A year ago a time like this, James Savage – Managing Director,Savage Wilderness and a group of other crazy adventurers were coming back from a 70 day cycling trip across Africa. 6 countries, 70 days, 6,500 Kms starting from Nairobi all the way to Cape town – South Africa. Insane, right?
Leg 1: Nairobi to Arusha by Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Leg 2: Arusha to Chitemba Beach in Malawi.
Leg 3: Malawi to Victoria Falls by Livingston, Zambia.
Leg 4: Livingston to Windhoek, Namibia.
Leg 5: Windhoek to Springbok, South Africa.
Leg 6: Springbok to Cape Town.
Leg 6.5: a little ride from Cape Town (and motorised transport) to the Mont Rochelle Hotel in Franschoek.
We asked some of the participants about the trip and this what they had to say:
“The trip was fantastic. I loved the cycling and seeing Africa from a bike. You get a very good feel for the country when you cycle through it. I found the cycling easy (yes there where some hard days). What I didn’t enjoy was leading and riding the trip. Do one not both. I was mentally exhausted by the end of the trip. Doing both was a lot and it look a lot out of me. It took me a lot longer to get back to everyday work life. I also don’t want to be away from my young family for that long again”
Would you do it again?
“Yes I would ride it again. Well parts of it not all of it. Botswana was flat and boring.”
JAMES SAVAGE – MD, Savage Wilderness Safaris
“One year ago today I look back at that cycling trip across Africa, and what comes to mind is “Good lord, WTF was I thinking?” I’d never ridden more than half a day on a bike yet somehow I convinced myself that 70 days would be possible. And it was…”
– Jen Gurecki, CEO, Coalition Snow
“Would we do it again? If you asked that question a few days after the trip the answer would certainly have been in a very vociferous negative. Ask us now, today, a few weeks down the line – and the answer would be a resounding positive. Sod it; let’s go do it again! . And thank you Virgin Atlantic.”
– Marcel Wagner (Marcel, Jenni and Danny were the support drive throughout the trip) Coordinator, Gap Africa
African Spokes is now a African bespoke cycling touring company specializing in road biking, Gravel, XC/Trail, and Enduro Safaris and Adventures.