Introduction
Skiing, and more recently snowboarding, has largely been the raison d’etre of Club Maluti for the last 20 years. One can’t really say that you’ve skied until you’ve skied fresh Maluti powder!!! The Club is also an influential member of the South African National Ski Association (SANSA) and a participant in the National Champs at Tifindell since its inception.

Snow Conditions
Regrettably snow conditions in the Malutis are somewhat unpredictable and the Club, as a resort, is entirely reliant upon good quality natural snow. Whilst it does typically snow on an annual basis, skiable snow may only occur in seven-year cycles. For example the last good quality seasons occurred in 1996 (6 weeks) and 1997 (11 weeks) and prior to that in 1990.

Global Warming
Contrary to intuition, Global Warming may in fact have the impact of increasing the frequency of the occurrence of snow in the Malutis, as illustrated by the quote below from the Lesotho Meteorological Service website (www.lesmet.org.ls):

“Climate change scenarios that were generated with the assistance of six global circulation models using historical data for the years 1961 to 1994 predict warmer future climatic conditions over Lesotho, lower precipitation, particularly in the spring and summer seasons, a higher precipitation in winter, and a gradually increasing precipitation in autumn. The result could be a shift in precipitation patterns in such a way that good seasonal rains that characterize the summer season could then set in late in autumn. This is likely to have serious implications for agro-ecological conditions in the country as the growing season is pushed forward and perhaps shortened. On the other hand, an increase in precipitation in winter may suggest increased activity in frontal systems which may result in heavier snowfall occurrences”

Ski Hire, Ski Lifts and the Piste
In the event of snow, the Club hires skiing and snowboarding equipment to members without their own equipment on a first come first serve basis, members receiving preference to guests and the public. With the help of everyone in the vicinity, draglifts are erected. These consist of demountable motors on concrete bases that pull a length of rope. The resulting piste will be 300m to 400m in length. In optimal conditions a second or even third draglift will be erected.

SA Champs
The Club annually sends a team to Tifindell to participate in the National Champs and has a substantial medal count both on the piste and in the bar. Attendance is largely speaking open to all Club Maluti members and participation in the events is subject to skills level and prequalifying. Champs are a fantastic trip to improve one’s skills and be a part of the South African skiing community.