Lesotho Mountain Passes

This fairly long pass runs along the north-south axis on a gravel road which forms the longer and arguably more scenic route along the southern side of the Quthing River. This route ultimately intersects with the A4 main tarred road a little further from the northern end of the pass.

It contains 82 bends, corners and curves within its 10.4 km length, which equates to 1 corner every 126 metres. With a summit altitude of 2532m it is almost as high as most of the South African high altitude passes and displays an altitude variance of 373m. The unusual vertical profile shows a classic profile up to the 7.7 km point, after which there is a gentle undulating climb of almost 3 km.

The steepest parts occur between the summit (4.5 km mark) and the 6.8 km point, where you will experience gradients as steep as 1:6. This pass will be very tricky in heavy rain or snow conditions. This route would be best driven ina high clearance vehicle and preferably in a 4WD vehicle.

This long tarred pass is located along the A3 route in Lesotho and forms part of a string of impressive passes, virtually running back to back fromm Thaba Tseka to Maseru. It starts at its eastern end where the Marakabei Pass ends and climbs steeply to its 2625m high summit within the first 4 kilometres. It then swings 90 degrees in direction into the north and follows the valley formed by one of the rivers that flow into the Mohale Dam. The pass provides access to the Mohale Dam and local lodges.

At 16.9 km it's a long pass but you won't get bored as there are no less than 96 bends, corners and curves to keep every driver on their toes. To add to that, the road markings on the road have all but faded away, so overtaking becomes an interesting exercise. The relatively low traffic volumes translate into low accident rates.

Together with the Makoabong, Cheches, Marakabei, Blue Mountain, God Help Me and Bushmens passes you can enjoy a massive non -stop mountain pass drive that will put a smile on your face for well over two hours.

Mafika Lisiu Pass is without question one of the most dramatic and beautiful tarred passes in Lesotho. It was built ahead of the construction of the Katse Dam to provide an all-weather road suitable for the large trucks carrying fly-ash and cement from Ficksburg to the Katse construction site. It won an international engineering award for its design and engineering excellence.

The statistics of this pass are impressive. Firstly its a very long pass at 26.2 km with a summit height of 3091m and an altitude variance of 1104m. It snows regularly on the pass, making it dangerous for non 4WD vehicles. Black ice occurs on the pass too, rendering a highly dangerous situation; even for 4WD vehicles.

The scenery is breathtaking, especially on the western side, offering a smorgasbord of deep valleys, gullies, waterfalls and burbling streams, towering cliffs  and in winter it's a snowy wonderland.

It connects Hlotse and Pitseng in the west with Ha Lejone in the east. Allow an hour to drive the route and more if you want to stop for photos. There is a large, safe and well constructed viewing point at the summit (12 km mark) with magnificent views down the valley to the west, as well as the famous built-up hairpin bend near the summit.

The Marakabei Pass takes its name from the village at the middle point of the pass. Whilst it's not the longest or steepest pass in Lesotho, it offers enjoyable rural scenery on a good quality road. The pass is 8.4 km long and climbs a very respectable 657m producing an average gradient of 1:13. The steepest parts are at 1:9. The gradients are well engineered and the pass is suitable for all vehicles, except when its snowing, when a 4x4 will be required and sometimes even a 4x4 will not cope if the snow levels are deep.

The Mohale dam lies just 9 km to the north. There are 26 bends of which several exceed 90 degrees and one particularly tight semi hairpin of 160 degrees is located roughly halfway along the pass. This is one of five passes along the attractive A3 route between Thaba Tseka and Maseru, the others being (from east to west) the Mokhoabong, Likhalaneng, Blue Mountain, God Help Me and the Bushmans Pass. 

The pass is very close to the central geographical point of Lesotho. The two towns of Marakabei and Mantsonyane are fairly close to one another, with the Senqunyane (a main tributary of the Senqu River) flowing close by the village.

This major pass is located between the Afriski Resort in the north and Butha Buthe in the west, in the northern quartile of Lesotho. It has a huge altitude gain of 896m that stretches over a distance of 15.3 km which converts into an average gradient of 1:17, but don't be fooled by that figure as it includes the descent. Most of the descent from the eastern approach is between 1:5 and 1:8.

