As planned I left my hometown again for the continuation of the Secutec Seven Summits, on the 3rd of January. This time the goodbye was a bit different as we’re still in a full pandemic. No hugs, no kisses, just a wave goodbye of my beloved friends at the starting place. Still very happy and grateful to have seen these people before leaving.
Planning mania
The first 60km my brother and some friends are joining me for the ride. There we have the same awkward goodbye and I’m off by myself. It’s always very strange to suddenly cycle alone again. From now on I’ll be by myself for one month, and social contact will be very limited due to corona. Because of that I have been planning my sleeping places a bit more in advance. Mainly contacting people if I could pitch my tent in their garden. Usually I cycle till the evening and try to find a place to sleep, but this time it’s different.
Warm nights
The places I’m sleeping at is in people’s garden and they’re all concerned about my comfort, especially this time of year. Still I’m very well equipped to do winter camping and luckily I’ve got some experience in the cold 😉 . Most families I go to even invite me in their houses to eat or sleep. Which I mostly refuse just to keep them and myself safe from corona. Mostly, because I had the occasion to have a complete place by myself. I’m enjoying the time in my tent a lot. It’s very cosy on those winter nights to read a book from my sleeping bag. Only in the morning it’s a bit harder to get up and get everything ready so I can leave when the day comes. Still the coldest it has been in minus 6°C which is not that extreme.
Birthday fun
I had been rushing a bit to the pyrenees because I knew Glenn and Steven would be there waiting for me. I wanted to be there on my birthday so we could have a ride together. Turned out to be a great day going up to Arudy, having pizza on the streets (only take away allowed in France) and then enjoying a beer before going to bed. Again here I have a place for myself which is awesome to sleep in a bed.
On my rest day (today) I’m visiting Pau again to get a covid test, just to have some extra administration to enter Spain. All negative so I’m good to go again!!
I want to thank all the people and families I’ve been passing by for their generosity and help during these strange times. I really enjoyed these first 10 days and looking forward to the next part!
And many thanks to my sponsors to help me in these Secutec Seven Summits!
After my relaxing stop with Mathias in Yaounde I was ready for another push towards the south. The Belgian stay was amazing (beer and fries!) and gave me a good time to mentally and physically recover. I got my visas for the next countries (Gabon and DRC) and was ready to go to Kilimanjaro!
rest stop
From chaos to tranquility
Every big city is chaotic to cycle though, Yaounde wasn’t very different. After a day I reached the Gabon border and I noticed an even more relaxed atmosphere. Crossing the border was easy, except they didn’t have any documents there. I had to cycle 30km to the next village and by the time I was there, the immigration closed. I had to stay for one night in a hotel and the next day they gave me a stamp so I could continue my journey in the tranquil Gabon.
natural cooling down places
Abandoned in the middle of nowhere???
Good company
The cycling was a bit hilly and the people are still very friendly, as usual saying hello everywhere I pass by. There’s less and less people but that’s okay, not too many cars either so I could enjoy cycling through the rainforest a lot! At the end of a day of cycling, in Oyem, I saw a cyclist and a backpacker on the side of the road. Birgit and Jonathan met each other the day before and we decided to camp together for the night. They’re going North, I’m going South. A perfect opportunity to exchange experiences and information about the route and roads coming up.
Jonathan and Birgit
Coffee time!
Company!
From forrest to savanna
Gabon is a really nice country to be cycling in. There are not many cars and mostly I saw trucks transporting big trees. Mainly these are Chinese companies exporting wood, the roads are obviously really good here.
perfect road and cooling down spot
One day Birgit sends me that the borders are closed in Gabon, at least all land borders. She was stuck there for 2 days before they let her out and into Cameroon. Because of the news I’m getting more and more stressed but still try to enjoy the change in landscape. After cycling through the beautiful rainforest I’m entering the savannah.
In these parts of Africa you see bushmeat everywhere. Almost every village I pas by I see barrels with dead animals hang around to be sold. It can be anything from lizards to gazelles and even monkeys. A very strange image to see this hanging at the side of the road. I don’t like it, but on the other hand it’s their source of income/food. The saddest part is that because of deforestation and poaching some of the species like chimpanzees and gorillas are endangered. In Yaounde (Cameroon), I visited a sanctuary to learn a bit more about their work. If you are around, it’s worth to visit the Mefou Primate Sanctuary.
Bushmeat
Bushmeat
The savanna is a very beautiful and flat part with high grass which makes my progress much easier. The downside is that it gets really hot out there. The humidity and the sun at the equator give me a hard time when cycling trough the Savana. There’s no shadow from the rainforest to protect me. While cycling, it feels every moment a lion or elephant can pop up! But the only thing I see is some elephant dung and footprints.
The equator!
no escaping the sun
the road to Congo
chilling out
Corona heat
Exiting Gabon was a bit stressful because I was afraid they wouldn’t allow me out, or allow me into Congo. They checked my fever twice, asked some questions, called around and after a couple of hours I could depart Gabon. On the other hand, entry in Congo was very easy. A very small village and the officials didn’t seem to care about anything.
my first camping spot in Congo
One of my “hotel” rooms
with shower and toilet
I was supposed to pass different checkpoints, but none of them cared and said it was all fine. I didn’t mind and just got stamped in and was ready to go. The scenery was really beautiful and I continued my way to Dolisie, my first city in Congo. The first part was still pretty hard because of the burning sun. The dusty road through the savanna didn’t allow me to take some breaks from the sun. After 3 days and just 30 km before Dolisie the road was asphalt again and was just perfect until Pointe-Noire, an industrial city with some oil drills offshore. When I entered different people shouted at me: “corona!!” even 2 hotels didn’t allow me to stay there…
road to congo
stuck in the mud
Closing time
The day after my arrival in Pointe-Noire I heard the news about the borders getting closed. I called many people to get their opinion and I decided to stay and try to get back to Belgium. As soon as possible booked a flight back home, like many advised me to do. A day later the government suddenly shuts down their airspace so my flight got cancelled. I really wanted to prevent to be stuck there in Congo, sadly that didn’t work as planned. Luckily I met a German couple (Quirin and Lara) who are travelling by van. We decided to stay together and rent a house for the time we’re trapped here. That way I wasn’t alone being stuck and made things a bit more bearable. The Swiss consul helped us a lot. I got in touch with the Belgian consul and embassies to see if they could help me out.
Lara and Quirin’s van
The whole situation was hard and confusing. It’s stressful, but I realise it’s very stressful for most people. I’m very happy my sponsors, friends and family called me regularly to check if I’m fine. It’s a perfect moment to appreciate that I’m surrounded by extremely wonderful people.
