World record-setting explorer Ash Dykes has just announced plans for his next extreme expedition • Uncharted: Suriname will be his most intense yet, and includes attempts at yet three more world records • Explorer will set off to the Amazon jungle an

Monday 15 July, 2024British explorer and extreme athlete Ash Dykes has just announced details of his latest expedition – and it includes attempts at threeworld records. One world-first and two for speed. They’ll add to the punishing three world-firsts that he already holds.

This time, Ash is heading to Suriname, one of the most unexplored regions and greenest countries of the world. 94% rainforest and dense jungle, on the coast of South America, it’s and one of the last truly wild and purest places on Earth.

Uncharted: Suriname is Ash’s fourth major expedition and it’s set to be his most gruelling yet. For some 50 days, he’ll travel the most unexplored tracts of rainforest left on Earth - scaling the country’s two highest peaks and kayaking from the Coppename River’s source to the sea. But he must find it first.

The source has only ever been mapped by satellite, due to the jungle canopy, so its recorded coordinates are inaccurate. Explorersfrom as far back as the 1800’s have attempted the feat but failed,due to disease and the dangerous indigenous wildlife. Now Ash isworking with international societies to officially map it for the first time.

The expedition is being sponsored by Free The Wild, the charity co-founded by global pop-icon and animal advocate, Cher. Ash and his support team of three will document local wildlife – highlighting how it can flourish when left untouched by humanity and the significance of protecting natural environments around the world.

In Suriname, Ash will hunt, fish and gather his food. At night, he’ll sleep in a hammock between trees. And whilst travelling through some of the most dangerous and isolated of environments - home to 20-foot anacondas and other dangerous and terrifying snakes, electric eels and piranhas, caiman hunting jaguars and uncontacted indigenous communities - he’ll carry around 40kg of kit (the weight of a Giant Pacific Octopus) and his inflatable kayak on his back.

This latest 50-day expedition will begin by helicopter, at a location so remote that there will be nowhere to land he’ll have to jump from it into a deep area of the river. His first world-first attempt of the trip is the challenging climb of the 1280m mountain, almost the same height as Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis – in the fastest ever ascent.

He'll then paddle upstream, for around a week, to the base of the country’s second highest peak for yet another Guinness World Record attempt. This time for summiting the country’s two highest peaks of in the fastest time in history.

After, he’ll move on to what may be his toughest challenge of the trip – locating the true and unmapped source of the CoppenameRiver, and then paddling through its challenging rapids to RaleighFalls, and onto a further 100km to the coast. It’s then that Ash willcelebrate his third world record of the trip, his sixth in total, by becoming the first person to kayak from source to sea of what is one of the most remote rivers in the world.

Talking of his latest expedition, Ash said: “This may not be my longest expedition, but it’s set to be my most intense, due to how remote and uncharted the area is. And if anything goes wrong – if we need any medical or emergency assistance – it will be extremely difficult to find and get access to us. It’s a journey that will requireone hundred per cent focus, 24/7. One wrong footing or one little mistake, the Amazon could make us pay the ultimate price.

“I’ve previously traversed mountains and deserts and many other terrains - and faced wild jungles in Madagascar - but this is the first time I’ve undertaken an expedition to the Amazon, which brings with it a huge amount of trepidation. But it also keeps my mind very focussed. The jungle doesn’t give you time to rest, so my preparation is very intense. It’s going to be a real challenge, but one that I’m really excited to take on - it may be one of the last remaining firsts left to claim globally.”

Follow Ash’s daily updates in the run up to his September departureon Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

For further information, visit https://ashdykes.com. To find out about his previous expeditions, visit https://ashdykes.com/expeditions.

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