TRANS-AFRICA 2006 Blog

Latest Diary Update 26/08/06

Job done! After 132 days on the road, 15,000 miles, 16 borders crossings, 17 different countries, the Sahara Desert and the Congo Jungle, our 2006 Trans-Africa Expedition has finally reached it's destination. All good things must come to an end, and this epic adventure is no exception. After one final farewell meal in Cape Town, the expedition formally ends and normal life begins again - can there can ever really be such a thing for people who have experienced so much in the last 4 months? Our congratulations go out to all the expedition members, customers and staff, who can be very proud of their incredible achievement. They can now rightfully call themselves "One of the last true adventurers!"

Now the 2006 expedition has been completed, believe it or not preparations are in full swing for Trans-Africa 2007! It is going to be even bigger and better than the 2006 expedition, with new and improved equipment and a re-vamped training package for participants. There are still some places available, so don't delay, get your application form in early to take part in the greatest motorbike adventure on the planet!

Latest Diary Update 28/07/06

Namibia is a stunning country. We have passed through some of the most beautiful and serene landscapes on the planet over the last few days as you can see from the pictures. Vast sandy plains, beautiful rolling hills and sparkling rivers and all in the African sunshine. Having seen game at Etosha we have visited some of the great sights of Namibia on our way towards South Africa, our final country. The weather is getting distinctly cooler too, especially at night, and for the first time in what seems like months we are wrapping up warm during the day.

The bikes are all running like a dream, in spite of what they have been put through over the last 4 months and 20,000 kilometres of Africa! From falls out in the Sahara and on the way to Timbuktu, to tumbles in the dusty rainforest tracks of Congo they have not let us down. Having a mechanic along helps too! Today we cross into South Africa for the final, leisurely ride down to Cape Town. That freezing cold March day in England, riding down the motorway to catch the ferry at Portsmouth on day one, seems like an age away! It is hard to believe it will all be at an end soon. The next and last update will be from the end of the road - Cape Town!

Diary Update 21/07/06

The last couple of weeks has undoubtedly given us some of the most memorable experiences of the whole expedition. After an interesting evening down on the dockside, all vehicles were eventually loaded onto the vessel and we set sail. Two days and a very pleasant boat ride later we docked in the far north of Angola and began to ride south across this stunning country. Having only recently emerged from 20 years of civil war Angola is just now coming to terms with peace. The people are exceptionally friendly wherever we go and we are swarmed by laughing and welcoming people in every remote village we pass through. We see bombed out tanks on rough and broken roads and the sense that we are experiencing something very few westerners have ever seen is profound.

We have camped on deserted and stunning beaches at night when we are out in the bush and experienced the hectic chaos of Luanda, the Angolan capital. We've passed through awe inspiring mountain scenery on our way south towards Namibia, and ridden some of the toughest, but at the same time most enjoyable roads on the continent. Angola has been everything it promised - challenging, rewarding and simply unforgettable. We have now just crossed into Namibia and are back on the tourist trail in perhaps the greatest game park in the world - Etosha. It's hard to imagine a greater contrast than with the last month of Central African travel as we enjoy all the trappings of the western world once again! We are now reluctantly entering the final stage of our epic 4 month adventure - next update Namibia!

Latest Diary Update 04/07/06

Greetings from the Congo! The expedition is now well into its toughest faze and the last third of the expedition. From the lush jungles of Cameroon we turn south into Gabon and well and truly off the beaten path. Following tight logging tracks surrounded by thick rainforest we take a few days to reach Gabon's capital, Libreville. Just over a week is spent waiting for our visas to be issued for Angola and it's a great chance to relax, prop up the bar and watch a few world cup matches on wide screen TV!

After picking up our visas we are on the road again. Entering into Congo is a real eye-opener with the toughest riding so far. Good tarmac roads are now a thing of the past as we spend 3 days negotiating mud, sand and potholes to reach Point-Noire, right on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although we are in one of the poorest regions of the world the people are amongst the friendliest we have met all trip. This section typifies why trans-Africa on a motorbike really is one of the last true adventures and it feels as though the adventure really is under way now!

We now - bizarrely - find ourselves heading out into the South Atlantic! Due to the forthcoming elections the border with DR Congo is closed and so we are hitching a ride on a cargo vessel - bikes, riders, support vehicle and all - for a hundred miles down the coast to get dropped off in Soyo in Northern Angola. As soon as we get the chance to send pictures back we will post them for this diary entry. The one thing Africa guarantees every time is an adventure! Next stop Angola...

Latest Diary Update 08/06/06

We are now well and truly into the second half of the expedition. Crossing Togo and Benin we then spent several days in Nigeria which has a reputation for being a hectic and overcrowded county. For us it has been a pleasant surprise and all we have found are very friendly people and beautiful scenery. A little while was spent relaxing in the warm springs at Wikki before we continued south towards Cameroon.

