4 Days Across Africa - A film about more than just a Stage Race

When one considers mountain biking in Africa, options are limited. Sure, when one scans Trailforks, South Africa, home to the Cape Epic, lists over 11,000 trails. But if you start browsing northward, singletrack becomes more and more sparse - at least according to our favourite trail mapping app.

How is it that the 2nd largest continent on the planet, cradle of humankind, is so void of singletrack? Well, as often is the case, it isn’t. It’s absolutely chock-full with “epics” and they have existed long before mountain biking.

Elephants, Giraffes, Rhinos, Humans - anything with land mobility have been leaving trails in their wake ever since our ancestors began dragging themselves out of the oceans.

If all this is unmapped, where do we even begin? Well, there are guiding companies out there that will show you the way. Personally, I’m far too independent (and introverted) to follow a stranger around for hours at a time.

The solution may be in the stage race. As it turns out, the Cape Epic isn’t an exclusive. There is something called K2N - a Tanzanian Stage race that ascends Mount Kilimanjaro, traverses across the Savannah, and descends to Lake Natron 250km to the east. Meticulously flagged and marked, it’s a wonderful way to get a taste of Africa - sans-guide.

The only problem? My wife Yuka has never competed in a stage race. With weather closing in on Stage 1 (a 2200-meter climb up Kilimanjaro) our dream trip to Africa is about to go pear-shaped.

The following film documents our journey on the K2N - 4 days that would become irreversibly etched into our hearts and minds.