KENYA 400 DAY 3: Wednesday 27th August 2025

Total distance cycled: 200+ km / 420 km

Today’s effort was quite a journey, from elephant encounters - to Tony's red dust camouflage …

An Elephant Welcome Committee

See the photo Album here

Day 3 began with military precision at Hildana Lodge - breakfast at 7 AM, bikes ready by 7:30 AM. But as we said goodbye to the elephant waterhole, the elephants apparently decided to say goodbye to us in person. Cycling right out of the lodge, we rode straight into a herd of elephants!

"Luckily they were off to the left and stayed off to the left," Chris recalled with evident relief. Nothing quite wakes you up like sharing the road with Africa's largest land mammals at 7:30 in the morning.

The Historic Safari Rally Road

Once past our elephant escort, we hit something truly special - the big old East African Safari Rally Road. This wasn't just any dirt track; this was the original road built in the 1920s that connected Mombasa to Nairobi via Voi, then wound around to Moshi and Arusha in Tanzania before heading back through Namanga to Kenya's capital.

We were cycling on a piece of East African history, and it showed. This was a "lovely road," smooth and undulating, that took us through landscapes that rally drivers had navigated for decades. The best part? We saw only two other vehicles the entire day. We practically had this historic route to ourselves.

Mount Kasigau's Majestic Challenge

Our destination was Mount Kasigau, that "beautiful mountain standing way, way, way above the surrounding savannah" - an amazing, towering 3,000-foot granite rock that dominated the horizon. The route took us around the right-hand shoulder of this ancient massif, and then up and over in a climb that was precisely measured at 231 metres of elevation gain.

But here's where Charles learned an important lesson about cycling with guides: "Little undulations appear to be more than little undulations," he observed wryly. "I've learnt that the guides tend to underestimate or don't tell the truth about whether you're going uphill or not and how far that uphill is."

The Great Separation

As the day progressed, something fascinating happened that Charles found both impressive and demoralising. "I noticed that the team in the front were cycling incredibly fast and seemed to go faster and faster," he reflected. "I personally was gradually going further and further back, further demoralised from the front to the back."

Despite feeling like he was cycling quite fast, Charles watched in amazement as the front group pulled away. "What these guys at the front were doing was just amazing," he admitted with genuine admiration for his teammates' performance.

Distance Achievements and Red Dust Rewards

The varying distances reflected different fitness levels and personal goals - some managed 60 kilometres, some pushed to 70, and a few hardy souls completed 80 kilometres. "Quite magnificent," as Chris noted. Regardless of distance, everyone ended the day "hot, sweaty and covered in red dust, but rather happy."

Carbon Neutral Forest and Western Towns

The route took us through fascinating terrain, including a carbon-neutral forest - an area purchased by industry to help with environmental conservation. But perhaps the most charming section was cycling through what Chris described as an "African Western-type town."

"If you can picture the Western-type towns in America, how they used to be with one horse and a cart," Chris explained, "we actually had the pleasure of cycling through one of those towns by the name of Kasigau below Mount Kasigau." It was a "really, really, really fantastic little town. To see everybody going about their daily business, but as quiet as you could imagine a town out in the west of the States."

Heartwarming Local Encounters

What struck Charles most was the warmth of the local people. "Everybody stood by and waved, encouraged us," he recalled with obvious emotion. "There was a school we went past with children - I think probably below seven - who were absolutely ecstatic, waving and shouting with excitement."

At their stop at "Big Boy's Corner," Charles had a memorable conversation with a local woman. When he asked if she walked up the big mountain, she casually replied, "Yes, I go regularly. I walk up to the top in the morning, I come down in the afternoon." Charles was left thinking, "Wow, something special" - a perfect reminder of how locals navigate terrain that challenges even dedicated cyclists.

Tony's Unintentional Camouflage

The day's comic relief came courtesy of Tony, who "decided that he would plant his face to get a bit of native camouflage." In other words, Tony fell off his bike and landed face-first in the red sand, emerging looking like "somebody who's just ready to go into the bush."

However, as Charles noted with amusement, "his camouflage was a little bit short because the garish yellow color of his top shone loud against everything else in the wilderness." Tony had achieved perfect facial camouflage but forgotten about his fluorescent cycling jersey!

Super Tuskers at Satao Camp

The day concluded at Satao Camp in Tsavo East National Park, entering a vast expanse of 14,747 square kilometres - "the size of Wales," as Chris put it. This is where you find Kenya's famous super tuskers, the biggest elephants with the most impressive tusks, and the team was rewarded with sightings at the waterhole.

The camp also featured hippos in the waterhole, adding to the evening's wildlife entertainment. After a day of cycling historic rally roads, conquering mountain shoulders, and navigating red dust, the prospect of barbecue skewers that they could cook themselves at their tables provided the perfect end to an adventurous day.

Reflections on Day 3

Day 3 had delivered everything from elephant encounters to historic roads, from mountain climbs that were bigger than advertised to heartwarming local interactions. Tony's face-plant provided comic relief, while the varying distances showed that everyone was finding their own level of challenge.

Most importantly, the day demonstrated the incredible diversity of experiences that cycling through Kenya provides—from wildlife encounters to cultural immersion, from physical challenges to historical education. Whether you covered 60 or 80 kilometres, everyone had stories to tell and red dust to wash off.

Thank you for your interest and support,
Charles

Charles Highett
CEO, PTSD Resolution
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/kenya400

🙏 With thanks to our supporters King's School Bruton, the Veterans' Foundation, the Army Benevolent Fund the Lest We Forget Association, The MacRobert Trust and Lloyd's Patriotic Fund.