A little over a year after our inaugural charity bike ride which launched Ride the Rift, we are staging the second edition of our charity bike ride in Ankober. All profits from this event will be given to support local guides and cooks who have had no income due to the impact of COVID-19 and the conflict in the country. As with last year we have a choice of camping and lodge accommodation and a full weekend of activities culminating with the charity ride and a celebratory lunch at Ankober Palace Lodge. We will be using a different campsite from last year and our ride starts from here. With a smaller elevation gain the route is easier than last year and perfect for mountain biking. We encourage early booking as places are limited and we expect a lot of interest for this trip!
Our charity bike ride around Ankober was born in 2020 when the pandemic hit and freelance tourism professionals remained without income for months. As a group of four Ethiopian tour operators we came up with the idea to run this event to raise funds for those most in need. The situation has not changed in 2021 and 2022 and we wanted to run this bike ride again. This is now one of the best cycling and hiking tours you can do in Ethiopia. Stay at our riders’ camp at Lik Marefia on the edge of the forest, one of the Wof Washa community guest-houses or do it in a bit more luxury at Ankober Palace Lodge -a rebuild of the former Emperor’s palace. At Lik Marefiya most of us will be accommodated in tents, however there are some rooms for a small extra fee. Here we will mingle with the locals, your fellow riders and their friends & family on the edge of the forest with the Colobus monkeys ’serenading’ us at dusk and dawn! We provide you with all you need for your weekend including tents and camp equipment, toilets, bucket showers, all meals, and participant and bike transfers from Addis Ababa to and from the event. The total number of riders will be 30 to a max. 50 participants (some camping, some in the lodge), but during activities you will be split into smaller groups with your individual guides. Bike rental is available at 2,250 ETB for the weekend.
Any questions? Then contact us at
ridetherift2020@gmail.com