The 91 bends, corners and curves will require your full concentration. Amongst those there are 11 extreme hairpin bends and two full horseshoes and a further 16 bends in excess of 90 degrees. The A1 road is the major route across the northern sector of Lesotho and as such carries a fair volume of traffic including some very large trucks. These need the full width of the road to negotiate the hairpin bends, so be fully aware of this as you proceed along this pass.

The pass has been the scene of numerous accidents, mostly involving trucks and buses. All the passes in Lesotho are above the snow line, so driving here in winter invariably means having to deal with snow and ice, which is to be avoided if possible - and especially so if you are not in a 4WD vehicle.

This is another big tarred pass covering 16.2 km. It is one of several big passes along the A25 and connects Seshute in the north with the Katse Dam complex in the south. There are 95 bends corners and curves to contend with, of which 23 have angles greater than 90 degrees, but there are no hairpins.

The altitude variance of 624m means lots of ascending and descending and although the road is tarred, caution needs to be exercised in terms of traffic volumes and the very real possibility of finding livestock on the road. All of Lesotho's passes are subject to winter snowfalls to varying degrees.

The pass offers very good elevated views of sections of the Katse Dam. It gives access to two airports - Katse Airport at the southern end and Seshutes airport at the northern end.

The Sekokong Pass is an interesting and long pass at 13.3 km that crosses the Senqu River and bisects the village of Sekokong after which it is named. The road is currently in a poor state as heavy construction vehicles involved with the new Polihali Dam are rumbling up and down this pass 24 hours a day. The pass connects Mokhotlong in the south with Mapolaneng in the north.

Once the new high bridge has been completed and the dam starts filling, we will return to film all the new infrastructure. There are 41 bends, corners and curves which includes one hairpin and one horseshoe bend. Be very careful of construction vehicles and deep potholes.

The scenery is magnificent as the road traverses, then follows the deep valley of the Senqu River. The pass is located along the A1 route in Lesotho's northern quartile and forms part of a string of big passes which include the Kotisephola, Mapholaneng, Tlaeeng, Pass of Guns, Mahlasela and Moteng passes.

Like most of the passes in Lesotho, this pass also carries an ice and snow warning.

The Tlaeeng Pass has a fairly minor altitude gain of 140m and only one hairpin chicane section. Other than those, the pass is easy enough to traverse, but what makes this pass stand out from the rest is it's maximum altitude of 3262m which makes it the 2nd highest pass in Lesotho. This road is also known as the Oxbow-Mapholaneng Road.

Together with the Moteng, Mahlasela and Khalo La Lithunya Passes, it forms a quartet of altitude gaining passes on the A1 route between Butha Buthe and Mokhotlong. The main point of interest occurs at the southern end of the pass which is the Letseng Diamond Mine.

This official pass on the tarred B24 route is of a very minor nature. It connects a number of villages in the north with the town of Mafeteng about 8 km to the south. It only has 3 minor bends and displays an altitude variance of just 35m with a pleasant average gradient of 1:51.

The usual urban Lesotho cautionaries apply of children and livestock on the road.

This impressive pass packs a huge amount of punch into a relatively short distance. It's located in the southern part of Lesotho on a minor road which itself is accessible from the A4 route, about 12 km north west of Qacha's Nek. The road connects a number of remote mountain villages, as well as providing access to the Matebeng Pass, one of the most difficult gravel passes in Lesotho.

If you enjoy multiple hairpin bends and canyon views, then do yourself a favour and drive this one. It sports 32 bends, corners and curves packed tightly into the overall length of 5.8 km producing an average gradient of 1:20 with the maximum gradient topping out at 1:6 on the northern side. Of those 32 bends, 10 are full hairpins. 

You will be rewarded with spectacular views of the Tsoelike River valley which looks more like a canyon than a valley and the old green pedestrian bridge, which dates back to 1930, was constructed by German missionaries. It is still in a remarkably good condition, with only a few floor boards missing.

There is a beautiful spot next to the river to have a picnic spot which is nicely grassed. 

The Tsoelike River is one of the most convoluted rivers you will find, following a tortuous route through the mountains, sourcing in the Sethlathebe National Park, some 25 km to the east as the crow flies, but if you trace its actual course that length extends to 130 km. The river forms a confluence with the Senqu (Orange) River six kilometres west of the pass.