But a Sportin'risk young fella that's the salt of existance. Then its worth livin' again. We are all getting a little to soft and dull and comfy. Give me the great waste lands and the wide spaces, with a bike in my hands give me something worth finding'
Another solo trip into the unknown for me on a reccy to see a potential bike expedition. Some I knew but there was one section which was new to me which was to drop into the Sieku valley which runs up from the Kipsing gap throuågh to Laikipia and into more familiar territory.
Setting off from the house on a long journey on a Tiger bike the common bike on the continent, the ubiquitous bod boda always makes me worry a bit that it will break in some form but having put the work in on It ran well.
Leaving the house with the bike loaded with various bits of kit which may or may not be needed, of which some turned out to be vital. Heading out through Timau I headed down what has been my usual commute to Ethi where the chef Remmy gave me some cheese and bread and off I went. The road winds down through one of the best conservancy’s in East Africa Borana which has a public road through the centre of the åå leading to the lush Mukagodo Forest past Giraffe, Zebra, Elephants, buffalo and Hyenena. Arriving at the gate I spoke with the rangers who I have come to know and directed me to the junction deep in the forest by a school. Turn left there and you will ‘drop into the Sieku valley’ they said. On arrival I made a double check with a boda driver asleep by his bike. Who said ‘thats the right way but I don't think you’ll make it to Dol Dol on your bike through the valley and deep forest.
For me that was am immediate invite to try, so off I went, in many ways he was right dropping into the valley down rocky steps scree slopes and very dense forest it began to dawn on me that I was going down a one way track and that I wouldn’t be able to get back up. Then came the dry river beds with thick sand. The first went fine but the exit was steep rock slabs which I just stalled and rolled back into the river bed coming off as I went down. Two more attempts and I made it up and away only to hit another. This time the exit was far to rocky and steep, luckily I had some old rope and with a combination of a sling and rope around a tree at the top I was able to half ride half pull for balance and get up it. It was then time for a little lunch and some first aid to patch up a few cuts and bruises and a burn from the exhaust landing on my leg.
But then the ground opened up with flowing tracks and stunning valleys with Manyattas (Masai homes) the back drop of a huge snowy Mt Kenya and the flowing hills of the Chumvi hills and Laikipia hills and valleys led to great riding. I arrived in Dol Dol a little fried. I knew from here It was a quackish ride through to Ilpoloi. I arrived at Twala camp to find the gates open and rode in to take a look at the camp as parked under an Acacia. Rosmary appeared the camp owner appeared immaculately dressed and how do we greet in Covid times and we just had a big hug as I was fried. We had a look around the camp at the new solar tanks and camp and her honey making things and amazing bio garden growing vegetables and cactus plantations making an aloe thing.
From there it was time to head home leaving Ipoloi is tricky past the police check point where he came running out but I was not in the mood and switched down a gear and went super fast through the checkpoint. Not that anything was wrong but I didn’t have the energy for faff for no reason. From there it was a nice ride back to town across OL Jogi plenty of wildlife and also a nice sit for a second lunch on some boulders looking over the Lol Daiga.
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