The vegetation is now becoming very lush and tropical. Heavy rain storms are becoming more frequent but so far we have been pretty lucky. The road into Cameroon is a muddy track which is good practice for what is to come in the weeks ahead. A few expedition members have just climbed Mount Cameroon and now we are relaxing on the stunning beaches at Kribbi. Soon we head south into the Congo jungle and what will undoubtedly be the toughest, but most memorable part of the whole expedition!

Diary Update 25/05/06

After what will be our last night camping in the bush for a couple of weeks, we head south into Ghana. It is a relief for some to be able to converse in English with the locals for the first time, and our first stop is at the beautiful game park at Mole. Perched on the top of an escarpment and overlooking a watering hole it is a fantastic location to see African wildlife. Elephant, warthog, antelope and baboons wander about freely - on occasion a little too close for comfort!

From here we pass through the insanely hectic city of Kumasi, home of the famous Ashanti tribe which populate much of southern Ghana. The vegetation becomes more and more lush as we continue down to the coast and the capital city, Accra. We have spent a full week here as it represents the halfway point of the expedition. Everyone has enjoyed the chance to relax and take things easy for a bit before we head into Central Africa, and the toughest sections of this epic, trans-continental adventure.

Diary Update 05/05/06

In the serene and cultured town of Mopti we gather supplies for the trip up to the fabled and remote town of Timbuktu.   It is 120 miles of rough tracks across the southern stretches of the Sahara Desert to reach the town itself.   Having not touched the rough stuff since Mauritania, it is good to get away from the roads and back into the African bush.

Temperatures soar but the spectacular savannah-like scenery and challenging riding mean there is barely time to notice.   It is great riding but hard work and at the end of the first day 10 tired riders set up camp far from civilisation.   The following day we cross the Niger River and enter the town of Timbuktu itself.   It is clear amongst all of the riders that this really will be one of the expedition highlights.

Having found our way back onto tarmac we have spent a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing week getting to know the incredibly welcoming inhabitants of Burkina Faso.   From here we head further south into Ghana and towards the tropics as the half way point of the expedition approaches!

Diary Update 24/04/06

From laid back St Louis we head south to the chaos of Dakar and then turn inland on the long road to Mali. The cooling sea breeze which we have had all the way down Western Sahara and Mauritania disappears and temperatures soar. Mali is our fifth country so far and is packed with culture. The heaving capital, Bamako, is a great place to stop for a couple of days to take in the sights, and wash the African bush out of our clothes.

Everywhere we go in Mali we are greeted by waving hands and excited children. The people are exceptionally open and friendly and we are often surrounded by curious faces when stopping to rest and grab a bottle of cold water. We are all beginning to feel at home camping out in the bush now too. As you can see in the picture below the expedition has even seen its first bush film night curtesy of a laptop computer and set of speakers!

We have followed the Niger River north to the bustling town of Mopti and today we will begin the journey to Timbuktu. The riders are looking forward to some tough piste tracks after a few days of easy tarmac. See how they cope on the
next diary update!

Diary Update 14/04/06

After the long descent into Western Sahara we cross into Mauritania which is quite a contrast. It is in the dusty town of Nouadhibou, just across the border that we prepare for our desert crossing. Bikes are checked and the support vehicle loaded up with extra food, water and nearly 300 litres of fuel. One last sand riding practice session down at the beach and the next morning we leave the tarmac for the next 300 miles of trans-Africa travel.

With some soft sandy sections to begin with, the first day off the hard stuff was tough going. Bearing in mind the fact that most riders are off-road and sand riding novices, falls were surprisingly few. Tired, but making good progress, the we pull up behind a sand dune to set up camp at the end of a challenging first day. Just 200 miles to go! Day 2 sees our route crossing big, open plains where speeds pick up and good distances are covered. Some more soft sections of deep sand see a few more low speed tumbles, but having plenty of people about to help pick your bike up makes a big difference. We eventually meet up with the coast to begin the last section to Nouakchott along the beach. It is a gang of thoroughly exhausted riders that eventually rolls into the Mauritanian capital on the third day.

We are now relaxing at the beach in Senegal for a few days before we pass Dakar and turn eastwards towards Mali. Bikes have been serviced, riders and staff rested, and the desert sand washed away with a few cold beers. Next stop Timbuktu!

Diary Update 01/04/06

The Atlas mountains provide some of the most spectacular scenery to be found anywhere in the world. Crystal blue skies, snow capped peaks and lush green valleys pass the riders by as they head deeper into Morocco, and the northernmost stretches of the Sahara Desert. Mile after mile of awe inspiring scenery ends with a few drinks on the hotel balcony deep in the cavernous Ziz Gorge.

Next it is on to the sand dunes of Erg Chebbe, where it is time to get to grips with sand riding techniques under the tutorship of Mike, Kudu's very own rally raid expert and the expedition mechanic. Small dunes scatter a barren, flat and rocky plain where the expedition has its first practice session in preparation for the 300 mile desert crossing still to come. It is a perfect location in which to come to terms with the techniques used to stay upright! Most expedition riders are off-road novices and yet all took to riding in sand straight away. One or two minor misshaps aside it served to wet the appetite of everybody on the expedition for what was to come further on.

