All in Wildlife

An Epic Bike Ride Across the Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia

An Epic Bike Ride Across the Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia

Pedals and Puffins
Cycling, Mountains, Nile River, Wildlife, Coronavirus, Blue Nile Gorge, Routes, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Debre Markos

Some stretches of road have become legends in the cycling community. The crossing of the Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia is one of those rides. It’s deep. It’s steep. And the high-altitude sun will sap your strength. Cycling across the Blue Nile Gorge with a fully-loaded touring bike will test your mettle. It’s not for sissies. So of course, we had to give it a go. We wanted to see the spectacular scenery, but also to test ourselves, and prove we could do it. Our legs and our lungs were pushed to the limit, but it was totally worth it to conquer the second-biggest canyon ride in the world.

Cycling Bahir Dar to Debre Markos, Ethiopia: One Business Per Town

Cycling Bahir Dar to Debre Markos, Ethiopia: One Business Per Town

Pedals and Puffins
Cycling, Food, Mountains, Churches, Wildlife, Bahir Dar, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Debre Markos

Cycling south through Ethiopia, we were intrigued that in many of the towns everyone would specialize in one, single type of business. There was the garlic town, the cowhide town, the charcoal town, the wood post producing town, the moonshine town, the chili pepper town, the bamboo furniture town, etc, etc. We wondered if this was because someone in a town figured out a good way to make money, and everybody else soon got in on the act. Over the next few days, as we rode from town to town, we enjoyed seeing how each community had carved out its own niche, and contributed to Ethiopia’s rich heritage.

Lake Tana, Ethiopia: Source of the Blue Nile

Lake Tana, Ethiopia: Source of the Blue Nile

Pedals and Puffins
Ancient Monuments, Culture, Nile River, Wildlife, Churches, Lake Tana, Birding

Our cycling route brought us to the shores of Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest body of water. From the city of Bahir Dar on the southern tip of the lake, we set out by boat to explore the region’s rich wildlife, and discover the mysteries of two Ethiopian Orthodox monasteries. Along the way we saw hippos, Nile monitor lizards, African fish eagles, and 40 other species of tropical birds. Fishermen paddled by in reed boats whose designs haven’t changed for nearly 3,000 years. And with the help of a local guide, we learned how the remote, ancient churches are still at the heart of Ethiopian culture and religious life.

Cycling Gonder to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia: Devil’s Nose and the Finger of God

Cycling Gonder to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia: Devil’s Nose and the Finger of God

Pedals and Puffins
Culture, Cycling, Mountains, Food, Wildlife, Lake Tana, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Bahir Dar, Gonder

After a 10-day rest in the mountaintop city of Gonder, we were eager to get back on the road. Accompanied by our new cycling companions, a couple from France, we headed south through Ethiopia’s teff heartland. Fertile plains were punctuated by occasional mountain ridges, providing a variety of interesting scenery - including the giant stone hoodoos, with names like Devil’s Nose and the Finger of God.

Trekking in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Trekking in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Pedals and Puffins
Camping, Mountains, Maps, National Park, Wildlife, Trekking, Simien Mountains NP, Gonder

For several years we have wanted to trek in the Simien Mountains. Once we began cycling in Ethiopia, we could make that dream come true. In the company of two other cyclists, we set off on a 3-day journey across the Roof of Africa. Along the way we encountered several groups of the famed Gelada monkeys, as well as several other species unique to the Ethiopian Highlands. And it all had the backdrop of stunning mountains, rugged cliffs, and heart-pounding ascents reaching more than 4,000 m (13,350 ft) into the sky.

Metema to Gonder, Ethiopia: Cycling to The Roof of Africa

Metema to Gonder, Ethiopia: Cycling to The Roof of Africa

Pedals and Puffins
Ancient Monuments, Camping, Culture, Cycling, Wildlife, Mountains, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Gonder

Entering Ethiopia, we left the flatlands of Sudan behind. Over the next couple of days we would climb rapidly onto the Ethiopian Highlands, ascending nearly 3,500 m (11,250 ft). Because of the unique challenges Ethiopia presents, many have called it the most challenging country in the world to bike tour. It is not for the faint of heart. Along the way we encountered breathtaking scenery, massive hills, a strong military presence, some friendly and not-so-friendly locals, rock-throwing kids, and a collection of castles right out of a storybook.

Al Qadarif (Gedarif) Sudan to Metema Ethiopia: Cycling to the Border

Al Qadarif (Gedarif) Sudan to Metema Ethiopia: Cycling to the Border

Pedals and Puffins
Camping, Cycling, Wildlife, National Park, Border Crossing, Bike Touring, Bike Travel

Our days in Sudan came to an end with a quick, 2-day run through the eastern edge of Dinder National Park to the border with Ethiopia. As we discovered, border areas between African countries can have an air of danger. We encountered a protest, illegal woodcutting, mangled roads, and some sketchy customs officials at the border crossing.

Cycling Khartoum to Al Qadarif (Gedarif), Sudan: Will we be allowed into Ethiopia?

Cycling Khartoum to Al Qadarif (Gedarif), Sudan: Will we be allowed into Ethiopia?

Pedals and Puffins
Camping, Cycling, Visas, Wildlife, Culture, Museums, Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Khartoum

We were excited to visit Khartoum, Sudan, and to see cultural highlights like the National Museum and the Sufi Dervish sunset ceremony. But our enjoyment was tempered when the Ethiopian Embassy in Khartoum refused to process our visa application. It would take several more days of riding through increasingly oppressive heat to reach the city of Qadarif and re-apply. We started to wonder, would they ever let us into Ethiopia?

Cycling Northern Sudan: Blowing in the Wind

Cycling Northern Sudan: Blowing in the Wind

Pedals and Puffins
Ancient Monuments, Culture, Ferries, Nile River, Tea, Weather, Wildlife, Sahara Desert, Camping, Cycling, Border Crossing, Merowe, Khartoum, Bike Touring, Bike Travel

Everything about Sudan is much lower-key than Egypt. It’s quieter, less crowded, slower paced, and overall just more relaxing to cycle in Sudan. We reveled in the tranquility of the desert, and the soft-spoken hospitality of the Sudanese people we met. The biggest factor out on the road was the fierce desert wind, which cut our cycling speeds in half, and covered everything we own with sand. 

Cycling Northern Egypt: Selfies, a Ferry and Fields of Green

Cycling Northern Egypt: Selfies, a Ferry and Fields of Green

Pedals and Puffins
Routes, Nile River, Wildlife, Ferries, Cycling, Bike Touring, Bike Travel

We’re on our way! After considering several alternatives, we settled on the route that follows the Nile River on its western bank. It’s densely populated, so we rode through a steady chorus of friendly shouts of, “Hello, welcome to Egypt!” An early adventure involved a ferry ride from which our bikes narrowly escaped sliding into the Nile River. And between towns, the agricultural landscape of the river valley provided a lush, green backdrop to our journey.