Geography and Climate of Lesotho
With an area of just over 30,000 km², the country nicknamed the "roof of Africa" is completely landlocked in the mountains. Open to the Free State, the road from Ladybrand to Maseru is the main gateway to the country. This is the most populated part (as it is the lowest), while 80% of the country is just a chain of mountains, the Malotis, crossed by only two roads for well-prepared 4x4 vehicles. The southern slope of the country is very steep, and only two accesses are possible from Kwazulu-Natal via the Sani Pass and Qacha's Nek by 4x4 or on foot along dizzying roads.
The landscapes alternate between flat-topped mountains (mesas) and ravines that cut through the mountain, carved by torrents of water that pour down during the rainy season. The arid and barren soil erodes very quickly; the crevices are impressive, and sometimes roads are destroyed by advancing water. The only trees are located at low altitudes or in the valley floors. While the highest mountain, Thabana Ntlenvana, reaches 3,482 m, Lesotho has countless mountains, with the most spectacular ones located in the south of the country, such as Mahlasela Pass (3,222 m), Sani Pass (2,900 m), Monteng Pass (2,820 m), Blue Mountain Pass (2,641 m), God Help Pass (2,318 m), Bushman's Pass and finally Qacha's Nek (1,980 m).