January 19, 2018
Whether you’re a seasoned biker or just like going out for a spin, join The Foundation For Tomorrow on the experience of a lifetime. Register and roll with us: www.teamtfft.org/ride
1. See 400 miles of beautiful Tanzania, from Mount Kilimanjaro to the Indian Ocean.
2. Meet and be inspired by local Tanzanians.
One of the most special things about Tanzanians is their ability to create. Spend 10 days crossing the country by bike and you will meet so many different individuals, seeing the way they live and what they value.
While Africa seems so far away and like one place to many people, Tanzania is just one of over 50 countries on the continent. Tanzania is a unitary republic with a President as head of state. one third of the population is Muslim, another one third are Christians, and the remaining one third follow different religions. The official language is Swahili with English being the de facto language used in the government and global economy. Most tribal languages are spoken first, then Swahili, and English in education. There is about 120 different tribes in Tanzania that have been categorized into 5 ethnic groups distinguishable by their physical characteristics and languages.
3. Build new friendships with your fellow bike warriors as you work to achieve a goal bigger than yourselves.
Each day will be both emotionally and physically draining. Whether you come with friends or you make new friends on the ride, the common thread of doing something hard to improve the chances of orphan and vulnerable children thriving will unite you.
4. See all kinds of wildlife.
While we steer clear of national parks so we don’t have run ins with antelope and lions, our traffic challenges tends to be traffic in the way of goats, camels, and cows.
5. Prove to yourself that you’re capable of much more than you thought possible.
6. Be led by adventure travel experts that know and love Tanzania.
7. Travel off the beaten path Tanzania.
This unscripted journey across Tanzania is not something you will see in your friends itineraries, it is unique in its path and its execution.
8. Camp each night in a new and beautiful place under the African stars.
Have your night be lit up by the iconic, untouched night sky (it is truly one of the most spectacular things we have ever witnessed).
9. Bike through all types of terrain.
The Challenge is held close to the equator in Tanzania, East Africa. The route starts outside Arusha, the safari capital of East Africa. From here it heads across to the slave & trading routes from Kilimanjaro to the Indian Ocean. On route it ascends into the ancient crystalline Eastern Arc mountain ranges of the Usambara before descending all the way to Pangani, a former gateway to the world.
In the immediate area of our expedition there are some key features that you cannot avoid seeing. Most of the obvious mountains and mountain ranges are all as a result of igneous intrusions – lava and superheated rock coursing through weak points in the earth’s crust and in some cases, erupting right out through the surface to create volcanoes.
Mt Meru is the starting point for our challenge and from it’s base we head East. Kilimanjaro will be hard to miss for at least 2 days and yet to the south much more ancient mountain ranges are also obvious. From the first day of riding looking south you will see the Lalatema Mountains. The mountains have become exposed over time and were initially hidden beneath the earth’s surface. As molten lava intruded beneath the earths surface it melted the country rock around it – creating metamorphic rocks. These mountains are special – they contain rare gems such as Tanzanite, only found right here.
As we head towards Kilimanjaro we eventually head South, along the Pangani valley. This valley is a trough. As the earth has split so a chunk of land has dropped down. Lying lower than the surrounding surfaces it has become an obvious route for water, the Pangani river system.
Further down we head East once again, through and around the Pare mountains, and then ascend into the Usambaras. These are part of the Eastern Arc mountains and are ancient mountains that have been standing proud for over 250 million years (and more!). As ecological islands they have a wide array of endemic species of reptiles, birds and even mammals. Dropping down from the Usambaras we head to the coast and before reaching the coast a noticeable drop can be seen which a shelf is created by the formerly high water levels.
10. Unplug and spend 10 days refocusing
On yourself and what matters most – physically remove yourself from the clutter that we all become used to and enjoy !
11. Experience unscripted Tanzania
This trip is far from staged. RIDETZ is your chance to truly understand and connect with Tanzania at its core: its culture, people, and land.
12. Bike for a cause bigger than yourself
By raising money for The Foundation For Tomorrow’s fight to provide educational opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children while working to improve the quality of teacher instruction, classroom resources, as well as school management, to ensure widespread, sustainable impact across Tanzania.
All photography and videography from The Image is Found and Halle Project. Map from Travelersfinders.com.