A combination of low rainfall, warm temperatures and green landscape makes autumn an ideal time for popular outdoor activities such as hiking, trail running, pony-trekking, mountain biking and abseiling, the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) has said.

This however, will be largely disrupted by extreme weather condition expected between April and May, the LTDC says.

The corporation says it is still a good idea to take adequate rain gear and warm clothing in case of storms or cold snaps, especially at higher altitudes.

Because Lesotho lies in the Southern hemisphere, LTDC says autumn falls at the opposite time of the year to its Northern hemisphere equivalent, and also tends to possess a less distinctly autumnal character in Lesotho than it does in Europe or North America.

“Often, the pattern tends less towards these averages than it does run of a few successive days of summery weather followed by a few that are more winter-like,” the tourism controlling body says.

It further notes that in autumn, temperatures are typically around 3-5 Degrees Celsius lower at medium high altitudes, adding that the highest peaks are often considerable chillier and might even receive snow.

Autumn falls over April and May, when average temperatures in Maseru and the relatively low-lying west typically reach a maximum of around 20 degrees Celsius and drop to around 10 degrees Celsius at night.

Owner and Manager of the Cholotsa Recreational Adventures Escapades (CRAE) Leutloa Moteetee says autumn is a time when people are just coming out of the extremely hot summer when they are unable to enjoy outdoor activities.

The awesome part about autumn, he says is that it is neither too cold nor too cold for most outdoor events.

“As much as the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us, there is a now higher level of understanding about it and what we need to be doing to protect ourselves, whether we are indoors or outdoors,” he says.