MOUNT KENYA DARE – We dare you to ride the ‘impossible’
Day 1
After an early breakfast the team will start up the trail entering through the National Park at 2,440m. This is where the ride begins with the destination for the day at Judmier Camp (3,150m). An evening meal is served around a campfire, and an early night is more than likely on the cards. The riders retire to their tents and to the bizarre sounds of the Mt Kenya moorlands.
Day 2
Breakfast is served at about 07h00, after which bags are packed and the riders leave the campsite heading up through the moorlands and tussock grass. The heather and proteas are quite exquisite, particularly when some of the other flowers are in bloom – gladiolus, kniphofra and senecio. After lunch the riders continue the ride/walk towards Liki North (4,000m), arriving early afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon is spent relaxing in camp and taking optional short walks/rides up the valley towards Tereri and Sendeyo. After an early dinner, the weary adventurers retire to tents for the night.
Day 3
After breakfast, riders pack up and leave the camp once again, riding/climbing up to 4,150m crossing over a large ridge and back onto the main tourist track for the rest of the ride/walk. Lunch is served an hour and half from Shiptons camp (the next nights stop), at an idyllic river crossing (4,100m). After a relaxing lunch the riders continue the climb to Shiptons, passing the caves, to the camp at 4200m. The camp is just below the scree slopes of the main peaks. In the late afternoon when all the clouds have hopefully cleared, there are great views of the main peaks, along with the route to the summit for the next day’s walk. It’s an early dinner followed by an early night in preparation for an early start, as the next day is summit day!
Day 4
The riders are woken up at 5am (If you actually slept at all?) with a cup of tea or coffee and a good breakfast. Summit walk starts by dawn (riding to the summit and on the scree is not really possible or advised). If all goes well the team will be well on the way to Pt Lenana, via Simba Col before the clouds have started to move in. This is the time for celebratory photos of you victorious on the summit! It’s then the start of the thrilling descent down to Mintos, (4985m to 4300m drop). This is the camp for the team’s final night on Mt. Kenya before the climax of the ride, the exciting final descent of the mountain.
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Day 5
After another hearty breakfast the riders leave Mintos and head down the helter skelter descent to the park gate (4300 – 2900m)! Once they have caught their breath, it’s another descent to Transit Motel (1500m). The descent is approximately 35km downhill with maybe max 1km uphill to the base of the mountain!
