Professional adventurer Ash Dykes, a content creator who also calls himself a world traveler and extreme athlete, is set to kayak down the Congo Basin. He detailed the trip in several TikTok videos leading up to the expedition, and for those who hadn’t heard of him before, following along has been quite an edge-of-your-seat moment for other users on the app.
According to Ash’s videos, he plans to use an inflatable kayak on the 700-kilometer (or 434-mile) trek down the basin, part of the Congo River in Africa. The reason? Well, that isn’t immediately clear in some of Ash’s videos. But, for the most part, it seems to be in the name of continuing his world travels and adventures.
Who is Ash Dykes on TikTok?
@ash_dykes 24 days, counting down until I’m dropped into the the Congo Basin to travel the length of the Sangha River 700+km! It’s getting real!! #project6 #congo ♬ Black Star – Lustmord
Ash isn’t a regular content creator doing wild stunts for attention. He’s a cool content creator who does wild stunts for attention. OK, it does go a bit beyond that. According to his website, Ash is a motivational speaker, a Five-Time World record holder, an extreme athlete, and an explorer. He has quite literally made it his job to explore the world and accomplish feats that not many, if anyone, has ever done before him.
As a result, Ash has starred in TV documentaries about his travels, like Walking the Yangtze With Ash Dykes and The Great Wall with Ash Dykes. Before he announced plans to kayak the Congo Basin, he had accomplished plenty of other physical feats, including a 4,000-mile hike along the Yangtze River in China that took him almost a year to complete.
As Ash prepares for his Congo trip, new fans are here for the ride. When Ash posted a video as part of his continued countdown to when he starts the adventure, users commented to either share their excitement or joke that Ash won’t be coming back from this one.
“First time being in a documentary, kinda nervous,” one person joked.
Another commented, “Are you trying to kill us with anxiety on your behalf?”
Other users suggested that Ash livestream the trip. Whether or not he does that at any point during the excursion, he will likely share videos and posts along the way.
Why is he going to kayak the Congo Basin?
@ash_dykes 23 days now…until I kayak in an inflatable kayak down the Sangha River over 700km to where it meets the Congo river… #project6 #congo ♬ original sound – ash_dykes
When Ash started hinting at his next challenge which, in this case, became the river adventure in an inflatable kayak, some of his social media followers wondered why. In 2017, Ash spoke to Medium about his plans for the next 10 to 20 years at that point. By then, he had been kee deep in his adventures around the world and, he told the outlet, he wanted to combine some of his wildest adventures into one long series in one place, which is what he is doing with his Congo Basin trip.
“I like the idea of not being a one-trick pony [walking countries],” he said. “As I have the scuba qualifications, I’m a trained martial artist, and I’ve been through physical and mental training, I want to try and combine it all. I want to spread it out so that the Ash Dykes brand isn’t just in one category and allows for a wider range of people to relate to what I do.”
Is it dangerous to kayak through the Congo rainforest?
@ash_dykes 24 days before I paddle 700+km through the Congo basin. The length of the Sangha river all the way until it pours into the Congo river…
♬ Deep Attractor – Lustmord
According to BBC Wildlife magazine, the Congo rainforest is full of different species of birds, trees, and fish, but also home to wild animals like leopards, buffalos, and bush elephants. Diseases like Ebola could pose a larger threat than animals, though, due to potentially contaminated water.
Since Ash has admitted to contracting malaria before, however, he probably knows exactly what he’s in for.
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