel","Travel"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/","name":"Rise above - Get it Highway &amp; Berea","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_112944.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-24T08:54:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/#\/schema\/person\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_112944.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/09\/20260808_112944.jpg","width":1440,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/09\/24\/rise-above\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Rise above"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/#website","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/","name":"Get it Highway &amp; Berea","description":"Lifestyle Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/#\/schema\/person\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda","name":"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2022\/03\/DSC_9351-96x96.jpg","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2022\/03\/DSC_9351-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2022\/03\/DSC_9351-96x96.jpg","caption":"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist"},"description":"getit@dbn.caxton.co.za","url":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/author\/bronwynf\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50400,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50383\/revisions\/50400"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}