The great escape
After being stuck in Pointe-Noire for 2 weeks I got an email from the Belgian embassy. They said that there might be a chance I could fly out from Kinshasa. This is another country, there are 2 Congo’s. I had to get to Brazzaville that same day. With great luck I still find a place on the last domestic flight. The next day the confinement starts and all transportation is blocked. Our embassy was negotiating hard with authorities of both Congo’s (Brazzaville and Kinshasa). Brazzaville and Kinshasa are both the capitals and are separated by the Congo river, there is no bridge. They finally got a permission to pick me up by boat from the embassy and bring me to Kinshasa airport. Since the borders are closed this was not easy to negotiate. From Kinshasa there was a repatriation flight back to Belgium.
ready and packed
to the rescue
the fast boat to Kinshasa
back home
After being 6 months and 14.000km away from home it is strange to be back. On one hand I’m happy and feel more relaxed because of the situation here is more comfortable. On the other hand I’m disappointed that I have to pause this adventure. I’m completely aware that this was the best decision and there’s nothing to blame me. Normally when I come back to Belgium I can see my friends and family, drink a beer and have fun. Now I can’t even hug or kiss my girlfriend, very strange times….
Very thankful to my sponsors who support me to get this project done and supported me to get back to safety!
After a rest day in Lagos I left the chaotic city with some caution. The general advice of foreign affairs is negative. The risk of getting robbed or kidnapped is high in this country and therefore I’m taking some safety measures. I’m not wild camping and not cycling during the night. I made a strict plan on where to sleep and limit the amount of km’s so I won’t get surprised by anything.
City hopping
Safety
From Lagos I immediately head east and since I’m trying to keep up to my plan I cycle on the big roads. This is not very nice and almost up to 20 times a day I pass by police/army/??? checkpoints. Mostly these guys are heavily armed with machine guns, making me feel so very safe… Sometimes they are armed with sticks and golf clubs and I wonder if some of them are official or not? Most of the checkpoints I just have a small chat with mostly the same results:
What are you doing? Where are you going?
I’m cycling from Belgium to Tanzania, I covered about 11.000km so far
NO! Thats’s not true, you’re lying! It’s impossible
Yes I am, I can prove you, showing the map and trying to convince them I’m not a spy or anything (seriously, some of them are convinced I am)
What ??? That is unbelievable (with lots and lots of expression and intonation in their voices) !!!!
Then we laugh and chat and I continue. Actually a fun distraction for them and me.
meeting some nice guys along the road
But about 2 – 5 times a day some checkpoints ask me money/present/”water”… Some of them are trying to intimidate me by asking what’s in the bags, tapping it with their stick or gun. I’m not letting that happen and every time I politely tell them I don’t do that, or that “I have water in my bottle, thank you!”. I sometimes think about how people warn me for armed criminals trying to rob me, doesn’t seem very different than those guys. This is sad because people on the street don’t seem to take them seriously and it gives a bad name to the many really nice people I meet.
Many times on the street people just shout at me “white guy!” or “Chinese” or many different things. That’s in the whole of Africa already and I don’t mind, most of the time it’s just for fun and I just wave at them. Occasionally I stop to have a conversation. Most of them actually never spoke to a white man before and some kids even come and touch my skin and my hair.
Road safety
Cycling the bigger roads is not great at all! Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and like most countries, they love cars. People drive like crazy and I’m very often scared for my life while cycling here. A couple of times a truck just forces me off the road, if I wouldn’t do that they would just hit me. That pisses me off and results in a lot of yelling and swearing at the truck…
Irritation
After a couple of days I get sick of it, I just have enough of it and having a hard time. I feel isolated and lonely in this big chaotic country. Luckily I still meet nice people along the road, but when cycling and at night, I feel alone. It’s a struggle every day: corrupt police, crazy truck drivers, terribly bad exhaust fumes irritating my eyes and lungs,… I’m getting to a point I want to just stop…
These trucks make me irritated!!
That’s dust and smog on my face…
I see the light!
On the road I meet Chris again, the Swiss guy who’s going to South Africa on a motorcycle. This is a relief and great distraction. We decide to meet up near Enugu. We both read that there’s a Christian monastery (the first one in Nigeria) with some waterfalls and decide to head up there. The best choice I made! This place is a haven of peace and quiet: no busy traffic, no shouting people everywhere, no corruption,… There even is a waterfall nearby and we decide to take a rest day there and visit that.
Chris
wading through the river
the waterfall!
Solar sisters
On my rest day I decide to visit solar sisters. That’s an organisation that invests in woman’s rural communities with sustainable products (like solar panels) in Africa. Excuse me the copy/paste from heir website but I think they explain it best:
Solar Sister believes women are a key part of the solution to the clean energy challenge. This is why we invest in women’s enterprise in off-grid communities. We see the opportunity to empower women and to reach those who aren’t reached by business-as-usual energy models. Centering local women in a rapidly growing clean energy sector is essential to eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable solutions to climate change and a host of development issues.
Solar sisters!
They took me to one of these communities where they had a meeting. It was a great experience to see how they all support each other and where bonding and helping each other like real sisters. In a very African way they had this meeting: starting and ending with their song that actually is quite catchy. I’m very thankful to have visited this project and will do so in Tanzania. If you want to know more please visit their website and make a donation today! I will, like some other previous project I visited, raise funds by giving presentations for this cause!
Thanks to my sponsors to make this project possible, give them a thumbs up!
After Ivory coast I followed the coastal roads towards Nigeria. A welcoming change with more facilities but on the downside more chaotic traffic.
Coastal cruisin’
After my visit at SOS forêts in Abidjan I had set off towards Ghana. It is a bit strange to suddenly start talking English to people again. Ghana is (like most countries) very welcoming to me and when I’m cycling by lot’s of people are waving at this strange white guy on a bicycle. Because of the flat roads and pretty decent quality I’m able to make good progress and after a couple of days I arrive in Accra. The weather is getting pretty humid and warm here. Especially in the mornings everything is wet when I wake up in a big cloud. This is not helping with my moods when waking up and trying to pack a wet tent.
Country hopping
From Accra I get to Togo. There a corrupt officer tries to trick me asking 5000CFA (around 7,5 euros) more for a transit visa. I look at the visa stamp and indicates the right price. When I ask him why it is more he tells some lame excuse and I stand my ground. Luckily he gives it back without too much hassle and I’m free to go. His “helper” still comes after me and asks me some money which I politely refuse. When giving in to that I will make it much harder for others to cross and helping to support corruption, no thanks. This border crossing is easily forgotten by the very welcoming people of Togo, too bad I’m leaving the same day to enter Benin. I had heard that I could easily get a Congolese visa in Cotonou and when arriving it seems true. In 30 minutes I got my visa and I can catch up in a guesthouse with other overlanders. There I meet a Spanish couple who have just crossed Nigeria and a Swiss guy who will cross it with his motorcycle.
