Barberton Highlands is a climb of 6.2 kilometers (hors catégorie). Barberton Highlands tops out at 1,392 m above sea level. It is located in Umjindi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The average gradient is 9.7% with a maximum of 16.9%. The climb has 601 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty analysis: This 6.2 km climb averages a brutal 9.7%, which is why it's rated Hors Catégorie. The main challenge is the opening section, with an extremely steep 500-metre stretch at 18% between km 1.0 and km 1.5, bracketed by sections above 11%. The gradient eases slightly after km 3.0, but it stays demanding (9% to 14%) before a more manageable finish at 4-5% over the last kilometre.
Pacing advice:
1. Start controlled: Don't get fooled by the first half-kilometre (6%). Save your legs for the crux from km 0.5 to km 2.5, where the gradient stays above 11% almost the whole way.
2. Gear for it: Make sure you've got a low enough gear for the very steep sections (15-18%). Keep a steady cadence to avoid blowing up your legs too early on these ramps.
3. Use the finish: Take advantage of the last two kilometres (4-5%) to recover and pick up the pace a little if you've got something left in the tank.
6.2 km • 601 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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