29 December 2024 – 4 January 2025
Duration: 7 days Price: $1,965 per person
(if you are a resident in Ethiopia, we will make a small discount)
We have an exciting Mountain biking adventure starting on the edge of the Rift Valley in Gurage Zone following the western ridge of the Rift Valley south with ridge rides along the edge of extinct volcanoes, challenging climbs and thrilling downhills, all through beautiful countryside along the Rift Valley escarpment. One highlight are the views over the flooded Omo canyon as the sun goes down. We will explore the cultures of the southwestern peoples, including Gurage, Wolaita, Kambata, Tembaro and Sidama people who are all known for their hospitality.
On this tour you will enjoy authentic experiences, trying local food, drink and dancing. We will spend nights camping in beautiful locations and other nights in local hotels (at varying levels) enabling us to get a shower and charge our equipment.
Our cook team will look after us on camp and we will enjoy local food when in hotels. We will finish the trip near Awassa and you will have a choice of a flight back from the nearby airport, or to drive back with the team from Awassa to the Expressway and on to Addis.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Sun 29 Dec. (31km, altitude diff.: ↑220m, ↓670m)
Leave Addis early, driving to Butajira (stopping for breakfast ) by 8:30 am. Drive up out of the Rift Valley floor to near a place called Terega and see the extent of the Rift Valley from near here. Around here we start riding southwards along the ridge to a small place called Arekit. O/N simple hotel
Mon 30 Dec. (65km, altitude diff.: ↑1000m, ↓1580m)
Continuing along the Rift Valley ridge southwards climbing up over the Mugo mountains and down to Hosanna. O/N hotel in town
Tue 31 Dec – New Years Eve (37km, altitude diff.: ↑810m, ↓660m)
Riding out of town and up among volcanic peaks, around a caldera and on to a campsite nestled in a quiet valley. It’s a day of beautiful scenery and a good bit of climbing. Overnight Camp
Wed 1 Jan – (26km, altitude diff.: ↑610m, ↓1420m)
Today we ride across a crater and have a thrilling ride down its SW flanks on dirt trails and small roads. We may not have. a support car for the full day. We will see one waterfall on the way down, and then after the descent we will go on to the Omo gorge to see another one.
We will end up in a small village with views over the flooded Omo gorge to the west. Overnight camp
Thu 2 Jan – (56km, altitude diff.: ↑1390m, ↓1300m)
The highlight today will be the Ajora falls, a spectacular twin waterfall. If the rivers are not too high we will cross above the falls. and see from both sides.
After riding out from the village in the morning we will have a section of quiet asphalt road with descents and ascents before turning off to the falls. After the falls we will ride through bucolic Wolaitan countryside heading to the town of Areka for a hotel room and a good shower + cold beer!
Fri 3 Jan – (40km, altitude diff.: ↑580m, ↓470m)
A quieter day riding through the gentle countryside – red dirt roads, through quiet villages set back from the road with trees everywhere. Tonight we will camp besides one of these villages and experience the Wolaitan culture.
Sat 4 Jan – (32.8km, altitude diff.: ↑720m, ↓1070m)
Riding westwards today we will climb an extinct volcano – with some very good asphalt stretches and we will off load bike on the eastern flanks of the volcano and drive to Awassa airport where the riders will catch flights to Addis while our logistics team will transport bikes back to the capital. Celebratory dinner in Addis
This is an epic biking adventure, a unique opportunity to have great biking in an unexplored and tranquil part of the country. Distances, along with ascent and descent are a guideline only and could vary a bit.