The Boxing Day Adventure (Lafiabougou to Siby - almost) [2010]

On Boxing Day (Dec 26, 2010), my french friend Olivier Durand and I set out from Bamako (end of the "Marine House road") to Siby and the Natural Bridge by mountain bike.

The Natural Bridge in Siby
I never made it that day.

Rather than go on the goudron (paved road), we set out in the valley that goes past the statue of the warrior and on to Waspy Waterfalls. And then we just kept going straight on that road, which is a pretty poor dirt road for cars, but fine for bikes. The road eventually ends up at the waterfall behind the Natural Bridge and Siby and then goes on to the natural Bridge itself.


Here is our route: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26351874



We left at 8:10 a.m. and it was a nice chilly 22 C (72F). All went well as we passed the first waterfalls.

It began to heat up, especially in the sun.

Around about the 35 km mark, I got the first cramps in my thighs, in spite of having some electrolyte stuff in both my water bottle and camelback. I had some tangerines along and also some sesame seed bars.

We road on and Olivier supplied the occasional "coup de fouet" (literally: whiplash) which is a french brand of cycling energy gels.

It was a gradual climb but long for a total of 462 m gained in altitude (1515 feet). Once we got up on the ridge, we actually started moaning each time we went DOWN because we knew it just meant more going up.








By then the cramps were becoming more and more frequent and I had already drained the 3 liters of water I had brought with me. Olivier gave me a bit of his and we stopped in a village where a kind lady with 6 kids gave me some "mini-ji" (drinking water) from the container she had by her hut.




The ridge became more and more desolate. We passed a bush fire, which we HEARD before we actually saw. We thought there must be animals in the trees near us, but the sounds we heard were crackling from the fire. I made sure to say "No" to the bush fire, as the billboards here tell us ("Dites 'non' au feux de brousses"), but I don't think it helped.

Eventually there were no trees and little vegetation at all on the plain of flat volcanic rock and it was HOT. My bike thermometer read 43 and 44 C (111 F) but that was in the sun. The rocks were nicely radiating the heat as I realized when the leg cramps forced me to sit down.

I got my second wind around the 50 km mark, as we started to go down slightly and found some trees. We were nearing the (Siby) waterfall, but finally decided against turning off there, as we were already 1.5 hours late for meeting Olivier's family and driver at the Natural Bridge and I could not fathom going UP anymore.

By this time, we were both out of water. I straggled on, through the sand towards the village (Dyoula Fondo) we both knew was about 5 km from the Natural Bridge. I knew from the "Tabaski Challenge II" (June 2006?) that there was a well with a pump in this village. So I stopped there around 3:30 pm and Olivier went on to get the car and come back as I could go no further.

A girl from the village drew water from the well with her rubber bucket. I added some OMS oral rehydration salts" to it. The kids asked in Bambara if I was putting "Barakatigi" (laundry soap) into my water.

I greeted a woman in the courtyard next door and eventually noticed that she was holding her 2-3 year old in a strange way. his neck was bent way backward and he couldn't straighten it. Is he sick? "Yes, little Toumani Diakité has been like this for 3 months". I assumed it was Meningitis as there is an outbreak here. Had they taken him to the "doktoroso" (clinic) in Siby? No, they had no money. I asked if I could pray for him and did so and then gave them some money to go to the clinic. Not sure if he will make it, if 3 months have really passed.


View of the Natural Bridge in the distance from under my mango tree. The rock formations sticking up to the left of the ridge in the distance is where it is.

I went on a bit further and got more water from the pump this time, then outside the village I sat down under a mango tree to rest undisturbed by children until Olivier returned.



Resting under a mango tree, in the village of Dyoula Fondo, after cycling 65 km and
having my legs cramp up in a major way due to dehydrated. I waited here for Olivier
to come get my in the car and drank water from the village well!

It was almost 5 when he came. I was about to wonder if he hadn't gotten lost and try to go on myself, when he showed up with Muriel, his wife, and sandwiches. We headed straight down into Siby without stopping at the Natural Bridge and had some cokes and fruit at the campement before heading home to Bamako on the paved road. That only took 1 hour. . .



And this is what your legs look like after riding 65 km (39 miles) off-road. No idea why
one leg always gets dirty than the other!