Route
The event takes place in the stunning nature of Western Uganda. Because of the diversity of Ugandan nature, every cycling day is a gem in itself. With the dense tropical rainforests of Bwindi to the vast savannas in Queen Elizabeth NP, the hilly tea plantations around Fort Portal and the steep climbs at the foot of the Rwenzoris, Uganda has a lot to offer.
Breathtaking panaromas are alternated with eye-catching natural elements and you can certainly expect encounterings with wild animals. And all of this is drenched in African red dirt.
2023 edition
The 2023 edition amounts to a total of 475KM with 9000 altimeters and a different breathtaking environment every day. The route is in total more than 95% off-road with a lot of single tracks. Below you can see an overview of the route map and the height profiles per day (small changes can still be made).
Day 1
A route of about 100KM around Fort-Portal and along many crater lakes with great panoramic views. En route countless small climbs with a lot of KOM’s to grab, like the one to “Top of the World”. The finish is at Lake Nyamiteza.
Day 2
About 100KM towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. The first half is reasonably flat, but little over halfway awaits a long climb that takes you to the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains. Then it keeps going up and down, but the last kilometers take you down towards the border of Queen Elizabeth NP.
Day 3
On day 3, the first 50KM are neutralized where we will ride with the whole group. Here we cycle through the part of the Queen Elizabeth NP with the highest concentration of wildlife. This gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and spot elephants along the route. At the beginning we also cross the equator, after all it is “The toughest ride across the equator!” Eventually we will go by boat over the Kazinga channel (guaranteed to spot hippos and crocodiles) and then continue the last 60KM through the park in our own teams towards Ishasha. Here too you will regularly see the baboons drifting off the road when you pass by.
Day 4
Day 4 may be the toughest day with a lot of climbing to be done. But there are also a lot of smooth single tracks. From Ishasha it’s a false flat going up to eventually encounter more and more steep climbs towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. From there it gradually goes up to the finish in Ruhija at more than 2300 meters.
Day 5
This day starts with a pleasant climb to the roof of the Kintu Trial at 2521 meters before descending from the Bwindi Impenatrable forest for a long downhill. But make no mistake, even today there is almost 2000 meters of climbing to be done, with the Cerberus climb half way. So again a lot of KOM’s to grab! The finish is at Lake Mutanda with great views over the volcanoes that form the border between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. At the finish, of course, beer, campfire and possibly a dip in the lake to celebrate the completion of the Kintu Trial.
