Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

 THE JOURNEY

This expedition covers 3,000 miles of challenging terrain, following the Congo River as it winds across grassy savannah and forges a channel through dense jungle. The team will sleep in hammocks, hunt for food and fend off predators that head their way. However, equipped with state-of-the art satellite communications, it will be able to send realtime updates from the trail, compelling and humbling stories from the Congo. The team will need to demonstrate their mental and physical resilience while maintaining a keen political awareness.

The expedition begins at the headwater of the Chambeshi River in northeastern Zambia. The river descends 300 miles into the Bangweulu Swamp. The Luapula heads north from the swamp, becoming, in turn, the Luvua and the Lualaba. Finally, just before the town of Kisangani, the waterway officially becomes the Congo River. In terms of distance, Kisangani marks the approximate halfway point, although the hardest section is yet to come. It will give the team the chance to reprovision and recover before heading out on the toughest leg of the journey. The following 800 miles is the crux of the expedition.

Incredibly dense jungle and flooded forest will ensure progress is torturously slow. Between Kisangani and Mbandaka, the river loops up and over the equator; the heat and humidity will be desperately oppressive. Emerging from the deep forest, the expedition will close in on Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At this point the Atlantic beckons, just a few hundred miles away. At last the finish line draws close.

Timeline: the expedition is likely to take between 12 and 14 months to complete. It will commence in march 2021.