Nigeria
Nigeria has a bad reputation in the news. When I read other traveller’s stories I hear many good things about the country and its population. Still, with some worries I head off to Nigeria and aiming for the biggest city of this country. A massive city with 18 million inhabitants and chaotic traffic. When entering Nigeria I have very warm welcomes, the only difference here are the many (up to 20 or more) police, army, … checkpoints. Mostly I have a good time with these guys and they are just interested in what I’m doing. Their reactions are great as well, mostly extremely surprised about what I’ve done or will be doing, with lot’s, lot’s of expression in their faces and language!
Chaos
One thing is true, Lagos is chaos! Lot’s of traffic, bad roads and people screaming everywhere. The reason they scream at me is mainly out of interest but I can imagine that it can feel quite intimidating at first. The traffic is dangerous but the way I felt it cities like Bangkok where more dangerous. The roads are bigger and better making the cars drive much faster. In here there were so many traffic jams that I was usually faster than the cars. In here you have to have eyes everywhere! I have a mirror on my handlebars and look at it regularly. At the same time I have to look sideways for cars merging in and in front of me. This to avoid potholes or motorcycles, small cars or even police driving in the wrong direction. then you quickly have to look in your mirror if nobody is about to catch you in, then to the front again, assess the situation very fast en hope to avoid the guy driving in the wrong direction. At the same time people are shouting at you (out of friendliness) to get your attention or encourage you. I’m very happy I already have a life full of cycling experience in BMX, Mountainbike and road racing, I can use those skills here.
Rest
I rushed to Nigeria because my visa was about to expire and I reached my goal. Here in Lagos I took 2 rest days. The first day I arranged my Cameroonian visa which was fairly easy and a same day process. The next day I met up with the cycling community for a bike ride in Lagos. This is a very well organised group of cycling enthousiasts and I’m the only one with a touring bike. All others have race bikes and when I hear that the ride will be 70km I start to have second thoughts. Yet we leave in the darkness (early morning ride) and I’m riding in group C. It’s not easy to follow these guys on my bike and I feel that this isn’t going to be a rest day after all. After a couple of hours we get back to the main spot and I’m ready for a second breakfast. That’s the good thing about a big city, food everywhere! Good to get eating and get some energy for the next days here. This ride was well organised, I think with all groups combined we were 40-50 riders and group C about 20 riders. We even had a car escort during the whole way which was a good experience to cycle in this city (broke my phone, no pictures 😓).
Planning
I’ve used the rest here to plan for the next weeks ahead and I feel ready. I’m taking things a bit slower from now on. I’m way ahead of schedule now. They gave me enough days to stay in Nigeria at the border which I’m very happy about. I can explore more of this country with enough time and no pressure. Looking forward to that!
Thanks to my sponsors this project is possible, give them a thumbs up!
After the holidays in Dakar I started cycling with new energy. Both mentally and physically I was ready for a challenge to get in time in Nigeria!
Bye bye
I start cycling again in Tambacounda where I left my bike and fast enough I make my way out of Senegal. The stamping out proces is easy, but still quite some distance to the actual border. This means I will have to continue to entry Guinee in the same day. I don’t take the big asfalted way but a more quiet sand/dirt road which follows just next to a national park. I see many animals along the road and the cycling is just beautiful here! A bit later I reach Guinee and I immediately get a very welcoming feeling in the country. The first village I pass by I ask if I could pitch the tent there. It is a very basic place, with not much resources, but they insist on sharing their dinner with me and I have a great time here. They tell me they used to hear lions roar sometimes but that disappeared a couple of years ago.
Into the hills
The inland of Guinee has quite some hills and the roads take me to the Fouta Djallon region. This is a beautiful area inland of Guinee where the climate gives somewhat “cooler” and drier temperatures. Everywhere I’m cycling people are very warm and welcoming. After a while my arms hurt more than my legs from waving to all those people. I just love the mountains and this whole section gives me great views. The rest in Dakar gave me good energy as I’m still good to cover the daily distances. After a couple of days the legs start to hurt, but the beauty of everything here (nature, people, wildlife,…) totally makes up for that! I meet some other travellers on the road and this helps in making me not feel too lonely, which is a normal feeling after the great time in Dakar. The regular phone calls from friends and family help as well off course! (thankyou)
Coffee and borders
After about a week of cycling I get near the border with Liberia (I stay in Guinee). There I take a route which is a shortcut in distance, but would take about the same amount of time as the normal one (route de cafe/coffee route). No asfalt here but a dirt road taking me between coffee and cacao plantations. There I meet 2 French girls cycling to Benin. But as I’m trying to get many km’s done, we only camp together for the night and then I’m off on my own. Too bad I’m rushing a bit but as I have this goal now but I have to go on and maybe come back one day. I’m still enjoying this to the fullest and cycle on along the Liberian border towards the border with Ivory Coast.
Full speed
The border crossing to Ivory Coast was fairly easy and every time I tell my story to people, they don’t believe me. They are extremely surprised that I’m cycling from Belgium around the world. It creates funny reactions and all kinds of questions. I then receive many good lucks and cheers while I’m setting off again . I just love how people are open and warm in these regions and not even once I feel threatened or scared. In Ivory Coast the hills getting smaller and I can get my distances done with less effort. At the same time it’s getting warmer, but more facilities along the road. I am even able to buy a cold drink from time to time, what a luxury! For water I mainly use the pumps on the side of the road, mostly installed by NGO’s. These are very reliable water sources and always a very social moment for the people around.
Peage
In Ivory Coast I take the road to the Capital city Yamoussoukro. Things get more easy here with better roads, more shops and food. Once I pass by the city there is a big highway (peage) taking me all the way to Abidjan. The road itself feels much safer to cycle, there is more place for the cars and trucks. There aren’t too many of them either and by cycling on the emergency lane it actually feels good cycling here! Soon I enter Abidjan and this city is all chaos. One of the reasons I pass by this city is that I want to visit SOS Forêts, a local NGO fighting to save the forests in Ivory coast. From here in Abidjan I’ll enter Ghana, get to Togo, Benin and reach Nigeria just in time before my visa expires.
