Why this ride
From Jojoima it runs 333 km to Jojoima; allow about 10 h 33 of riding. It goes by way of Gola Central, Gola South and back through Gola Central. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Gola North and Gola South
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 333 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 10 h 33
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Gola North
Forest this tall and this old is rare in West Africa now, and the Gola rainforest in eastern Sierra Leone is one of the largest pieces left of the Upper Guinean belt that once ran from Guinea to Ghana. Gola North is the northern block of the national park, which was formally established in 2011 and runs along the border with Liberia, where the forest continues into a matching protected area on the other side. It is a place where conservation has been built on top of a very hard recent history, because the civil war of 1991 to 2002 passed through this region and left deep scars.
Read the complete Gola North write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gola North is where the day begins. Next is Gola Central.
2. Gola Central
Gola is the last big block of the Upper Guinean rainforest in Sierra Leone, and the central part of it lies close to the border with Liberia in the south-east of the country. Sierra Leone made it a national park in 2011, after decades of logging and the shock of a civil war that ran from 1991 to 2002, and it is run with the help of local communities, who receive a share of the benefits and who have a role in protecting the trees. The forest is split into three main blocks, North, Central and South, and the centre is the heart of the system.
Read the complete Gola Central write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gola Central comes up 51 km in. Next is Gola South.
3. Gola South
At the eastern edge of Sierra Leone, on the border with Liberia, there is one of the last big tracts of rainforest in West Africa. The Gola forest, which is split into several blocks, is part of the Upper Guinean forest, a hotspot of biodiversity, and its trees tower up to fifty metres, forming a dense canopy that blocks out the sun. It is home to the pygmy hippopotamus, a shy, forest-dwelling relative of the river hippo, the western chimpanzee, the Diana monkey, the red colobus, the forest elephant and the white-breasted guineafowl, and it has an astonishing array of birds, butterflies and frogs. Gola Rainforest National Park was created in 2011 to protect it.
Read the complete Gola South write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
103 km in you reach Gola South. Next is back through Gola Central.
4. back through Gola Central
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Gola Central write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Gola Central, late in the day. Next is Gola North.
5. Gola North
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Gola North write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Gola North. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Gola North to Gola Central
Gola North → Gola Central is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Gola Central to Gola South
Gola Central → Gola South is 65 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Gola South to back through Gola Central
Gola South → back through Gola Central is 65 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Gola Central to Gola North
back through Gola Central → Gola North is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Gola North and Gola-Tiwai Complex · 435 km
- Gola Central and Gola-Tiwai Complex · 425 km