Kampala to Gulu Walk; Hot, Tough
After walking a cumulative 360km in 10 days, under one of the hottest temperatures on record, the #JoeWalker Kampala to Gulu road safety awareness walk team entered Gulu City at 12:09pm on 5th March 2025.
Days before we set off, the weather flipped, offsetting our original forecast of warm temperatures to very hot. I flirted with the idea of rescheduling the walk but never discussed it with the team. And then, the team after running a dry run actually reduced the walking duration by a day meaning we had longer distances to walk on average. I prayed, worked on my mental preparation and stepped up my resilience training in the gym. I cut down on the cardio sessions to balance the body for a more challenging endurance test. But nothing could prepare me for walking 50km under 37 degrees C and be ready for 40km the following day at 36 degrees C.
The real heat wave hit us hard on Day Two as we entered Luweero. By the time we got shelter at 12:30pm, for most of us, our noses were dripping. Others nursed sore throats while others a blend of the two. As we checked in for a rest, the voices were low. That night I thought I would crash out and require more than an alarm clock to wake up. Instead, I hardly slept. It was too hot, uncomfortable, I couldn’t even enter the covers. I spent the night taking endless amounts of water.
Before long, the morning rescued me from my misery and its was time to pick up our bags and hit the road again. On the third day, we did a 47km trek under the highs of 39 degrees C and lows of 21 degrees C. We attacked the day before the roosters’ craw, and realized that the morning cold was not just chilly but really cold.
Having experienced the extremes of hot and cold temperatures, armed with a thorough detailed weather forecast and staring at the reality of the challenge ahead of us, we borrowed from our experience of the previous 3 walks and quickly reviewed our tactics and schedule. We decided to start our walks very early in the morning and relentlessly walk and ensure we were off the road before it was time for the sun to take center stage and show off. We also readjusted or all together skipped some of the road safety engagements with some communities to ensure we arrived alive.
“When the hunters learn how to shoot without missing, the birds will learn how to fly with our perching,” that famous proverb states. We adopted, assaulted and conquered the hottest, longest and most challenging #JoeWalker road safety awareness 360km Kampala to Gulu walk.
The talk may sound easy and logical, but this is what made it possible.
Don’t fool yourself, without a thorough team managing all the logistic details, the challenge can easily grow wings. The amazing “#JoeWalker Army” of Joseph Odoi, Dinah Namulindwa, and Mrs. Sarah Nalule Walakira the leader, carried out a dry run to inspect the route looking out for possible service providers for food, lodging, water, rest points and potatoes weeks before the walk. As soon as day one got underway, they quickly profiled us down to food and refreshment preference details. As the walkers battled with mileage under the scorching heat, provisions were none of our worries. They took care of every detail and nothing small was left to chance. They manage when and where to take a break, resume the walk and what time we should all be off the road. All this is guided by detailed notes our route planner Dr. Ivan Bamweyana an accomplished Geostatician provides. He observes and plans the route and provides us finer details to the weather breakdown of every hour, the terrain, elevation and everything that we’ll encounter on the road. This is the invisible army that kept us safe, alive and energetic through a record walk at the peak of solar cycle 11, with a feel of 42 degrees, UV at 13 and extreme humidity of 70% plus.
My biggest take away – what ever circumstances you find yourself in, you can always navigate your way through if you are interested and determined. We couldn’t control the extreme weather but we had an option to maximize the controllables under our control. And this team did an amazing job.
After the sun chased us off the specific daytime slots, we resorted to early mornings and late evenings. Early mornings on the Gulu highway came with exposure to new challenges: hundreds of speeding vehicles, reckless driving and a road with no safe provisions for pedestrians. Armed with our reflective wear and headlamps, we soon devised ways to safely navigate that. We also discovered a new thrill that helped us embrace the cold chilly mornings – the hunt for beautiful sunrises. Armed with the route plan and the features and landmarks to expect ahead, we started looking out for sunrises, and how many kilometers we needed to cover before we caught the sunrise at which river. Even when we had to hit the road at 4:30am, the prospect of catching a beautiful sunrise at a nice spot, made the abrupt changes to our schedule easy to adopt. When life throws the unexpected at you, look out for a new thrill, in any case every cloud has a silver lining.
This Kampala to Gulu walk, the 4th national walk under #JoeWalker attracted the smallest number of participants for many reasons. The extreme heat and high expenses. An individual walker needed at least Shs100,000 to take care of their daily expenses that includes feeding and accommodation. The other expenses were covered by partners. Many registered and were interested in walking but the costs and timing became prohibitive. With a small team of seven passionate walkers, we had unity in purpose and everyone fully understood and embraced the cause. We had no thrill seekers. Being on the same page and walking for something bigger than any of us (to create awareness for road safety) made it easier to push on even when things got hard. It was never about us but a journey to ensure you get home safe. It also made the interactions with the roadside communities easier because any of us could easily engage and not just a #JoeWalker as it was before. Because of the heat, talking a lot became hard. We learnt to open our mouths sparingly. But with everyone on the team conversant with the mission, we shared the responsibility and spoke in turns. It’s a very simple thing but it made a huge difference.
Then we stocked and armed ourselves with the best weapons anyone could find. To take no chances, we all packed at least an extra pair of shoes and as many sets of shirts and shorts we could afford. I went for bright colored shirts especially the colors that reflect heat and completed the outfit with “the highest cushioned running shoes… the MagMax NITRO”. I have previously used Hoka, New Balance, and Nike but the experience with this Puma MagMax Nitro was special. All the other shoes tend to get weak and soft under extreme heat and sometimes I would end up with tired calfs and blisters, but this Puma gave me an extra spring regardless of the change in conditions around my feet. And I can say I finished the longest, hottest and toughest Kampala to Gulu walk with all my toe nails intact, no single blister, and my calfs and knees in great shape. I took a gamble on Puma and they delivered as promised. If you can, please always study your challenge and equip accordingly.
Fnally, we prayed and trusted God for every step, favor, provision and safety on the road. Every morning before we stepped out, we prayed. Also, with a pastor on our team, walking with the rear guard, I know he was covering us in prayer as he strolled on with his gentle giant steps. That walk without God wouldn’t have been possible.
Its was Tough, Hot and Long, but every step was worth it.