SOS
As in many countries I see the same happening here in Ivory Coast: deforestation. Lot’s of forest and wildlife is disappearing and SOS forêts is a local NGO trying to slow down and reverse this. In Abidjan (at the botanical garden of the university) I went to meet the president and other workers in the ngo. This project is already running since 1996. In 1992 Dr. Wadja Agnankou received the Goldman prize for his work to protect the mangroves in West Africa. As a result of this they founded this organisation that is still trying hard to limit the los of the forests here. I had the honour of meeting them and to see how they work. If you would like to know more about their work (I will get more into detail about it in a following post) please visit http://www.sosforets.ci/
If any of you would like to help out in this great organisation, don’t hesitate to contact me. In Belgium I’m giving regular presentations for organisations or companies. The money I get with it goes to such initiatives and my next presentation I will definitely try to raise them some funds. There are other ways to help them out! If you have some equipment laying around that is in your way and you would like to donate, contact me (or them straight away). Equipment meaning: tents, binoculars, camping gear, gps, drone,…. Thank you.
I want to give a big thanks to my sponsors who make this project possible!!
It’s been a great couple of weeks. Meeting up with friends and my girlfriend in Dakar and spend Christmas and New year’s together gave me a great new boost to continue the next push to Kilimanjaro!
Not quite the holiday
When I arrived in Dakar, after greeting my friends, I immediately started my visa hunt. The first one for Guinee Conakry went really well. I was able to get that the same day.
After that I went down to the Embassy of Ivory Coast. Because things went so easy I expected the same here. I was wrong. Without getting too personal about the embassy, I was immediately rejected (I had done research and even called them before). They said I couldn’t apply here. When I got out and told my story (it is not possible to get my visa in Belgium because I’m cycling) the guard said that a letter from the Belgian embassy might help.
Finding help
Having done that (thank you Embassy of Belgium in Dakar for the help!) and getting back they refused my application once more. I had to be a resident of Senegal. Amdel, a Senegalese friend told me that it might be possible and fairly easy to obtain. He took great care of me and helped me out getting to the right people to get me my certificate of residence from the city hall.
Happy, not for long…
As soon as I got that I went straight to the embassy and they refused me again. I needed some other documents of proof… Now it was obvious, there was no easy way to get it here. I was already starting to make different plans to get to other cities and apply there. The thing is that I have visas for Ghana and Nigeria already and I don’t want them to expire so I don’t want to make too big detours.
An hour after I get out of the embassy I receive an email from the embassy of Ivory Coast in Brussels. I had mailed them regarding my issue and they understood my case. They told that if I would send it with DHL they could, exceptionally, grant me a visa. So I did.
More help on the way
I sent my passport the 31th of December which they received the 2nd of January. At 10 am they mailed me my passport was ready for pick up. My brother (Peter) cycles to the embassy to pick it up. About an hour later good friends of mine (Willy and Doris) go to my brother and bring it to their cousin (Yves), who’s wife works for Brussels Airlines. Their daughter (Ellen) drops it off at the airport and one of the crew members (Valerie) takes it on the next flight. There she drops it in the hotel outside of Dakar. Then a friend of Luca (Camille) passes by and picks up my passport and brings it to where we are. All just took a couple of days and it is amazing how all those people worked together to get my passport here in time!!!
Gratitude
I’m very grateful to all those who helped in getting my passport in time so I don’t need to rush too much to get in time at the border with Ghana. Thank you very much Luca, Amdel, Frederic, Katrien, Yves, Ellen, Valerie, Peter, Willy, Doris and Camille for the transport, translation and/or writing letters to get this one done. Thank you very much Inge (my girlfriend) for being so patient along my side during this whole process.
Holiday!
Beside all this visa stress I had an amazing time in Dakar. It’s not always easy to be so long away from home and especially travelling alone. These past 2 weeks have given me great mental and physical energy again. We have been visiting many places in and around Dakar and had a great variation between relaxing, party, surf and train a bit. I had so much fun that it is with sadness I see them all leave and lot’s of mixed feelings to be going my own way again. Thank you guys for all the fun and patience, I’ll be remembering this on the harder moments of the next episode!
happy new year!
Sene Surf
As part of this project I try to visit individuals, organisations or businesses trying to create a better world for everybody. In Dakar I visited a local restaurant/bar/ organisation that is trying to keep the beaches clean. They are the only ones in the area trying to actively do that. The restaurant is a pioneer in Dakar because it’s the only waste free project in Dakar. The garbage that they find, or gets in is getting recycled. One of the issues in Dakar is that they don’t get lot’s of support from the local government.
They already invited all different mayors to visit them so they can explain the necessity of the plastic pollution. They never got any response and therefore they believe that it has to come from the people itself. They try and convince other businesses in the are to do the same and definitely limit their single use plastics. They regularly clean up the beach and have a paying service (private company) that is in charge of waste management (recycling and garbage collecting). If you go to Dakar, definitely visit these motivated guys! If you want to help please visit their website www.senesurfdk.com or contact me (veyt.jelle@gmail.com).
Many thanks to the sponsors who make this all possible!!!
After cycling out of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, I made great progress towards the Senegalese border. I arrived just in time for the holiday season to start and meet up with my friends in Dakar!
The last desert days
I was quite eager getting out of the boring desert after my rest day in Nouakchott. The landscape was starting to shift very subtle towards the end of my trip in Mauritania and I started to see bushes, grass and an occasional tree! It’s great to start seeing this green landscape again and as I get closer to the Senegalese border I get off the main road into the Diawling national park. Mainly to avoid a river crossing where I couldn’t cross the border human powered. In this park there’s more “green” and more animals to see and I feel relieved to be entering Senegal!
Another country!
Crossing the border here is fairly easy and I enter my 6th country on the way to Kilimanjaro! Senegal is greener and offers immediately different sights. There’s more people around with more villages so I don’t need to carry so much water anymore. I stick to the plan of heading to the east of Senegal. It gets really hot here during the daytime, mainly because there’s nog cooling effect from the nearby ocean. I try to keep up with at least 150km a day because I want to get in time in Dakar. I feel like I could use some rest and I want to see my friends, I’ve been alone on the road for some weeks now. The 29th as well my girlfriend will arrive to spend some holidays together. I’m looking forward to all that, except for the visa runs around Dakar..
After getting into the east of Senegal, I’m now in Dakar for 2 weeks, the rest will do me good! Happy holidays you all!
Many thanks to the sponsors who make this all possible!!!
Steven and I left Agadir on the same day, only 2 different paths. According to plan, I leave south towards the Sahara desert and Steven goes back to Belgium. It is with mixed feelings because it’s fun cycling with friends but the desert is calling…
Tiznit what you think e!