We are now relaxing in Marrakech, before starting the long descent south into the depths of the Sahara desert and our next country - Mauritania.

Diary Update 26/03/06

On a freezing cold Monday morning the 10 riders assembled for the first day of the expedition. Bikes were inspected and taken over for the next 15,000 miles of travel, and bags squeezed into the support vehicle trailer. This was now home for the next 4 months at least! A quick bite to eat and the expedition was off, snaking down the A1 towards London and the ferry to Spain at Portsmouth.

After 2 days of Spanish motorways and a slight delay north of Madrid for the first minor mechanical problems, we are ready to cross onto African soil. Our second ferry of the trip takes across the Med and onto the continent for the first time, whereupon it takes Ian no more than 10 minutes to introduce himself to the local police! This also bought with it the rider’s first taste of border crossing African style, but after just 2 hours we are riding through the spectacular coastal hills in Morocco.

Now we are having a rest day in Fez at the foothills of the spectacular Atlas mountains. Expedition members are getting used to the way of life and coming to terms with the vagaries or Moroccan drivers. Now the adventure really begins as we cross the Atlas and get our first taste of the Sahara desert.

Diary Update 21/03/06

The weekend of the 11th and 12th March saw the riders of the 2006 Trans-Africa get together for the first time for their training weekend. Having been introduced to the bikes and each other it was straight into things with presentations on the route and a good overview of what they can expect on their 4 month trip of a lifetime. The afternoon consisted of a rideout onto the chilly Fens in the east of England, as riders became accustomed to their Kudu bikes.

Day 2 consisted of off road training and gave everyone a chance to get a feel of what the bikes are capable of. The riders will first leave the tarmac in Morocco in a just a couple of weeks time. Before long they will find themselves blasting across the Sahara Desert miles from civilisation and having the time of their lives! The training weekend proved a great success and served to wet the appetite of all riders for whatever advetures lie ahead! Follow the expedition here with our regular updates during what will inevitably be an amazing adventure.

Expedition Guide

Expedition Guide sponsored by

In order to navigate through 17 different countries and find numerous campsites, hotels, border crossing points and embassies you need to know the continent well.  Our expedition guides have first hand experience of every single mile that the expedition will travel.  From locating that remote beachside campsite in Gabon to finding the easiest and quickest border crossing into Nigeria, our guides are genuine trans-African travel experts!

Support Vehicle

Taking 10 bikes across deserts, mountains and jungles requires serious planning and serious support.  Toyota’s finest engineering certainly helps in the form of our heavily modifies 4x4 Landcruiser.  Complete with upgraded suspension, fridge, power to run lighting and charge phones, cameras and laptops and a water filtration system it is the life-blood of the expedition.  Add a rugged off-road trailer to carry extra kit and motorcycles when the need arises, and we have a reliable, fast moving system of expedition support in place.

The Riders

From all walks of life, all ages and from four different continents, what the expedition members all have in common is a great thirst for adventure, and adventures don't come much bigger than this!   Whether riding one of Kudu's bikes or taking their own they are experiencing the last truly adventurous motorbike trip left.  10 riders, 1 guide and a support vehicle with 15,000 miles of desert, mountains, savannah and rainforests to negotiate.  Add to that 4 months in the company of Africa's forever vibrant and welcoming people and their lives are unlikely to ever be the same again!

©Sean Sutton/MAG

Making a difference with MAG

All of Kudu Expeditions’ sponsors have generously donated to MAG
(the Mines Advisory Group)

MAG is an international not-for-profit Non-Governmental Organisation that assists people affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO - bombs, mortars, grenades). They clear and destroy the landmines and left-over weapons that make areas unsafe after war.

Every year innocent men, women and children are maimed or killed by mines left over from conflicts which have already shattered millions of lives.  Uncleared and unmarked minefields render valuable farmland a death-trap for anyone trying to cultivate it. 

©Sean Sutton/MAG

27 year-old Oudeti Tumba (right) went to the river to fetch water for her vegetables: "I was walking along the path when there was a huge explosion. I was nearly dead.  The landmine took off both of my legs and it took me a long time to recover. My husband left me and I was left to look after my six children on my own. It would be hard even if I did have legs." If you want to help MAG prevent such things from happening again then read on to find out how.

How MAG Works

One of MAG’s biggest de-mining operations is in Angola.  A 20 year civil war has now come to an end but without MAG’s ongoing work, the debris of conflict will continue to prevent local people from re-building their lives.  MAG carries out humanitarian Mine Action aimed at helping ordinary people, and preventing there being more victims.  Based in and around the communities affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, their teams seek to reduce the risk of injury and to help re-develop communities and their economic potential.

For more information about MAG and the work which you will help to fund, visit www.mag.org.uk

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Sponsor us!  A sponsor’s information pack can be downloaded here and it will tell you how to get involved.  100% of the money which you give in sponsorship goes directly to MAG.  As little as £75 will make you a website sponsor with your name or Logo appearing in this page.

Website sponsors:
www.rainbow.co.uk