Background
Tanzania, africa
N/A
5,895 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: a crazy adventure where a bunch of daring Spaniards decided to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro... on MOTORCYCLES! Yep, they actually rode Bultaco Sherpa T 250cc bikes all the way to the top, matching the world record for motorcycle altitude at a staggering 19,341 feet!
These weren't professional riders, mind you, just a group of buddies from Igualada with a wild dream. Their epic route took them across continents, starting in Spain, then a boat trip to Africa, with them hitting up countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Central African Republic before even reaching the base of Kilimanjaro.
The real challenge began in Kilimanjaro National Park. Imagine trying to tweak your bike to handle extreme altitude, snow, and ice! They negotiated with park officials to use a route previous expeditions had pioneered, and slowly started the climb, staying at a refuge at 14,000 ft. The next day, a refuge at 16,000 ft. On the final leg, they pushed their bikes, inch by inch, over slippery scree and massive rocks. There was no assistance, just pure grit and motorcycle power.
While they had originally wanted to take more than one bike all the way to the top, at some point, they only continued with one bike. It was slow and tough going, but they made it!
After their summit victory, there was a minor hold-up with civil unrest in Kenya, so they had to wait for a month, but they eventually made it back home. Talk about an unforgettable ride!
Road Details
- Country
- Tanzania
- Continent
- africa
- Max Elevation
- 5,895 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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