Guelmin is seen as the gateway to the Sahara desert and I can’t wait to get there. I imagine great sand dunes, long stretches of road and perfect tailwinds. The road from Agadir takes me to Tiznit (in Flemish this would mean “it’s not”). A very long boring road with a calm headwind, but it seems like going on forever. After a while I start looking at my data and see it’s slightly going uphill, we call that vals plat (false flat), or tiznit wa ge denkt e!
The what?
After a couple of days I arrive in Guelmin, where I expected all the dunes and burning sun! Not at all, it was cold, windy and raining… I couldn’t believe it but while cycling on I had to wear a full rain suit and that lasted about 2 days which drained quite some energy, especially because I was too stubborn to stop and wait for the wind to change. I pushed against the wind like a mad man and found the wind slightly changing directing after 2 – 3 days. What a relief!
Rain in the desert??
…blowing in the wind
With the wind changing direction I could enjoy the desert to its fullest! The never ending landscapes are incredibly beautiful and with the wind in the right direction I make great progress. I sleep in all kinds of places from roadside hotels, to abandoned buildings and off course, the favourite my tent. One of the issues a bit deeper in the desert is that by entering the Western Sahara territory, more and more army and police checkpoints are coming. It’s not that bad and all for my safety, but when you decide to wild camp and they see you, they’re too concerned and ask you to camp at their station. One time I had to and there was a French couple in their van. I could join them eating French (it’s actually Belgian) fries, life’s good!
Ghost town
When I got closer to the border I see an abandoned village and an army vehicle. I ask if I could sleep somewhere and they show me a nice house (at least it was one day). I can take my mattress and sleep on the floor, but that’s great because I don’t have to pitch my tent which gets very humid at night. The army is there because they’re de-mining the area. Good to know because they tell me there are quite some in certain areas, that’s a reminder of not going off tracks too far when looking for a spot to camp.
The real des(s)ert
In general, cycling the Sahara is not that physical demanding. There is a maximum of 100km without finding anything in this area. The real challenge is the mental game. From previous experiences (and I was looking forward to that) I knew that I had to go until I get sick of it. Then you have to go on! Push it further, that’s the real des(s)ert. You are mentally tired and just want to get out of there. And then I entered Mauritania…
The beautiful desert
Mauritania has been really kind (the people, like everywhere) but has been very hard on me as well. When I just entered I had a very hard headwind and was able to finish off my last 20km in 2hrs. There I stayed in at an “auberge” (not really) who gave me shelter and food. The next day I thought the wind would be from a better direction but it stayed an extremely annoying side/headwind which took lots of energy.
I was able to cover 90km for 10hrs of cycling! But suffered quite hard. Because of the high winds I had to cover my entire face and still got sand everywhere and was sick of it all! I didn’t think I could go on for long until the first car stops and asks if I’m alright (the wind had pushed me in the side several times). I said I’m fine and they gave me water. Just that gesture of a bottle of water gave me the mental strength and energy to continue for another couple of hours! The next days the winds dropped again and I could find the energy of cycling to Nouakchott (the capital). Oh yeah, and I had some diarrhoea which weakened me more on those extra windy days (the irony..).
The first stop
The plan is to head down towards Senegal tomorrow and continue another 750km to Tambacounda (Senegal). There I’ll take a break. I will go to Dakar and arrange the visas for the next countries. Visit my friend Luca to spend the holidays with some other Belgian friends and my girlfriend will come over for new year as well. Looking forward to that!!
Thanks to the sponsors who make this all possible!!!
The first week of cycling is almost over and we’re up for a rest day in Rabat. The capital city of Morocco is not too busy compared to Marrakesh or Casablanca. Steven is working on the road so we need some time with a stable internet connection.
Africa!
Headwinds
Once arrived in Ceuta we cycle to the beach where I landed with my kayak 6 weeks before. From there the trip really starts and I’m up for 7 months of cycling. Crossing the border into Morocco was really easy going and soon we’re in a new country! These first days have been quite tough because of the weather. It has been a very beautiful ride so far, but the headwinds are killing us from time to time. The day before yesterday we covered about 150km into a 4-5 bft headwind. That took us about 12 ours for that distance. The good news is that from tomorrow on the wind will calm down and change direction.
Planning
On this restday we take some time to relax and recover. We’re planning now to leave the Atlantic behind us and go and cycle trough the Atlas. The next days we’ll be heading to Marrakesh and go cycle a bit through the Atlas range. I’m visiting an environmental project in every country so in Agadir I’m planning to visit the Surfrider Foundation Maroc. Hope to tell you more about their initiative in the near future.
Kilimanjaro!
It might seem early but the climb for Kilimanjaro is fixed. Together with Wild Tanzania we’re organising an expedition and anyone who wants can join on this trip! The climb will start the 23 of June until the 2nd of July and is open for all who want to climb with me. Contact me at Veyt.jelle@gmail.com or check out the following link if you’re interested. I’m partnering up with them mainly because they have an engagement in their trips that respect the environment and the people working for them.
Thanks to the sponsors who make this all possible!!!
A couple of weeks ago I took a train back from Ceuta to Belgium. I had to be there for the baptism of my Godson and the birth of my brother’s daughter. It gave me a chance to work on the preparation for the trip to Kilimanjaro. I’ve got a new bike for this adventure, my old one has been completely worn out. With the support of the grandparents (Willy and Doris) of my Godson and I got this beautiful great new Koga bike! Very excited to be testing this one out!
Administration hassle
In these weeks I’ve been training, working and planning. Some visas I already had to apply for since they are very difficult to obtain once on the road. The plan now is the I’ll be covering the whole distance to Kilimanjaro (15.000km) by bicycle in one go. I’ll be passing by some friends in Dakar for the holidays and get further south along West Africa.
Join the group
Because Kilimanjaro is not the most technically demanding mountain, we’ll be climbing with a group of people. By the end of June (starting the 22nd) a group of people will join me to the summit. There are some places available for everybody with this ambition so whoever feels like climbing with me, please let me know in a private message (veyt.jelle@gmail.com).
Trainspotting
Right now I’m at the train in the direction of Ceuta where Steven (20angles.com) and I will combine the first part. He will cycle along to Agadir where I will continue my way through the Sahara on my own.
