Highlights: 15 km downhill, scenic variation: villages to farm land to bush, all in the space of 15km! Wilderness, camping out, sleeping under the stars, Maasai herdsmen, great food and as always, fantastic companions!
Distance covered total: 101 km
Distance covered mountain biking: 42 km
Accommodation: lightweight tents with mattresses & sheets, pillow, canvas water basin outside, bush shower, fly sheet and dinner around the campfire
The original plan was to give the option of doing the full 101 km on a bike, BUT everyone had partied hard the night before and so we selected to do the juciest bits instead.. The whole of Arusha and villages all the way to
This style of riding is not overly tough – yes you can do the km’s but there is a support truck, bike mec, and guides to look after supplying snacks, rehydration salts and water. So, Juma, bike Mec, had the bikes all prepped for us. Great!
The first section was downhill. Coming off the Mt Meru plateau there was a combination of light peddling and then free wheeling downhill. Lots of cattle and goats made the way road a cluttered mosaic of dust and clunking cowbells. Fields, planted before the failed rains, now look rather dire. Failed rains, failed crops everywhere. Some bean farms seem to have survived though. Cycling down here it is obvious to see the importance of agriculture to the local economy and having lived here for over a decade, it’s also obvious the spread of agriculture is rapid, encroaching into areas that were once wilderness.
After crossing the Themi river, which was flowing and ridding Arusha of all it’s plastic bags by the looks of things, we soon found a resting point under a tree and waited for the landcruiser that was carrying our lunchboxes and the girls that had decided to skip riding.. And we waited. Thankfully Peter L had his tea making box in the support truck and we had plenty of bananas to cover us. An hour later it was obvious that to complete any riding today the bikes and support truck would have to go ahead and so riders were left stranded whilst we headed on to the next riding section. Lunch eventually arrived and the riders were picked up!
In the support truck we head out towards the western end of the ‘blue’ mountains, home to the famous Tanzanite mines. Our path did not cross anywhere near the mines but I hear these days it is possible to do mine tours with the likes of Tanzanite One. By now it was getting late and we all doubted very much if we could ride again today. Indeed by the time we reached Komolo and ascended the ridge to the starting point it was 5.45pm. The cruiser with the riders and non riders arrived right behind us and looking at Gunnar’s face (Mr ‘every kilometer on a bike is a good kilometer’), I knew we had to deliver another ride…
Off with the bikes from the top of the support truck, frantic assembly, Maasai crowding round at the spectacle, hats on, gloves on, water check and off! We had about 1 hour of riding left before total darkness and we were now very much at the edge of true wilderness. Add to that the fact the news that a pride of lions had been terrorising cattle in the village ahead, and we were definitely racing darkness and keeping checks on everyone. As the sun edged ever downward Pete K spotted our first game, a herd of Zebra to our right. Peter L completely missed them, thrasing his way up a hill!
What to do when darkness falls? Well traditional senses would have it that this was a perfect time to dismount. But, with a bunch of cyclists that had been coming on riding safaris with us for 7 years, that did not happen. 10km or so to go and darkness fell. The support truck followed closely and both Peter L and myself lead the pack keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife, and specifically the maurading lions.
“I see lights!” – the camp was spotted some 2 km away. Unbeknown to the group the camp was across bush and there certainly were no roads. As we stuttered across the bush Peter L made short work of finding a hole and did a fine kartwheel over the handle bars, our first ‘offie’. Single track was now the name of the game – let the first unfortunate person hit all the holes.. The support truck reverberated loudly a few times – 2 tracks will always find more holes than our single tread!
Finally in camp we received a warm welcome. Our friends at Dorobo Safaris are our partners on this section, and what a great camp they run. The layout was simple and all the essential were there. After a quick rehdyration it was time to tuck into some grub and beer (we always carry a cool box with ice..). Dinner was a really tasty curry, could hardly stop myself from eating. And not soon after we all retired. As was to become the custom, Peter L and myself bedded down by the fire, the crew in the Pyramid, everyone else in their dome tents and the snoring competition would begin.
At night time the bush is the best place to be. Contact calls of Hyena, the bark of a Jackal and the trill of a scops owl are noises I long to hear when in town and now, back in the bush, my nights sleep is frequently punctuated as I start awake looking around for nosey animals. No lion calls this night but Pete K, on route for a wee near his tent, spotted a hyena (indeed a spotted hyena at that), that scurried away.
Dawn crept over the eastern horizon, a perfect time to wake up, clean up, wander around. Kilimanjaro stood proud to the east. I’ve never seen such a pretty profile and with the soft light, it was literally breath taking. Meru, related to Kilimanjaro by the same fault system, looked down on us from the North and as the sun start to ascend the rosy red rich colours of the morning brought the rest of the camp to life.
Breakfast, if I remember rightly, was plenty of fresh fruits and some cereals. With the pretty vistas and morning light I preferred to photograph and film and then the sounds of cattle bells started in ernest – we had camped not more than 200 meters from a temporary boma. Time for some impromptu filming of cattle herding (Leboi our camp guard hepled me talk through the process and sort out the filming rights!) before finishing up with breakfast and a briefing.
It was now time to head out on our next day of cycling…
No comments:
Post a Comment