Events

Martin and Jeannie Dreyer set new record mountain biking Kilimanjaro

· By Press Office · 19 comments

Adventurers Martin and Jeannie Dreyer have become the first people to ride mountain bikes to the top of Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.

The Pietermaritzburg based husband and wife duo summited the Uhuru Peak around dawn on Saturday morning, becoming the first mountain bikers to ride their bikes unassisted from Kilimanjaro Park gates to the summit and back.

ccs-62657-0-81600700-1488175003.jpgMartin and Jeannie Dreyer celebrate reaching Uhuru Peak at top of Mount Kilimanjaro riding and carrying their mountain bikes, becoming the first people to complete the trip unaided from the entrance of the Kilimanjaro Mountain Park gates to the summit and back. Supplied/ Gameplan Media

An elated Dreyer said that he and his wife had been discouraged from completing the arduous task unassisted, but said that had made the challenge more attractive.

“What a sight as we stood on Uhuru Peak with our bikes!” said Dreyer. “It was spectacular, with the skyline painted orange.

“All the guides told us it was impossible to take bikes to the summit from the camp at Kibo, but that just made the challenge more worthwhile!

“It was so hard pushing and carrying our bikes up 1000 metres over four kilometres, but it was so worth it!” said Dreyer.

Dreyer said that the few previous MTB expeditions had involved porters carrying the bikes for the first two days.

“The hiking trail is a no-go for riding, but we insisted on carrying our own bikes to make this a proper epic adventure,” said Dreyer.

After arriving at Camp 2 at Horombo at an altitude of 3700m, The Dreyers hiked on past Zebra Rocks on foot to help with acclimatisation before they set off on a ride and hike of 1000m vertical climbing over 9 kilometres across the alpine desert to the Kibo camp at 4700m, where they arrived in a snowfall.

They were caught in a torrential downpour, and experienced plummeting temperatures and wind chill factors.

“That was a stark reminder of the unpredictability of high mountain weather,” said Dreyer.

“We left at around midnight for the final summit, and even though we had manhandled our bikes basically the whole way, we were both feeling surprisingly good.” Said Dreyer.

“What an experience,” said Dreyer. “Most of all we loved that it was so quiet on the mountain, zero noise pollution,” he said.

Comments

Long Wheel Base

Feb 27, 2017, 6:54 AM

These two are crazy, In a good way.

'Dale

Feb 27, 2017, 7:22 AM

Crazy

Wow

rock

Feb 27, 2017, 7:27 AM

Awesome achievement, seems there's nothing these two cant do. 

 

 

But I remember reading Rebecca Rusch doing this?

 

Apr 27, 2016

An Unsupported Mountain Bike Ride of Kilimanjaro

Earlier this year, adventurer Patrick Sweeney teamed up with professional mountain biker Rebecca Rusch to attempt something that's only been done once in history: climb and descend Mount Kilimanjaro on mountain bikes. To make things even more interesting, the two decided to keep the mission totally self-supported, meaning they didn't accept help from porters, or from medicine to help with altitude sickness. The goal of the expedition was to raise one dollar for every foot of climbing they did (that's $19,240) for World Bicycle Relief, a charity that builds burly bikes for folks living in remote areas throughout Africa. 

BigTom

Feb 27, 2017, 7:39 AM

Subtitle is misleading -

Adventurers Martin and Jeannie Dreyer have become the first people to ride mountain bikes to the top of Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.

I've been fortunate enough to climb Kili, and when I read this title, I couldn't imagine how it would be possible to ride some of the sections.  As the article itself states, there was a lot of pushing and carrying of the bikes, likely even more of that than actual riding.

 

EDIT: Regardless, big congrats to Martin and Jeannie.  Tremendous accomplishment!  I cannot imagine doing the final ascent carrying a bike!

Shebeen

Feb 27, 2017, 8:15 AM

awesome stuff!