I’m taking a train and bus to the south of Spain. Mainly to avoid the high CO2 emission of a flight. For shorter distances I think it makes sense to use other transportation than a flight. Not only a flight would be faster, it would be cheaper and easier to take all my gear and bicycle with me and to book the tickets. It really doesn’t makes sense to me that in Europe it can be such a hassle. To get to a place by train or bus is more difficult than taking a flight. By doing some calculation on Greentripper and Greenseats it seems I’m emitting 4 – 5 times (0.37 tons vs 0.085 tons) less CO2 than by taking a flight!
Sadness and joy
It is with a double feeling again I’m leaving home. It will take me about 8 months before I head back to Belgium. I will definitely miss my friends and family! I’m very grateful to have so many supportive people (especially my girlfriend, I still don’t understand the patience ;p ) around me, who really help me to reach my dream. Thank you all for that!
During this trip you will be able to follow me on my new tracker website here! Check it out and you’re always free to send me a message on my device.
Many thanks to my sponsors and supporters to make this project possible!
After our couple of days of misery in the rain we made good progress to Gibraltar. The weather is great and not too hot to cycle. The only bad thing on our road is the road itself.
Exotic places
sick of the roads
“our view”
“cyclist’s/car’s view”
Highway of hell
Once we pass by Malaga we don’t have many options left to cycle. We can choose between the highway or smaller mountain roads. It is actually possible to cycle on some sort of highway following the coastline, giving us a good road to cycle on with not too many hills. Still we decide to go for the mountain roads because, come on? A highway? We don’t have a death wish handbiking on a road where cars pass by at 120km an hour!
Trying to escape the busy highways creates other obstacles
Up the hill
We decide to take the harder way, but it pays off. Magnificent views following smaller villages and quieter roads making us feel much safer. A couple of days later, trying to navigate these safer roads, we finally reach our main goal with Frank, Gibraltar! A very special moment since we shared this common goal for more than 3000km now and I’m very proud we achieved this together. We had a great time biking here and had a great team supporting us too. Many thanks to the people who came to help us in this amazing achievement Frank has completed!
Mountain villages
Uphill cycling
The finishing team in Gibraltar!
Getting ready for a new continent
In Gibraltar we take some time to explore the area and I’m preparing for the crossing of the strait. The weather seems fairly good on the 23rd and Chris from Watersports training prepares the support boat. As I explained in a previous post it is necessary to have a support vessel, it is a very busy shipping lane and chances are that authorities will pick you up, especially if you distort traffic. The next day I cycle to Algeciras where we will leave the 23rd by kayak. They have arranged a kayak for me which is not the most fast one for a crossing like that. I’m curious how this will go.
Ready to go
Easy start
Crossing the Strait
We get up early and prepare everything for the day. Frank and the support team are able to follow me on the boat so I have a cheering (or mocking ;p ) team along the way. The first hour in the water was pretty easy but after a while the wind started to pick up to about 20 knots coming from the West. The surface current goes the same direction and I get splashed all the time by the waves. No problem at all but taking a good rest is not an option as I risk missing Ceuta completely if I drift off too much. I keep on paddling and when I take a small break to drink I drift away at about 4knots (!) to the east.
To Africa!
At least they’re having fun
Digging deep
I keep on pushing it and it’s getting hard to maintain my speed. I have lot’s of experience in rowing but kayaking is completely different so my efficiency is not what it has to be. Combine that with a simple sit-on-top kayak and it becomes a challenge, loving it!!! After about 5 and a half hours (30km) I hit the beach in Ceuta (Spain, Africa), tired but fulfilled about my effort. I reached Africa human powered! After a quick rest we sail back to Algeciras. I need to get back to Belgium for personal reasons and I leave my bike there. I will come back half of November to continue cycling to Kilimanjaro. Getting back to Belgium I’m doing by bus and train, just to avoid taking a plane. It’s not the easiest nor the cheapest of choices but it feels like still manageable to get back.
Africa!
many thanks to my sponsors who make this project happen!
Leaving the tourist paradise behind us and getting into more quiet places was a nice change for us. The busy roads are pretty dangerous especially in handbikes. The goal for this week was to reach Almeria which we didn’t make in time.
The eye of the…
After a couple of days the weather started to look quite bad at the horizon. It wasn’t sure yet what direction it would take but it seemed something bad was coming up. Because of the limited visibility and being more vulnerable in handbikes we don’t like cycling in the rain here. A couple of times we get lucky as we hear about torrential rain in the region but don’t get rain at all. It is actually great cycling with some clouds protecting us from the burning sun.
Fireworks
On Thursday night as we’re celebrating Kathleen’s (one of the friends and helpers of Frank) birthday we start to get some fireworks in the form of lightning and thunder on the horizon. The owner of the camping assures us that as being the only desert in Europe (Tabernas desert) the rain shouldn’t be that bad. She was obviously wrong as there was a torrential rain, thunder and lightning all night long. I’m very happy to be in a great tent, but 2 of the helpers are not and they are forced out of their tents at night. Besides that we don’t have big problems. We learn the next day that this storm has hit a big part of the region.
Drowned
Still having fun
No fun at all
We read and hear more stories about people being swept away in their vehicles and many roads are closed. There is still red alert for storms and we decide to only cycle in the morning. We dry the tent and clothes and try to relax the rest of the day. After a sudden storm in the afternoon we agree that we made the right decision. Even at night it got worse again. Kathleen and Melvin run away to the sanitary building for a dry place to sleep. The whole storm created many problems in the region, we are happy it didn’t affect us that much. Because of the storm we have a small delay in the schedule.
Back on track
Here comes the sun
We are very happy to welcome the sun again into this route. It is very hot but we are able to make good steady progress after the storm. Frank has set the deadline for the 21st of September to arrive in Gibraltar. This will be a big challenge to make it in time and we only take half a rest day to make up for the lost day due to the storm. In the meanwhile I heard that crossing the strait of Gibraltar will be possible ideally on the 22nd, 23rd or 24th of September. Apparently I need a permission from port authorities to cross which is not easy to obtain. Another way is to have a support boat, I’m going for that option as this is a very busy shipping lane. Most people around there and others who have crossed it seriously advice me to take a support vessel. Still we are very determined and keep on going to reach our goal!
sweaty days
Many thanks to the sponsors who make this project possible!
After leaving Carcassonne I feel that it has been a while that I’ve been hand biking. A couple hours later I get used of it again. The first stop is Perpignan to get a well deserved rest after a full day of cycling. The day after we set off towards Spain, the 3rd country of my journey to Kilimanjaro.
Start from Carcassonne
Into the Pyrenees
We avoid the biggest climbs in the Pyrenees and follow the Mediterranean sea as close as possible because hand biking is a total different game than cycling. Only using the arms is a great exercise but when it gets too steep your front wheel begins to spin. The wheelbase is very long as well, taking narrow streets or corners is not an easy task.
