A fearless Welsh explorer has completed a dangerous 500-mile expedition kayaking through the Congo Basin after 18 days battling relentless heat, storms and exhaustion and coming face-to-face with a huge silverback gorilla.
Ash Dykes has successfully kayaked along the Sangha River in Central Africa, reaching the point where it flows into the Congo River.
The 35-year-old adventurer announced the milestone in an emotional video shared on social media, capturing the moment he and his team completed the gruelling journey through one of the world’s most remote wildernesses.
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In the clip, Ash, from Old Colwyn in North Wales, could be heard declaring: “We have just passed the little land which dictates where the Sangha River crosses into the Congo River, and we’re officially in the Congo River.
“We have done it, guys, we have done it.”
Captioning the video, he wrote: “We did it. 800km. 18 days.
“After 18 days kayaking through the heart of the Congo Basin, we’ve officially completed our journey along the Sangha River.
“From storms, relentless heat and exhaustion to incredible wildlife encounters, remote communities and days completely off-grid.
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“What an adventure this has been.
“There were moments that tested us, setbacks we never expected and plenty of people who doubted we’d make it.
“But we never gave up.
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“And now, we’ve done it.”
The explorer had spent weeks navigating the river while camping in the wilderness and relying on supplies carried by his team, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Along the way, he encountered African killer bees, severe temperatures and dangerous storms.
In one extraordinary moment, Ash came within around five metres of a silverback gorilla after he and his team spent approximately two hours tracking the animals through the jungle.
Footage shared online showed the enormous gorilla in its natural habitat as Ash calmly announced: “Silverback gorilla, right here.”
In a separate video, he said: “Most of you said it was impossible, most of you said I was going to die, even betting I’d be eaten by a hippo, taken by an elephant or ripped apart by a gorilla.”
One commenter said: “You did it.
“Heck ya.
“So awesome.
“Looking forward to the next location.”
Someone else added: “Early. Congratulations.”
A third person said: “Why do people want this guy to be eaten by a hippo so bad?”
Someone else said: “Something is not adding up You’re not dead?”
A fifth person added: “Congrats. This has been such an amazing journey to watch…”
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