Ash Dykes Begins 700km Congo Kayak Expedition

There is a particular kind of ambition that chooses the most dangerous place on Earth as its stage—an ambition that does not seek comfort or safety but rather the confrontation with the wildest, most unforgiving corners of the planet. Ash Dykes, a 35-year-old Welsh adventurer, has spent his life seeking out those corners. He has trekked solo across Mongolia, walked the full length of Madagascar, and become the first person to walk the entire 6,400-kilometer Yangtze River in China. His next challenge, which began last weekend, is perhaps his most audacious: a 700-kilometer journey down the Sangha River in the Congo Basin, paddling an inflatable kayak through water teeming with crocodiles, hippos, and parasites, in one of the most remote rainforests on Earth .

The expedition is the first phase of "Project 6," a year-long endeavor in which Dykes will undertake six expeditions across six different environments in roughly twelve months. The Congo mission began with a flight to Cameroon, where Dykes and his support team—including a videographer and a local guide—will drive two to three days to reach the jungle. From there, they will paddle the Sangha River from the Central African Republic to the Republic of Congo, a journey expected to take about three weeks .

Dykes has been candid with his more than 2.5 million TikTok followers about the dangers. "There are crocodiles and hippos, forest elephants, gorillas, snakes and spiders," he said. "There are also all sorts of diseases, like malaria and dengue. And then parasites, which are a major concern." He has said it is "impossible" that he will not return with a parasite, citing the risk of river blindness—a condition caused by a parasitic worm transmitted through the bite of an infected blackfly, which can lead to irreversible blindness . The hippopotamus, which kills around 500 people each year in Africa, is among the most dangerous animals he will encounter. "It would be amazing to see a forest elephant or a silverback gorilla," Dykes said. "I definitely don't want to come face-to-face with a Nile crocodile, that's for sure" .

The expedition's start was delayed by a mundane but significant problem: a bag containing the pumps needed to inflate the kayaks was stuck in Paris. "It's not ideal," Dykes said in a video posted from Cameroon. The bag was recovered within 24 hours, and the team resumed their journey. The delay prompted some of his followers to speculate about divine intervention. "Burnt toast theory. The delay saved you from something," one commented. Another wrote, "Dude it might be a sign." Dykes dismissed the concern. "What can you do?" he said. "You just got to crack on. It is all part of the mission" .

Dykes' path to extreme adventuring was unconventional. He worked in a fish and chip shop and as a lifeguard in Wales to fund his travels. He cycled the length of Cambodia and Vietnam on a £10 bicycle. He draws inspiration from James Bond, Action Man, and Tomb Raider. "I wanted to fly, jump out of a helicopter, breathe underwater, be dropped in the desert," he said. His previous expeditions have included surviving landslides in the Alps, being held at gunpoint by a drunk military officer, and being chased by Tibetan mastiffs. He has been charged by African elephants and pursued by a pack of wolves in western China . The Sangha River, with its powerful undercurrents, whirlpools, and rapids, will test him in ways that previous challenges have not. The journey has begun. The jungle is waiting.

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Sources: The Albany Advertiser, QUB radio, E! Online, K24 Digital