8 DAYS CYCLING CHALLENGE

Walking safaris by Intoafrica eco-travel
Brief intro

Embark on a pioneering 360-degree cycling challenge around Mount Kenya, covering an impressive total of 418 kilometers through a stunning array of environments. This adventure allows you to experience the majestic beauty of Mount Kenya from a completely different perspective, traversing diverse terrains that range from picturesque mountain trails to flowing tracks in lush montane forests. You’ll ride through vibrant game reserves, where you might encounter wildlife, and vast tea and coffee farms that showcase the region’s agricultural richness.

Over the course of eight exhilarating days, this challenge promises a journey like no other, making it the ultimate mountain biking experience!

Accommodation

Accommodation will be provided in comfortable mobile camping & moderate standard facilities, and supported by 4×4 vehicles, well-suited for all the varied terrains.

Day to day Safari

Itinerary

Day 1: MAU-MAU CAVES EXCURSION
Arrive at Bantu Lodge in time for lunch followed by briefing. Afternoon bike fitting exercise and a short excursion through Mount Kenya forest to the historic Mau Mau caves and waterfalls. Here our guide will give us a brief on the Mau Mau freedom fighters hideout. During the ride there is a good chance of spotting some of the wildlife that live here such as the rare colobus monkey, bushbucks, elephants and lots of birds species. The excursion is also to allow the rider to test the bike and allow for adjustments.

We will ride back to the lodge or dinner and overnight.

Total ride: 12kms
Trail: Forest trails smooth to rough dirt roads
Elevation: 1954m – 2107m – 2083m and back
Habitat: Montane Forest

Day 2: BANTU LODGE- STORMS HOTEL
After breakfast ride through the indigenous Burguret and Gathiuru forest to the Baden Powell’s trail and further to the open Laikipia plains dotted with settlements, small subsistence farms and huge horticultural farm. Lunch stop at Katheri township 41kms. As we ride we will be able to see the main peaks of Mount Kenya majestically rising in the background if the skies are clear. We stop at Storms hotel for dinner and over night.  

Total ride: 62.2 kms
Trail: Forest trail, smooth to rough murram roads
Elevation: 1955m – 2325m – 1804m
Habitat: Montane Forest, farmlands, settlements and Savannah grasslands

DAY 3: STORMS HOTEL-NGARE NDARE
Riding past cattle ranches, settlements, subsistence farm lands and wheat lands with lunch stop at Nyariginu River (30Kms) to Ngare Ndare forest reserve. The reserve is the main corridor for the elephants as they migrate from neighboring Lewa and Borana ranches to Mount Kenya during the dry spell. In the evening we will enjoy the famous canopy walk (40ft above ground and 450m long) located near our camp, for a birds eye view of the forest with opportunity of spotting an amazing variety of birdlife and if lucky the elephants as they drink and bath below us. Ngare Ndare is a lush indigenous forest at the foothills of Mt. Kenya and is the only indigenous forest in Kenya with an expanding canopy cover.

Dinner and overnight at our secluded campsite

Total ride: 53.7 kms
Trail: Forest trail, smooth to rough marrum roads
Elevation: 1955m – 2325m – 1804m
Habitat: Montane Forest, farmlands, settlements and Savannah grasslands .


Day 4 NGARE NDARE –LEWA – NKUBU
Depart from Campsite and ride through the Ngare Ndare forest and settlement with small subsistence farms into Lewa Conservancy. Lewa is the heart of wildlife conservation, sustainable development and responsible tourism in northern Kenya and is one of the last remaining sanctuaries for endangered black and white Rhinos.  As we cut across the conservancy keep your eyes peeled to sight rare endangered rhinos, elephants, giraffes and hundreds of other plain wildlife. We will exit Lewa at TM gate and continue riding through farmlands to lunch at Kiirua shopping center at 35kms.  After lunch we will continue cycling through more farms and into Thege forest (Mount Kenya) and into the tea growing area joining a mild traffic tarmac road to Nkubu town where we will be transferred to the hotel by vehicle via the busy Meru – Nairobi Highway.

Total ride: 71.5 kms
Trail: Forest trail, smooth to rough murram road and less busy tarmac
Elevation: 2039m-2119m-1503m
Habitat : Forest, Savannah, farmlands, settlement and bush land.


DAY 5: NKUBU – Marima
We start the day with a short transfer through busy tarmac to start riding at Nkubu – Marimba road, a mild traffic tarmac road, and on to the murram road at Michekene after 7.4kms. The area is very fertile with good rainfall and we will be cycling past tea plantations and subsistence farms. The morning section ride is characterized by winding trails with lots of ups and downs on smooth to rough murram roads. We will stop for lunch at Mount Kenya Chogoria forest post 44.2kms. Afternoon we will ride for further 9.6 kms to Marima center and then be transferred to Thuci lodge on the busy Meru – Nairobi highway. This is the only section we use a vehicle in the 360 degree challenge since there is only one bridge crossing River Nithi and it is on a dangerously busy highway –  Vehicle transfer 23.5Kms.

Dinner and overnight Thuci Lodge.

Total ride: 53.8km
Trails: smooth to rough murram, mild traffic tarmac roads
Elevation: 1501m-1916m-1441m
Habitat: forest, Villages, subsistence farms, tea and coffee plantation

Day 6: THUCI LODGE-CASTLE LODGE
After breakfast we take our bikes and ride on a murram road to Kathangarini Church (30Kms) for lunch stop. Half of this 30Kms is uphill to rise over 500m and then dropping by 300m.  The rest of the ride is mostly on even ground mixing tarmac and murram trails but rising steeply by about 400m in the last 10 Kms to Castle Lodge. Dinner and overnight at Castle forest lodge.

Total Ride: 62.3Kms
Trails: Rough and smooth murram roads and mild traffic tarmac roads.
Elevation: 1457m-1913m-2062m
Habitat: Tea and Coffee plantations, Small farms, villages, Montane forest.

Day 7: Castle Lodge to Chaka Gardens
After breakfast we ride downhill for about 4 Kms inside dense mountain forest then enter a region characterized with tea and coffee plantations layered on hills and valleys. We stop for lunch at Karandi 33.8 Kms away. After lunch we ride for 10 Kms to join a mild traffic tarmac road and cycle gently up and down to reach Chaka Gardens on the edge of Kabaru Forest for dinner and overnight. Todays ride has mostly been at the edge of Mount Kenya forest.

Total Ride: 56.2Kms
Trails: Rough and smooth murram roads and mild traffic tarmac roads.
Elevation: 2062m-1824m-2024m -1788m
Habitat: Tea and Coffee plantations, Small farms, villages, Montane forest.

Day 8: Chaka Gardens – Bantu lodge
Leave camp after breakfast and ride on moderate traffic tarmac for 2.7 kms and branch of on smooth to rough murrum road at Kabaru forest and onto farmlands and settlement on a mix of flats, slight ups and downs to Tigithi river for lunch at 30 kms.  After lunch we will ride a further 15 kms on mostly smooth roads and paths to Bantu lodge for celebrations and award of certificates.

Total ride: 46kms
Trails: moderate traffic tarmac, smooth to rough murram roads and forest trail.
Elevation:  1790m-2146m-1954m
Habitat: Wheat farms, Small farms, villages, montane forest.

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