Khartoum to Gondar

The following is a description of the first 8 days of the second section of the Tour - The Gorge - the riders will arrive in Gondar tomorrow.

Heading south from Khartoum, the Tour first passes through the Gezira region which is the “bread basket” of the Sudan. After the town of Sennar you will ride on rough off-roads through the fascinating gauntlet that is remote Dinder National Park, known for its wildlife, where lions can be heard at night and possibly even seen during the day. The countryside gradually changes as you cycle towards Ethiopia and witness the transformation from the Arabic Muslim world of northern Africa to the more tribal and traditional nature of the Horn of Africa.

Once in Ethiopia, the ride of your life begins. Ethiopia contains some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world as well as one of its most unique and ancient cultures. This section will challenge your body more than any other due to the high altitude riding, not least during the first two days in country when the Tour takes the rough but slowly improving road up onto the plateau from Metema to the Gondar road junction. The second of these days features the most climbing – some 2500 meters - of any day on tour.