The route takes us to Girona, a beautiful city in Spain near the border with France. There we say goodbye to Tine, the first voluntair that goes back home. With Frank having a muscular disease and being in a wheelchair the volunteers are a very welcome help. Every week 2 new volunteers come by and will drive the van and help us with different tasks. The van is adapted to Frank’s needs and he sleeps in it. The others sleep in tents or sometimes we sleep at people’s houses. Some friends (thank you Anparo and Monica) arranged stays here with locals and I got to meet Alex, a friend I haven’t seen in 8 years.
The long way south
We average 60 km a day on a handbike and being very low to the ground we are concerned about our safety. We choose to take the more quiet roads but this only slows us more down. Every day we have to plan carefully which roads to take. Still, after week 2 we are ahead of our schedule. One of the concerns here in Spain is crossing the big cities. Surprisingly this has been very easy. Having crossed Barcelona and Valencia already this were very easy cities to cross with almost everywhere bicycle lanes.
Barcelona!
Valencia!
Holiday Mekka
Following the Mediterranean coast isn’t always fun, although we have the sea and the beach every day. Many times we can only choose one main road, luckily it has kind of a “cycling lane”. Still it is crazy to see cars passing by at 90km an hour from a handbike which is almost the same as laying on the ground. That’s why I decided to get on my bicycle on routes that are too crowded. There are many tourists here and the only connection between cities are busy roads. While cycling I can more easily take care of our safety as I’m more agile and visible than on a handbike. Yesterday we reached Benidorm through a busy road from Calpe. Here we take a restday, the new volunteers will arrive and we’ll set off to Almeria with more uphill cycling.
Benidorm Bastards
Thanks to all the sponsors who make this human powered 7 summits possible!
About a year ago Frank and I left Belgium by handbike to the south of Europe. With this we were connecting the 3 hotels of one of my sponsors (Vayamundo). I met Frank during one of their events and we immediately made plans for an adventure together: hand-biking to the south of Europe.
Last year’s route
Frank has a muscle disease and is unable to cycle (or walk) anymore. Therefore we had the plan to start hand-biking which is a complete new discipline to me. Because arms are not as strong as legs it takes more time to cover the whole distance. We decided to go to Gibraltar together but in 2 different stages.
Last year we arrived by handbike in Carcassonne. After 6 weeks of travel and 1400km we reached our goal and headed back to Belgium with his support van. Since then winter came in and other plans of the both of us kept us away from the project for almost a year. Now the time has come to continue….
Arrival in Carcassonne after 6 weeks
Part 2 Gibraltar!
On the 20th of August we start hand-biking from Carcassonne to Gibraltar. This will take about 6 weeks to cover the next 1400km. Once we’re there Frank goes back to Belgium and I will cross the strait of Gibraltar by rowboat. Then I’ll continue through the whole western part of Africa. To make my route safer I have to avoid many areas. I calculated quickly that the shortest distance from Morocco to Kilimanjaro is about 8000km. To avoid certain places and being able to cover the whole distance human powered I’m getting to a total of 14.000km!
Stay tuned to see my progress on this website or on social media.
Many thanks to my sponsors who make this unique project possible!
Being a few months back in Belgium, I’m getting more and more enthusiast about my next adventure. The most heard phrase since my arrival is undeniably : “So, what’s next Jelle? “
I had to make a decision which mountain to climb next. One thing I knew for sure, since the east part is finished it had to be direction West or South.
Tossing a coin
For a while, I was in doubt about the next destination. Of course I had many suggestions from many people. Direct West would mean crossing the ocean by rowing and climbing three peaks on the American continents and Antarctica. In the South the Kilimanjaro is impatient waiting for my arrival. It is only recently, after careful deliberation , that I made a clear decision to go to Africa first. It feels right and it gives me more time to plan the ocean crossing on a rowboat thoroughly.
The plan
The suggested route (green=completed, red=next project)
In August I will start hand biking to Gibraltar, together with Frank. He is a friend in a wheelchair who joined me in the first trip as well. We expect to arrive at Gibraltar by the end of September. There, I’ll take a rowboat to cross the Strait of Gibraltar and cycle southward into the African continent. Curious about the exact route? Check it out here.
Handbiking with Frank!
Crossing the Sahara
Once arrived in Morocco, I will start biking by following the western coast of Africa. After Morocco the Western Sahara will bring me to Mauritania, a country a bit more tricky.
The western part of Africa is however safer so I’ll continue biking by passing through Cameroon, Congo and Angola. To limit the risk areas in Congo I will cross to the East of Africa through Angola, Zambia to arrive finally in Tanzania where the Kilimanjaro is located.
The 4th summit
After a cycling trip of about 17.000 km, I will arrive at the base of Kilimanjaro. After taking a ten minutes break, or maybe a bit longer.. we’ll see about that, the goal is to start climbing this giant in June 2020 with sponsors and partners!
Higher goals
When I was 18 years old, I once lived in a forest to protect it. Most people told me it was a waste of time because it would be chopped anyway. Being a stubbornly teenager, I told them it was not just about the forest but also about bringing a message. I wanted to show we shouldn’t chop down trees that easily. Today, 16 years later the forest is still standing…”
Why this small anecdote?
During my trip through Africa I want to visit an environmental organisation in each country from my route. I’m currently still preparing and searching for these organisations, so tips are very welcome! The idea is to blog about these visits and make video episodes about it. Purpose is to see and show what their fight is about, how they do it and what obstacles they encounter (funding’s, politics, traditions,…). The aim is to connect different organisations that might help in finding a way to overcome some of the difficulties, as well as to inspire people to do similar things.
Hope you are as excited as I am! As always, you can follow my adventures on my tracking page and blog. See ya!
Being back in Belgium now after this major expedition I can finally look back at this. It amazes me what I’ve done and I’m very proud of it. It actually doesn’t seem real what I did. Here’s just a small recap of what I’ve done to get to my 3rd summit of happiness. It’s quite a bit so I try to keep it short. For those with not too much time here’s a small video about it, for the ones with more time: the 22nd of February I’m presenting this expedition with stories and pictures in Dendermonde (Belgium).
The impressive route to Indonesia
Cycling to Indonesia
After the summit of Mount Everest I cycled from Kathmandu to Indonesia. I did this with Benjamien, a Belgian friend. It was the first time someone was joining me on this project and we had great fun. We crossed over to India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. A trip of more than 8000 km in quite good conditions. Mostly we found enough food, water and places to sleep. Although this was the first warning about the heat and I passed the equator by human power!
cycling in Thailand
Kuala lumpur
The equator!
