12 days to go

With 12 days to go we are getting really excited about our trip to Kenya.  For those of you who don't know,  we are off road riding in Kenya for 19 days to raise money for the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust who work to stop the poaching of elephants and look after many orphaned elephants.  So far we have raised £10,020 with the help of all the riders (there are 8 of us) and Craghoppers, Kriega, Baydale, Morris Oils and Whitby and Co.  We will update the blog as much as we can whilst over there.  TBM are also coming over for the second half of the trip and will be writing a story for their mag.

15^th Nov – 1st Dec 2013

15th Nov – Arrive Nairobi

16th Nov – Visit to the Sheldrick elephant orphanage – ride to Mweiga in the Aberdare region
17th Nov–  Ride to Laikipia and Overnight Ol Tome bushcamp
18th Nov–  Ride Laikipia to Muge and overnight Ekorian camp.
19th Nov- Muge to Silali, Suguta valley ride and overnight Silali falls
20th Nov – Silali to Sugata valley sanddunes
21st Nov – Silali to Sugata valley sanddunes
22nd Nov – Silali to Lake Baringo
23rd Nov – Rest day at island camp and exchange 9 day groups
24th Nov – Lake Baringo – Soysambu conservancy (over 30,000 acres of off road riding).  Overnight Punda Milias camp
25th Nov – Full day at Soysambu conservancy.  De-snaring and game count on bikes.  Overnight Punda Milias camp
26th Nov – Soysambu conservancy to Menegai or Eburru.  Overnight Punda Milias camp.
27th Nov – Soysambu conservancy to Loita plains of the Maasai mara.  Overnight Maji moto camp
28th Nov - Full day on the Loita plains of the Maasai mara – Rest day – game drives, walks.. Overnight camp maja moto camp
29th Nov – Full day riding on the Loita plains of the Maasai mara.  Overnight Maji moto camp
30th Nov – Loita plains to Lake Naivasha.  Overnight Carnelleys camp.
1st Dec – Depart Naivasha by road, arrive in Nairobi in afternoon.  Private viewing at the Sheldricks and presentation of cheque, drop off at Nairobi airport.

Why the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust?


Over 50,000 elephants have been killed for there ivory since Jan 2013.  Rhinos are being poached to the verge of extinction.  There has been an extremely serious and species threatening escalation of poaching of both elephants and rhinos for their ivory and horn in recent years, driven by the insatiable desire for these items from China, Vietnam, Thailand and Far Eastern Countries.  It is hard to believe that these magnicient animals are brutally killed for trinkets.  Many of the younger animals and babies are left beside their murdered parents and families.  Rhinos face a massive problem as eastern medicine practices believe their horns have mystical healing properties and demand is growing quickly, however the horns are made of Keratin (the same stuff as our fingernails) so they are being pointlessly massacred.  In some areas of Africa there are no elephants and rhinos left.  This heartbreaking problem is escalating out of control and the authorities around Africa are stuggling to deal with it.