Adventurer Ash Dykes, 35, has completed the first of six planned expeditions, navigating over 434 miles (700 km) along rivers in the Congo Basin. The journey involved encounters with elephants, gorillas, and bees, and a period of lost contact with his UK-based team.
Dykes, who holds five world records, experienced a power failure with his portable satellite kit towards the end of the expedition. This resulted in nearly 24 hours of lost communication, causing concern for his family and team. "My parents and fiancée were worrying but as soon as I had a bit of signal I made sure I got in touch," Dykes stated.
Project 6 and Lessons Learned
This expedition is the first in Dykes' "Project 6" challenge, which will see him undertake six distinct expeditions in extreme environments. He previously walked the length of China's Yangtze River and kayaked the Coppename River in Suriname. Reflecting on the communication blackout, Dykes noted the need for a less immediate "live" update format for future expeditions. "I don't think the world's ready for a truly live expedition so I've learned from that... If I lose contact again with the team, we have to keep it within the team because I do know that that hit alarms and a lot of people were stressed and panicked," he said.
Navigating the Congo Basin
The primary challenges during the Congo Basin expedition included extreme heat during prolonged periods of kayaking and the presence of wildlife such as crocodiles and hippos. Dykes emphasized the importance of heeding local advice and monitoring conditions for safety. He highlighted spending time with the Baka tribe, who demonstrated their survival and hunting techniques. During this time, Dykes also observed a group of gorillas, including a silverback, within Sanga National Park from a close distance.
Dykes was accompanied by local guide Obed Temba Tuyumvire and videographer Will Perez. Despite the intensity of the experience, Dykes mentioned losing 11 lbs (5 kg) due to a diet primarily consisting of ration packs. He described the journey as having "ups and downs" and seeing "crazy wildlife," ultimately concluding that "we've survived." Dykes plans to reveal details of the second stage of Project 6, which he hinted will be in a colder climate, in the coming week.