Keegan completes his biggest climb in Africa
A devastating ascension of 2 800m lay in wait for Keegan Longueira as he made his way to Gondar, Ethiopia.
The climb, which he managed to complete in a distance of 150km on Sunday, January 18, was one of his toughest.
“Today was no joke. People are aggressive, I have been slapped, stoned, sworn at, and my bike manhandled by the children, all this while pushing at 9km/h up the hills, it was a really rough day in Africa,” Keegan said.
Nothing could have prepared Keegan for the climb as he made his way across the Sudan/Ethiopia border to a small hotel situated 40km form the border on January 17.
According to Paige Cook, his girlfriend and the PRO of Cape Trek, Keegan completed 210km on January 16. She asked readers to keep him in their prayers.
This was taken from Keegan’s Facebook page on January 14:
“Greetings from Khartoum, the past four days have been very eventful. I haven’t showered in four days, staying in the desert in my tent at night with my new friend and cycling from sunrise to sunset every day.
“There are beautiful night skies in the desert, as for the food, it has been goat, camel and any other road kill the locals can find. They have been good to me but I miss everyone back home so much.
“It’s been a tough couple days and the time alone gives you plenty time to think. I’ve seen the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich.
“It’s difficult at times to comprehend what’s happening around you. From being lost ad ushered into a little shack in the middle of winter in Wadi Halfa waiting for somebody, anybody to call me and show me the way to a place to stay, to riding 302km in a single day.
“It’s been a crazy four days. I love everyone back home. I appreciate you so much,” he said.
Nearing the end of the second leg of the #cairo2CapeTown, Keegan cycled 220km which would take him to Adet, a town in North Western Ethiopia.
It is located south of Bahir Dar in the Mirab Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region, and is 2216 metres above sea level.
The remainder of the second leg will see Keegan cycling 209km from Adet to Dejen, 80km from Dejen to Debre Gurucha and another 80km from Debre Guruchu to Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.
Be sure to follow him by visiting his page or The Cape Trek Project on Facebook, make the difference and donate to Operation Smile.