 

 

not sure if this was purely coincidental, but look what's happening next week on kili, with mtbs

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1244938075593679&id=638217026265790&pnref=story

 

Having been to the summit of Kilimanjaro on 17 occasions, March 2017 will see Alex on top of Africa's highest mountain, with a bit of a difference. He will be summitting on foot, and leave the summit on his mountain bike. Between 3 and 11 March, Alex will attempt to cycle from the summit of Kilimanjaro to the where the ocean meets the land in under 24 hours. Alex Harris

Shebeen

Feb 27, 2017, 8:36 AM

don't want to take away from a massive feat, but kili is a bit overdone. I'm sure there can differences in what makes this one different and unique, but if it's all about manhandling a bike to get a record then I'm not sure if it really is riding. I do hope there was a killer downhill!

 

looks like rusch and sweeney did it last year, and two poms did it first in 1985.

 

51lzT4AGbTL._SX350_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Zebra

Feb 27, 2017, 10:02 AM

yes, the Crane brothers did it back in the 80's...

 

they wrote a number of books, including Journey to the Center of the Earth, great reading...

Cheers

Chris 

 

Sepia

Feb 27, 2017, 10:08 AM

Fortunate enough to have walked up it but for the life of me, cannot think/understand why anybody would like to carry their bike up with them.  Not much is ridable anyway.

Guest

Feb 27, 2017, 10:37 AM

don't want to take away from a massive feat, but kili is a bit overdone. I'm sure there can differences in what makes this one different and unique, but if it's all about manhandling a bike to get a record then I'm not sure if it really is riding. I do hope there was a killer downhill!

 

looks like rusch and sweeney did it last year, and two poms did it first in 1985.

 

51lzT4AGbTL._SX350_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Rigid 26er. Hard core!

BigTom

Feb 27, 2017, 10:44 AM

Rigid 26er. Hard core!

Don't think there were too many other alternatives in 1985. ;)

Pure Savage

Feb 27, 2017, 1:40 PM

Its like half an everest :P

Sepia

Feb 27, 2017, 1:59 PM

Its like half an everest :P

Chirp of the day!

PhilipV

Feb 27, 2017, 6:54 PM

I saw a teaser video of Danny Mac and Hams Reynolds doing the same a while ago.

So either the Dreyers are claiming a first that is not theirs, or they found a way to differentiate their summit from others who summits with bikes.

Pure Savage

Feb 27, 2017, 7:48 PM

I saw a teaser video of Danny Mac and Hams Reynolds doing the same a while ago.

So either the Dreyers are claiming a first that is not theirs, or they found a way to differentiate their summit from others who summits with bikes.

Their bikes had vertical mounted shocks...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

andydude

Feb 27, 2017, 8:23 PM

Its like half an everest :P

So they have to do it twice to add an everesting?!
jeanniebd

Mar 1, 2017, 6:56 AM

Hello. Our entire kili experience was phenomenal and it is by no means over done. It is a spectacular piece of geography. It has many hikers high-tailing it home before reaching the summit and it does claim lives. Our hiking-biking Kilimanjaro adventure was just that with no record breaking feat in mind. Myself and Mart were very aware we weren't the first to be ascending kili with our bikes (mart and Rebecca Rusch raced many epic international adventure races together) and it was Rebecca's kili experience that planted the seed for us. We were adamant we didn't want any assistance and wanted to follow the actual hiking route from the Kilimanjaro National Park Gates via Horombo to the summit- signing off that we wouldn't ride our bikes untill we reached Horombo camp. Having to manhandle our bikes to 5895m is what made the 'regular' Kilimanjaro hike a challenge for us - we were told regularly that it wouldn't be possible to summit with our bikes due to the steep gradient (4km/1000m ascent) and loose shale from Kibo camp - but this is how and why we try to redefine our limits and test ourselves. (And I certainly wouldn't recommend taking your bike with to kili if you dislike walking with your bike untill a specific bike route becomes an option) So yes, media do sensationalize stories but then we are the first husband and wife couple to summit with Cannondales ????

