British explorer and extreme athlete Ash Dykes is preparing to embark on a 700-kilometre expedition down the Sangha River in the Congo Basin, taking on a remote rainforest environment known for its dangerous wildlife and difficult conditions.
Dykes will begin the journey in Nola, Central African Republic, and travel downstream to Mossaka in the Republic of Congo. He plans to complete the route in about a month, covering roughly 30 to 40 kilometres a day.
The expedition will see Dykes use an inflatable kayak alongside a local guide and a videographer.
The journey marks the first mission of his ambitious Project Six, a year-long challenge in which he plans to complete six expeditions across six extreme environments.
Dykes describes Project Six as “six expeditions. Six extreme environments. One global adventure series.”
The initiative will combine exploration, human performance, indigenous knowledge and documentation of the pressures facing remote environments.
The Congo mission presents several risks from the moment Dykes enters the Sangha River.
The surrounding rainforest is home to hippopotamuses, crocodiles, forest elephants, gorillas, snakes and other wildlife. The expedition will also expose the team to tropical diseases, contaminated water, extreme heat and humidity and long distances from medical facilities.
Dykes has acknowledged that the dangers extend beyond encounters with animals.
“Malaria. Infection. Water that cannot be trusted. Heat and humidity that do not let up after dark,” his Project Six website states, adding that the team will spend several days at a time away from the nearest doctor.
The explorer has also taken steps to prepare for emergencies. The team has arranged medical kits, evacuation plans, insurance and satellite communication equipment.
Dykes told PEOPLE that the expedition team will carry ration packs and camp along the Sangha as they make their way downstream.
“Even camping at night, there are a lot of elephant corridors throughout the forest, and we cannot pitch our tent on one of those corridors because they won’t really care if you’re in the way or not,” he said.
The choice of an inflatable kayak may appear unusual given the wildlife and river conditions, but Dykes said the equipment offers practical advantages.
“It’s the most robust, but it’s also easy to portage,” he said.
The team will also rely heavily on local knowledge.
Before starting the river journey, Dykes plans to spend time with communities that have lived in the rainforest for generations.
His Project Six plans specifically highlight indigenous knowledge as one of the central elements of the expedition.
Dykes will also work with local partners and support a grassroots NGO while documenting the river, wildlife and communities along the route.
The explorer has spent years preparing for extreme environments.
In 2014, Dykes became the first person to cross Mongolia solo and unsupported, covering more than 1,500 miles in 78 days.
He later travelled across Madagascar, covering more than 1,600 miles and climbing the island’s eight highest mountains. During that expedition, he contracted severe malaria.
Dykes subsequently walked the entire length of China’s Yangtze River, covering about 4,000 miles over 352 days.
His previous expeditions have also taken him into the Amazon rainforest, where he faced extreme heat, insects, infections and dangerous wildlife.
Those experiences have shaped his approach to the Congo expedition, but Dykes accepts that the rainforest can still produce unexpected dangers.
“There’s definitely the fear that anything can happen,” he said. “It is an adventure, and as experienced as I am, I can anticipate what might happen and try to understand, based on experience, how I usually react to those situations.”
Despite the risks, Dykes remains confident about completing the journey with his team.
“I feel that I’ve got what it takes to bring us all back safe and alive,” he said.
The expedition has already generated significant attention online, with social media users reacting to videos showing Dykes’ preparations and questioning his decision to enter the Congo Basin in an inflatable kayak.
Dykes, however, sees the expedition as more than an endurance challenge.
The Congo mission will allow him to document an environment that remains relatively inaccessible to outsiders while highlighting the people, wildlife and environmental pressures affecting the region.
Project Six will also give audiences direct access to his preparations and experiences. Dykes plans to share updates through social media, video and other digital platforms rather than relying solely on traditional television coverage.
