Adrien’s Africa End-to-End Update
We’ve been planning to do an update of Adrien Liechti’s Africa End-to-End record attempt. But just after he sent us photos and stories, his tracker stopped in Cameroon. For almost two weeks, we had no news from Adrien. Needless to say, we were worried, and so were his many friends and followers. Fortunately, he resurfaced, but he couldn’t give details about what happened until he’d left Cameroon—and then he didn’t have any Internet for days while cycling in the Congo. Here is Adrien’s story:
“Finally I can reply. Basically, what happened is this: I took a video of a bridge that was considered a sensitive structure. I was unaware that I was in a restricted area. I was arrested by the military. They erased the video clip—I was fine with that, of course—but then they still decided to incarcerate me in a converted performance hall in Yaoundé. I was not allowed access to my belongings, nor my phone. I was not able to contact the Swiss embassy, nor my family and friends. I was not questioned per se, but I was put under, let’s say, a lot of pressure. The make-shift prison had 29 inmates in a space of just 25 square meters (270 sq ft).
“Fortunately, my tracker had remained on. A touring cyclist found me and then provided my location to the Swiss embassy. After that, things went very quickly, and I was released.
“While imprisoned, I contracted malaria, but I decided to continue and not lose sight of my goal. Today, I’m cured, and now I’m Angola. However, my tracker was stolen, so I use my cell phone for tracking whenever I can. It’s a little less accurate, but it does the job.
“You probably want to know about my tires, too. After 7,500 km, I put a new Poteau Mountain 700×48 on the rear. I’m carrying the old one with me, and I’ll put it on the front when that tire is wearing out. I’m now almost 13,000 km into my ride, and that’s the front tire after all those kilometers in the photo above. I think my tires should last the 5,000 km until the finish. No flats to report so far. During the first 35 days, I only added air once to my tubeless setup.
Thanks for the update, Adrien! We admire your spirit and positive outlook. And those tires show the hard life they’ve lived! We’re glad they’ve been working well for you.
Before Adrien’s misadventure in Cameroon, we asked him to send some photos of the roads he’s been encountering in central Africa, and we want to share those with our readers.
African roads vary greatly. Modern cities like Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s largest city and roughly the half-way point of Adrien’s journey, feature well-maintained roads.
Away from the cities, there are new highways at times…
…but it often doesn’t take long for the pavement to deteriorate.
Gravel roads can be (relatively) smooth…
…or rough and rutted.
Crossing bridges can be an adventure.
Apart from the roads, there’s also the local wildlife to consider.
Road conditions are a challenge for all traffic. The motto on the truck’s side—’No condition is permanent’—is a good philosophy for traveling in Africa.
When asked why he’s continuing after his difficult journey, Adrien replied that it’s because of the people he’s meeting. He wrote: “The encounters I have along the way are what drive this journey. Even though this is a fully self-supported adventure, the truth is that without the people I meet on the road, none of this would be possible.”
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