A whole new adventure!
After cycling all the way to East Java, Malcolm (Australia) and I set off by rowboat. The goal was to follow the Indonesian archipelago to reach Papua. Everything wasn’t going as planned and we found lot’s of delays getting the boat to Indonesia by container ship. Still after a while we could start rowing and made a great first part from Java to Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa. We mainly slept on the beaches in our hammocks.
the boat has arrived
Baptism of the boat!
crossing to Lombok
First goal complete
From Sumbawa to Flores my girlfriend came along to get a good push along the Komodo Islands. There we got a good taste of the waves hitting the beaches as we arrived in the evenings. The rainy season was full on which pushed us in the right directions but creating bigger swells and crashing waves while landing. Here I realised that this one was gonna be an extreme experience an expedition.
Ready to go!
boat repairs
waiting for high tide
lot’s of local help
From Flores, Steven, a Belgian friend joined me for about a week. Great experience to be rowing with him as the swell and wind were getting bigger. After he left I had about a month on my own from island to island.
A small impression how the rowing is in calm seas
Learning the hard way
In this month I realised the impact of being alone. It is very difficult to get the boat on land (200kg) and when it is anchored I don’t sleep that much. I need to recover from the past efforts but it is hardly possible. I got to know the real strong currents of the Indonesian through-flow which scared the sh** out of me a couple of times. Especially the crossing of the Alor strait with immense tide rips. Due to time limitations I had to cross this during full moon when the currents are strongest. I was extremely grateful for having such a good boat, I got very scared over there on my own.
rowing alone
help from locals
Alone on the ocean
Help is coming!
In Alor Koen De Gezelle (Belgium, boat builder) and Gerhard (Netherlands) came along to join. There we did our first bigger crossings of 70km (11hrs) and more. We mainly rowed at night during these crossings so we could arrive with daylight. A very smart thing to do because while sleeping in a village at Pulau Wetar we heard about a fisherman being eaten by a crocodile that same morning… Another reminder of the dangers ahead of us.
Starting of a big crossing
exhausted in the morning
goodnight
rowing past Pulau Alor
Just the 2 of us
After 2 weeks of rowing we say goodbye to Gerhard, sadly he got injured in his back and he makes the smart decision to fly back home. Koen and I carry on and we make great progress. By that time I’m already more than 3 months in the expedition and Koen is just getting in the rhythm. The big crossings are taking it’s toll and I get sick of it all. The biggest one so far was about 90 km which we did in 16 hrs, a real struggle since on every crossing I start to vomit when the sun comes up, mainly from exhaustion. The problem is that you just can’t stop, so I vomit and get back to rowing immediately, for a couple of hours more.
with the mentor!
passing by an amazing reef
another day at the office
after 16hrs of rowing
Getting sick and sick of it!
By the time Koen goes back from Saumlaki to Belgium, Mark arrives. We follow the main Island North to Pulau Larat. A comfortable row because no big crossings here. When he leaves I’m preparing for the next big crossing, 120km of open sea, the biggest one yet and alone. But my body decides differently and by the time I am at the crossing I’m already too weak and caught a tropical virus. I decide to go back to Belgium and leave the boat in a village with friends (thank you Poppy!).
Back to serious business
After this period I get back in October 2018 to finish the final phase. Again I’m alone to cover the big crossing. During the first part everything was going well, but I had 10l of good water and 20l of not so good water. By the time I started the other water I had to vomit every time I drank it. After 24 hours of rowing I started to hallucinate and after 35 hours of non stop rowing I got pulled off the sea by a boat (and 16km off shore). That was a brutal day and I needed to recover from that. I recovered and decided to get me brought back to the same place I got saved. In this way I was able to cover the lost distance and continued solo to Seram Island. I loved this trip as the seas where calm (except for some currents) and I felt getting stronger and stronger. The whole area is quite remote and I encountered some strange places…
the first night
exhausted but not alone (hallucinations)
the trofee
pretty boat
much of help
perfect resting spot
weird places…
The final rowing push
In Seram island George Eden (UK) comes over to help me row. The last big crossing is to be made of about 90km. We discover a tiny island at about 20km offshore where we can take a couple of hours rest. This crossing takes us to the start of Raja Ampat, a true divers paradise. This was the most calm and impressive rowing I’ve done in Indonesia. Just a week longer and we reach Papua (Sorong). I get a bit emotional because of the amount of effort I’ve put in there to get to that point, +4000km of rowing in really tough conditions, becoming the first one to do such feat! There we swap our oars for bikes and set off for another new adventure.
Start from Seram
our tiny rest spot
flat water
arrival in Sorong!
A great cycling adventure
From Sorong we set off in the unknown. We get some help by locals to find bikes, get our permits and maps. The problem but great thing is that nobody has ever cycled here before. We have no idea what the roads are like (no asphalt at all) or how many villages we would pass by to find food. Very soon we discover that this will be a very challenging ride. Lot’s of mountains, heat, jungle, rain, mud and so much more make this a difficult crossing. After a couple of days our bikes start to break down reducing our daily distances significantly. Every now and then a truck passes by and George tries to get a ride to the next city like that. The whole ride is amazing and I feel great on the bike. It is very though and we get very strange experiences there. From Papuan rebels to encounters with the strangest animals, construction sites in the middle of the jungle to special forces for protection. A very interesting place for sure and I really love the people there! In the last 3 days I head more into the mountains to Enarotali. These 3 days I cover about 8000 altitude meters in 270km, extreme!! An average tour de France covers 5000 altitude meters in a week…
the bike
love those people
funky bridge
beautiful sceneries
love those uniforms
trail cycling
men with guns…
enarotali!
To the mountain!
The sad part is that recent tensions between rebels and the Indonesian army (even when we where there 16 people got killed, with more even coming up, including civilians) made it impossible for me to continue to the mountain human powered and I had to stop at Enarotali. I had to helicopter to Carstensz Pyramid (only 70 km) with an expedition. A great way to be climbing with more people from around the world. In the end we are 7 people going to the summit on the 1st of January. The climb itself is technical but for experienced climbers not very difficult. I enjoy the whole climb and in the end I try to arrive alone on the summit. I need this moment for myself, to think about what I’ve done here. For 2,5 years I trained, prepared, cycled and rowed every day to get to that point! For 10 minutes long I cry on the summit, take some pictures and descent back down, looking forward to get back home with friends and family…
basecamp
summit ridge
finally the summit!!!
Special thanks to my sponsors who made this unique adventure possible!
