11th Stage - The desert snares its first victim

The roads in Ethiopia are barely recognisable as roads. They rather resemble ski-runs of red sand that alternates with solid stone. And this is what happens next: Because of the dust created by the driver in front, the driver sees the pothole too later. The thump of the impact is brutal, as we hit the pothole there is a terrible sounding crash, as though all our bones were breaking. The back right of the vehicle clatters. Worst still: The driver behind us had the same unlucky fate. The diagnosis of the damage showed that both cars had lost the use of their rear shock absorbers.

For us it was a bit of a blow – but to continue out journey to the Ras Dashen Mountain is no longer on the cards. Instead we have to rethink and improvise – how are we going to get hold of replacement shock absorbers in the middle of Ethiopia? So we change out hill-climbing disciplines for organisation and improvisation.

At the end of the day, one thing is wholly recognisable – our team is a closer unit than ever before. So, therefore, we ripen ourselves and bask as the sun descends over Kenya, and think of a potential climb up Ras Dashen next spring. After all, we came here to set a signal…