Back in the Day

I have mentioned to several riders on this tour that “back in my day” (3 years ago) when I was in Sudan for the first time with Tour d’Afrique, the stretch from Wadi Halfa to Dongola was one of the toughest on the entire tour. Now with the completion of a paved road the entire distance it is a whole new place. It wasn’t long ago that our schedule included 5 cycling days to get us from Wadi Halfa to Dongola. The days in the heat, sand, and corrugation were grueling but ever so serene in the evenings. The Nubian Desert then felt like a new world – uncharted territory. Today, I must admit, as I cycled a relatively easy 150 km to our desert camp I deeply enjoyed being able to cover such distances with the old sandy and bumpy road snaking back and forth underneath the groom, and raised roadbed of this tarmac beauty. On the old road the daily distances were as low as 70 or 80 km on some of the toughest days. And you never really ever got the same reading as the other riders in the group, because we all road different tracks that spread like fingers through the desert – some a little longer and tougher than others. But with every kilometer of pavement that’s added, our thoughts at the office return the days of dirt, and so we constantly explore new ways to challenge our clients after they have had the pleasure of riding such a comfortable stretch between Wadi and Dongola. Our new route south a Khartoum promises a real off-road adventure. Dinder National Park… here we come!    — Shanny Hill