British Explorer Ash Dykes Begins Dangerous 700km Journey Through Congo Basin

Welsh explorer and extreme adventurer Ash Dykes has embarked on a dangerous expedition through the Congo Basin.

Dykes, who is 35 years old, is documenting his journey on TikTok as he navigates one of Africa’s most remote rainforest regions.

He began the expedition from Nola in the Central African Republic and is travelling more than 700 kilometres down the Sangha River in an inflatable kayak.

The journey is expected to take about three to four weeks, and he is accompanied by a local guide and a British videographer.

Project Six

This expedition forms the first mission of Dykes’ ambitious Project Six, a series of six extreme expeditions planned across 12 months.

However, the Congo Basin presents a number of risks for the team such as wildlife, diseases, infections and contaminated water.

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Among the wildlife they could encounter are hippos, Nile crocodiles, forest elephants, gorillas, snakes and other potentially dangerous animals.

Additionally, Dykes has also identified malaria, dengue fever, parasitic infections, contaminated water, extreme heat and humidity, and the distance from medical facilities as major concerns.

Their journey almost encountered problems before it even began.

Complications In The Journey

After arriving in Cameroon, Dykes and his team discovered that luggage containing some of their camping equipment, food, water, and kayak pumps was missing. The luggage was eventually recovered.

In addition, the team also encountered visa complications while travelling overland from Cameroon into the Central African Republic.

They, however, found an alternative route and dealt with roadblocks, checkpoints, bad weather and fallen trees when they eventually reached Nola, the starting point of the river expedition.

On the same note, Dykes has been sharing the preparations and progress of the expedition with his large TikTok audience, giving followers an insight into the equipment, risks and challenges involved.

His Journey On TikTok

His official expedition website identifies TikTok as the fastest platform through which he is documenting Project Six.

However, the Congo adventure is only the latest adventure in a long list of extreme expeditions for Dykes.

In 2014, he became the first recorded person to cross Mongolia solo and unsupported, covering more than 1,500 miles through the Altai Mountains, Gobi Desert and Mongolian Steppe.

Two years later, he traversed Madagascar from north to south through its interior, covering about 1,600 miles while climbing the island’s eight highest mountains.

During the expedition, he contracted a severe form of malaria and faced crocodile-infested rivers, military checkpoints, and other dangers.

Dykes’ Other Expeditions

Between 2018 and 2019, Dykes walked the entire length of China’s Yangtze River, covering about 4,000 miles from its source to the sea in a journey that lasted 352 days.

The expedition was later documented by National Geographic.

He also explored the Amazon region in Suriname in 2024, where he and a team travelled along the Coppename River from its source to the sea using a combination of walking and kayaking.

During the same expedition, he set a record for the fastest ascent of Suriname’s highest mountain in the Amazon.

His adventures were also featured in the television programme Uncharted Amazon with Ash Dykes.

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With the Congo Basin expedition now underway, Dykes is once again taking his followers into an environment where wildlife, disease, isolation and unpredictable conditions could turn the adventure into a fight for survival.

His Congo journey is expected to be followed closely online as he attempts to complete the first mission of Project Six.

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Congo River Basin
PHOTO/iStock