By Basant El-Faramawy
Welsh extreme adventurer Ash Dykes has returned to London after an 18-day kayaking expedition through the Congo Basin in Central Africa, the first leg of a series he calls Project Six. The 35-year-old paddled 434 miles (800 kilometers) from the Sangha River to the Congo River on an inflatable kayak, spending up to 15 hours a day on the water amid extreme heat, insects, and dense jungle canopy.
Communication blackout sparks concern
A 16-hour loss of contact caused by a Garmin device failure triggered panic among Dykes' millions of social media followers, with some speculating he had encountered life-threatening danger. Dykes said the silence led to both genuine worry and online theories about his possible demise, adding that critics would have called the journey "boring" had he finished safely without incident.
Preparation cited as key to safety
Dykes attributed his safe passage to three to four months of meticulous preparation and reliance on local knowledge. A veteran explorer since age 19, he has previously trekked unsupported across Mongolia, Madagascar, and the Amazon. He said he had postponed the Congo expedition for at least six years due to security concerns and fear of wildlife, but ultimately found the journey "definitely the easiest expedition I've ever done" despite it being the most feared.
Next challenge: frozen Kyrgyzstan mountains
Dykes announced Thursday that his next Project Six expedition will begin November 14, a two-to-three-week horseback crossing of the frozen mountains of Kyrgyzstan. He acknowledged his body has had little time to recover from the Congo's heat and humidity but said the rapid transition between extreme environments is central to the project's design. Dykes promised full communication access during the Kyrgyzstan journey, joking, "We'll have full access to the sky."
