Marakabei Pass is a climb of 6.5 kilometers (category 1). The climb finishes at 2,380 m above sea level. It is located in Ha Marakabei, Maseru District, Lesotho. The average gradient is 7.7% with a maximum of 15.9%. The climb has 507 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty breakdown: At 6.5 km for 507 m of elevation gain and an average gradient of 7.7%, the Marakabei Pass is a tough, relentless Category 1 climb. The sections at km 0.0-0.5, 0.5-1.0, 2.0-2.5 and 3.0-3.5 all exceed 8%, so you're working hard from the bottom. The final is the crux: km 5.0-5.5 and 5.5-6.0 hit 12%, and km 6.0-6.5 stays at 10%.
Pacing tips:
1. Hold a steady rhythm from the start. Don't go out too hard on km 0.0-0.5 and 0.5-1.0 at 8-9%, because there's still more than 5 km of climbing left.
2. Make the most of the breather at km 1.0-1.5. At only 1% gradient, this stretch is your chance to recover, drink and fuel up before what's coming.
3. Save some legs for the finale. Shift to an easier gear from km 5.0-5.5 at 12%, and keep something in the tank for the last 1.5 km at 10-12%.
6.5 km • 507 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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