BigTom

Mar 1, 2017, 7:05 AM

Hello. Our entire kili experience was phenomenal and it is by no means over done. It is a spectacular piece of geography. It has many hikers high-tailing it home before reaching the summit and it does claim lives. Our hiking-biking Kilimanjaro adventure was just that with no record breaking feat in mind. Myself and Mart were very aware we weren't the first to be ascending kili with our bikes (mart and Rebecca Rusch raced many epic international adventure races together) and it was Rebecca's kili experience that planted the seed for us. We were adamant we didn't want any assistance and wanted to follow the actual hiking route from the Kilimanjaro National Park Gates via Horombo to the summit- signing off that we wouldn't ride our bikes untill we reached Horombo camp. Having to manhandle our bikes to 5895m is what made the 'regular' Kilimanjaro hike a challenge for us - we were told regularly that it wouldn't be possible to summit with our bikes due to the steep gradient (4km/1000m ascent) and loose shale from Kibo camp - but this is how and why we try to redefine our limits and test ourselves. (And I certainly wouldn't recommend taking your bike with to kili if you dislike walking with your bike untill a specific bike route becomes an option) So yes, media do sensationalize stories but then we are the first husband and wife couple to summit with Cannondales

Congratulations!  Great to hear a direct report.  Definitely an amazing accomplishment.

 

As I stated in my earlier post, having done that ascent from Kibo hut, I cannot imagine doing it carrying a bike!!!  Big kudos for a tremendous accomplishment.  :thumbup:  :thumbup:  :thumbup:

'Dale

Mar 1, 2017, 7:13 AM

Hello. Our entire kili experience was phenomenal and it is by no means over done. It is a spectacular piece of geography. It has many hikers high-tailing it home before reaching the summit and it does claim lives. Our hiking-biking Kilimanjaro adventure was just that with no record breaking feat in mind. Myself and Mart were very aware we weren't the first to be ascending kili with our bikes (mart and Rebecca Rusch raced many epic international adventure races together) and it was Rebecca's kili experience that planted the seed for us. We were adamant we didn't want any assistance and wanted to follow the actual hiking route from the Kilimanjaro National Park Gates via Horombo to the summit- signing off that we wouldn't ride our bikes untill we reached Horombo camp. Having to manhandle our bikes to 5895m is what made the 'regular' Kilimanjaro hike a challenge for us - we were told regularly that it wouldn't be possible to summit with our bikes due to the steep gradient (4km/1000m ascent) and loose shale from Kibo camp - but this is how and why we try to redefine our limits and test ourselves. (And I certainly wouldn't recommend taking your bike with to kili if you dislike walking with your bike untill a specific bike route becomes an option) So yes, media do sensationalize stories but then we are the first husband and wife couple to summit with Cannondales ????

Awesome to check in here.

Well done.

I wonder what amazing challenge you have next

 

As a Cannondale man myself, I'm proud ????????

BigDL

Mar 1, 2017, 10:23 AM

Hello. Our entire kili experience was phenomenal and it is by no means over done. It is a spectacular piece of geography. It has many hikers high-tailing it home before reaching the summit and it does claim lives. Our hiking-biking Kilimanjaro adventure was just that with no record breaking feat in mind. Myself and Mart were very aware we weren't the first to be ascending kili with our bikes (mart and Rebecca Rusch raced many epic international adventure races together) and it was Rebecca's kili experience that planted the seed for us. We were adamant we didn't want any assistance and wanted to follow the actual hiking route from the Kilimanjaro National Park Gates via Horombo to the summit- signing off that we wouldn't ride our bikes untill we reached Horombo camp. Having to manhandle our bikes to 5895m is what made the 'regular' Kilimanjaro hike a challenge for us - we were told regularly that it wouldn't be possible to summit with our bikes due to the steep gradient (4km/1000m ascent) and loose shale from Kibo camp - but this is how and why we try to redefine our limits and test ourselves. (And I certainly wouldn't recommend taking your bike with to kili if you dislike walking with your bike untill a specific bike route becomes an option) So yes, media do sensationalize stories but then we are the first husband and wife couple to summit with Cannondales [emoji16]

Exceptional - what a privilege it must be to be part a couple who both share a love of redefining what is possible. Well done.

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