I slept off a crushing dehydration headache and rose early to leave our campsite at the Rift Valley Motor & Sports Club. Presently, we were cycling through huge sisal plantations taking regular pit stops to regroup so that no one got lost.

Mary, our 60 year old, retired early - her hybrid bike not suited to the rocky terrain. The track, where suspension really paid dividends, demanded intense concentration and sheer strength not to come off. I, like many of the others, started suffering from severe vibration numbness in my fingers, due to constant pressure on the brakes.

We crossed the equator and after one hour and 40 minutes, took a lazy lunch. A few were really suffering in the stifling heat of the lower altitudes, but our minders hopped around with cooling spray guns. Most of the group took dioraylte to combat fluid loss.

We cycled through Maji Moto where the thermometer tipped 38°c. Here we made a scheduled stop at the local school. They put on an impressive display of traditional singing and dancing and in gratitude, we handed out pens and pencils which were like gold dust.

As they sung us off, we sped down boulder-strewn descents towards Lake Bogoria, our northernmost point. The small inclines of the last 12km were worsened as fatigue crept in. I stopped to look at a turtle which proved a mistake as my legs cramped and I felt my energy levels drop off immediately. The hotel was a welcome sight and we headed straight for its natural hot spa which eased our aching limbs. We had dropped approximately 4000 feet in one day.

I noted how much fluid I consumed in the day: six liters of water (Camelbak); three glasses of lemon squash; one dioraylte; six cokes; and, three orange juices!