B U C K ET
LI ST
“our bikes skills were fully required, as the trail wound
down across large boulders and eroded creeks”
down across large boulders and eroded
creeks. The further down we got, the more
technical the riding became, with one very
exposed slippery edge. We returned to the
start of our venture, completely exhausted
but equally stoked. Our thirst for a cold
Castle Lager drove us back to the village
and civilisation.
Overall, the riding was not too technical
but it was defi nitely better suited to a more
experienced rider, with lots of walking and
bike carrying required. Considering there
are no roads in the wild areas and no phone
coverage, mountain rescue is not a given
you can take for granted. The climbs to the
top off ered narrow tracks with poor traction
in parts, steep slopes and some unavoidable
obstacles, and the highlands were smooth,
fl at and pretty easy.
For our fi nal night in this wonderful
country, we did not want to be stuck in a
random airport hotel. In the Gosho National
Park, a small protected area 70km east of
Harare, where visitors can hike through
Miombo Forest and admire cave drawings,
we were once again blown away by
Zimbabwe’s beauty. By the time we’d had
our dinner of boerewors and steak, it was
pitch dark. We got to spend one more night
around a camp fi re. From the trees above,
Galagos observed us curiously and climbed
silently through the canopy. Following a
dreamless night, we sleepily sipped our
morning coff ee as we noticed the outline of
something strikingly tall in the long yellow
grass. Nothing had prepared us for having
breakfast in the company of giraff es. It
was simply breathtaking. Our week felt
like a month and yet our departure still
felt premature as we headed back into the
reality of border controls, airport hassle,
internet and email accounts bursting with
unread emails.
It would be remiss not to mention
our guide Colleen whose character and
adventure-fi lled stories would fi ll pages
beyond the scope of this article. It would
contain stories about dodging the law,
evictions and denunciations, but also about
the undeterred spirit and determination of
so many in Zimbabwe, who struggle against
all odds in the hope of a better future.
Find out about the Alevi Stove Production, a sustainable project that Sylvia is involved in, in Malawi
134 | MTB | bucket list busting
www.cedarwoodtrails.org