Summit of the Moteng Pass under snow
Summit of the Moteng Pass under snow - Photo: Wikipedia

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.

 

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