WORDS: CATHERINE BALLANTYNE PHOTOS: JOSUE FERNANDEZWe came to K2N expecting a mountain bike
stage race, what we found was a unique “share
around the table” experience. I will remember
the big sky, great people, fantastic food and an
experience like no other. That’s before I even
start on the mountain biking or the environment.
The moment we arrived at Simba Farm
Lodge we were greeted first by Jason Miller,
the timing maestro and then Brett Harrison, the
Event Director. Within minutes we were sitting
around the open fire in the garden talking with
people we had only just met about everything
from international education standards to the
challenges facing Tanzania with respect to
agriculture. And it was only 6am in the morning.
It quickly became obvious that the people who
had been drawn to K2N were of like mind and the
feel of this event was something special.
For those who don’t know, K2N is a four day
mountain bike stage race from Kilimanjaro to
Natron in north eastern Tanzania. It was started
to help fund agriculture education programmes
in the country. This year is the first time the
race has been opened to public application and
19 people from across the globe converged
on Simba Farm nestled into the foothills of
Kilimanjaro. The food they served is a great
example of farm to table cuisine they adapted
well with both Nola and I being vegan and others
being vegetarian.
Registration was a relaxed affair with
some serious undertones due to validation of
insurance cover and understanding of risk while
the smell of coffee emanated from our beautiful
hand-stitched race bags. The event briefing was
again sitting around the open fire, this time as
the sun set. Brett reviewed the first day’s racing.
Climb 1700m up the side of Kilimanjaro with a
starting height of 2200m (i.e. start at the height
of Kosciuszko and then climb it almost again),
ride (or at times walk) 8km of singletrack at the
top and then descend to the starting point. http://www.ambmag.com.au 51