RIDE THE RIFT: EVENT BRIEFING

R I D E R O U T E The route is from the bridge (1,172m) marking the Afar/Amhara border 2km east of Gacheni to the foot of Palace Lodge and covers a total distance of 30km with 1546 metres of climbing. Most of the route is asphalt road. However, there are two sections of gravel road: the first at 18.6km just past the town of for 5.4km, and a second shorter 1km section in the final stretch coming up to Ankober. The toughest part of the route is on the first of these gravel sections where there are some steep gradients. The highest point on the ride is the Finish at Ankober Lodge (2,718m). Because of the early start time all ride participants have to stay overnight on Friday in Ankober or at the Kundi Community Site (see below). To make it a memorable weekend we recommend that participants also stay overnight on Saturday night before returning to .

I T I N E R A R Y - the itinerary for the weekend is as follows:

Friday 1pm Meet at Tesfa Tours office, Kebena, Addis Ababa 1.30pm Transport departs for Kundi/Ankober 5-6pm Arrive at Kundi Evening dinner and overnight (Those staying at Ankober Palace Lodge will continue and have dinner there) Evening: bikes loaded onto Isuzu truck

Saturday 6.15-6.45am Breakfast at Kundi 7am Transport departs from Kundi 7.45am Transport departs from Ankober Lodge 9am Arrive at Start 9.30am Start of Ride the Rift Charity Bike Ride 12-2pm (approximate times) Finish ride* Lunch for all participants, families, guests and media at Ankober Palace Lodge From 4pm Transfer to Kundi Evening BBQ and overnight at Kundi *there is no time limit for slower riders

Sunday From 8am Breakfast 10am Transport departs for Addis Ababa 11.30am Stop in Debre Birhan 4pm Arrive back in Addis; collect bikes RIDE THE RIFT: EVENT BRIEFING

T R A N S P O R T T O A N D F R O M T H E E V E N T Included in your event package price is transport to and from the event from Addis Ababa. We will be using a coaster bus and a fleet of 4WDs. Those travelling in the coaster bus will transfer into other 4WDs in Debre Birhan and travel the final section on the dirt road in these vehicles. Participants are welcome to use their own transport to travel to and from the event. Please indicate on the Registration Form whether you plan to use the event transport or whether you will be travelling independently.

P A R T I C I P A N T A N D B I K E T R A N S P O R T T O T H E S T A R T On Saturday morning transport to the Start for both participants and their bikes will be available in event vehicles. The bikes will be loaded onto Isuzu trucks on Friday evening and taken to the Start on Saturday morning. Participants will be taken in 4WDs to the start. We would like to suggest that participants do not use their own transport/drivers for getting to the Start.

A C C O M M O D A T I O N We are offering three accommodation options for the weekend. The basic package includes two nights’ camping at Kundi Community Site. Tents and sleeping equipment will be provided for you and your tents will be erected for you before your arrival on Friday evening. A small number of beds in the guesthouses at the Kundi site are also available on a first-come, first-served basis for a supplementary payment of 500 birr for the 2 nights. Additionally, there are a small number of twin and family rooms available at Ankober Palace Lodge, also on a first-come, first served basis. Pricing is given on our homepage. If you have any special requests for rooming arrangements for other family members travelling with you, please email us with details. Please note that there is limited availability for the non-camping options. Please also note that the campsite is located at around 3,500m so you will need plenty of warm clothing, particularly for the early mornings!

P R I C E R E D U C T I O N S F O R T H O S E N O T P A R T IC IP A T IN G I N T H E R I DE If you have friends of other family members who wish to join you for the event without taking part in the ride, we are offering discounted rates from the advertised package prices. Please refer to the event landing page for more details. You do not need to complete a registration form for non-ride participants, but please notify us by email or when you come to pay your registration fee. RIDE THE RIFT: EVENT BRIEFING

C O V I D - 1 9 P R E C A U T I O N S All participants and other friends and family members must wear masks when travelling in event transport. We will also be carrying out temperature checks before setting off from Addis Ababa for those using event transport and on the morning of the event. Hand sanitisers will be available at places of accommodation, but we also ask participants to bring their own hand sanitisers. Participants should also try to keep a safe distance of 2m from others when assembling in large groups, such as at the start of the ride and during group meals. Participants should not take part in the event if they show any symptoms of the virus in the days before the event.

KEY ACTIONS BY PARTICIPANTS (summary)

PARTICIPANTS & GUESTS SHOULD:

BRING MASKS AND POCKET SANITIZER WEAR MASK IN EVENT VEHICLES WEAR MASK IN INDOOR SPACES WHERE DISTANCING CAN' T BE GUARANTEED WASH HANDS FREQUENTLY, AVOID TOUCHING FACE EXPECT REGULAR CONTACT-LESS TEMPERATURE SCREENING TRY TO ENSURE DISTANCING PARTICULARLY AT ASSEMBLY TIMES USE PERSONAL REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE

KEY ACTIONS BY ORGANISERS (summary)

THE ORGANISERS WILL:

WEAR MASKS IN EVENT VEHICLES PROVIDE SIMPLE HAND WASH FACILITIES AND SANITISERS AT KUNDI SITE PERFORM TEMPERATURE CHECKS ON PARTICIPANTS/GUESTS DURING WEEKEND PERFORM TEMPERATURE CHECKS ON STAFF?CAMP HELPERS DURING WEEKEND PROVIDE MASKS FOR STAFF/CAMP HELPERS FOR WEEKEND TRY TO ENSURE DISTANCING PARTICULARLY AT ASSEMBLY TIMES RIDE THE RIFT: EVENT BRIEFING

P A Y I N G F O R Y O U R P A C K A G E Your place in the ride will be confirmed only after you have made your payment. You can submit your registration form as an email attachment (using the email [email protected]) but you must make your payment in person, either at the Addis Ababa offices of Tesfa Tours (0921 602236) or Simien Eco Tours (0920 732527). If you are registering as an international participant and do not reside in , please email us and we will give you details of how to pay.

P R E P A R I N G F O R T H E R I D E Although the ride distance is not particularly long, the ride is still a tough challenge in view of the amount of climbing, the heat at the start of the ride and the high altitudes reached towards the end of the ride. We therefore strongly recommend that you do some training rides in the weeks leading up to the event. The plan is that all participants will begin the ride from the Start on the Afar/Amhara border. However, if you feel that you might not be able to complete the full distance, please notify us at least two days before the event. It may be possible for us to set a shorter distance for these riders. Please also note that we are keen to reduce waste, and are asking you to bring your own refillable water bottles for the ride water for which will be provided. All riders participating in the event will receive a special finishers’ t-shirt at the end of the ride.

F U N D R A I S I N G The aim of the event is to raise as much money as possible for those working in Ethiopia’s tourist industry who have been left without income because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All receipts from participant packages after event costs have been covered will go to this cause. Additionally, participants may also like to do their own fundraising, details of which can be found on our landing page.

F I N A L D E T A I L S All those who register for the ride will receive by email a Final Briefing information in the week of the event.