Mount Kenya Express

An early start of the day! We meet at a mutual agreed spot – having a 8am sharp debrief and quick meet and greet. We start the engines and ensure we leave by 8.30. We head towards Ngong Hills, and hit the gravel soon after: we will drive north east along country roads and plough our way to cross the Mombasa- Nairobi highway. The afternoon will be a mix of curvy tarmac roads and bumpy gravel, through villages and along scenic views. We stay in a typical Kenyan guesthouse with local feel and vibes.

An adventurous day where we “eat a lot of dust” and test our adventurous spirit. We ride between the Kamburu and Masinga dam and climb slowly to the foot of Mount Kenya.  Its highest peak is 5199 meters high. It was designated in 1978 as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The mountain plays an important role in the culture of local ethnic groups that live around there, such as the Kikuyu, Ameru, Embu, and Maasai. You will notice that the landscape changes from dry hill to lush green areas. After our lunch break at Meru, we enjoy a green slalom ride north along the east side of Mount Kenya.  Depending season and availability we either stay at the feet of the mountain or on the top. Either way, we will visit the higher entrance gate of the mountain, which is an amazing ride up to 3,000 meters altitude. Who knows, you spot a waterbuck or an elephant!

We will enjoy breakfast with hopefully a cloudless view of the peaks of Mount Kenya. Then we saddle our iron stallion, and we are off for more motor ride joys. We ride a mix of asphalt roads with panoramic views to gravel roads through farmland, forest, and along greenhouses. And we will cross the equator many times, who can keep count! We stay at a local run lodge, with a view of the misty mountain.

We start with a small single-track wake-up ride before we head south towards Nairobi. It will be a morning of village life, nature, and lush hills.  We will pass the Aberdare National Park, and slalom through small towns. Slowly, traffic will increase, more construction sites will appear, and we will hit the suburban areas around Nairobi. It is interesting to experience the wide diversity of the geography of the mountain, the urbanized south, the lush, curvy green east, the plains of the north, and the mellow of the west.