Video: Rob Warner & Matt Jones Tackle Mount Kenya
Rob and Matt Jones are on a mission to ride Mt Kenya, the highest peak in the east African nation. Along the way, they meet with local cycling club ‘Safari Simbaz’ to get the lowdown on the local cycling scene. After surviving the Simbaz strength test, they head north through an animal reserve with London lad Rob stepping out of his comfort zone to spend 24 hours with an anti-poaching team tracking endangered black rhinos. After surviving the night on the African plains, the duo make their way to the peak, only to enjoy a surreal freeride back down.
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I was fortunate to ride a 3 day adventure for me but race for the pros'( The Swazi Frontier)) with David and his team mate Davidson. Those are 2 of the nicest people you could ever meet and really great competitors, ambassadors and all round sincere guys. We shared bungalows, sat and chatted to them and shared dinner with these people. If you have chance to ride in Kenya or Southern Africa, you will certainly enjoy it.
Funny thing about lighting fires in the African bush is that the rhino is natures fireman and will rush to stomp out a fire. I wonder what the guides take on lighting it at night (security and warmth) with rhinos' around was. Do rhinos not stomp out fires at night?
It is also really jarring to go from watching a struggling community of people who are sacrificing livestock for rain and jump right into a couple of guys hopping in a helicopter to ride bikes.
Sorry to be so negative. I do appreciate the intent and the opportunity to learn more about a culture I know very little about. It just seemed a bit weird. A plug to donate to the bikers mentioned or to get fresh water to those in need may have been a nice touch to support the video.
Funny seeing them riding there without any water bottles or even a rucksack, shows how supported the trip was?
Well at least Rob got on better than Danny Mac, he got air lifted off!
Air racing, F1, MTB, global transport for all that, Heli uplifts for skiers, snowboarders bikers ...
Cliff diving maybe they get away with
Not that arsed myself , but that's just one company what different does 10 more vegans make in the world really
Videos like this highlight places to travel, pour money into local economies, and give outsiders a brief look at how other people live in the world.
If you feel like they should have done more, maybe take initiative to do more yourself. Look up buffalobicycle.com and worldbicyclerelief.org - it's an organization that assembles bikes in Africa for locals that create jobs and provides opportunities. You don't even have to leave your office chair to make an impact!
... that's exactly what makes me more uncomfortable about this video than anything done by Anthony Bourdain, for example, whose cooking show at least practices some amount self-awareness while showing viewers something they might never experience themselves. I rushed through this video, but I didn't exactly see any signs of self-awareness that these are white, wealthy men whose bikes (not to mention camera crew, helicopter, travel costs, etc.) outstrip the yearly budget of the anti-poaching team who are working to save endangered species...
... videos of people on $5k railing berms in Europe, Canada or the US at least makes some kind of proportional sense...