TOBY STORIE-PUGH

In November 2019 I will lead the first ever attempt to walk the length of the 3000-mile Congo River.

With co-leader & guide Boston Ndoole and filmmaker Simone Bazos we will be seeking not only to complete one of the world's last great remaining adventures, but use our access to the region to bring back stories of those Congolese people whose voices are so rarely heard.

For more information visit the expedition website here.

From the headwater of the Chambeshi River the expedition descends 300 miles into the Bangweulu Swamp. The Luapula heads north from this 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. 

The following 1000 miles will represent 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, so 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 is just a few hundred miles away. At last the finish line draws close. 

I have a deep-seated need to seek out adventure, to put myself into situations that will force me to find the best of myself. It is an instinctual drive and impossible to explain. However, it would be anathema to me to devote three years of my life to what is essentially a selfish task.

This is why it is so important that this expedition be leveraged to achieve significant and lasting social change. I offer it up freely as a tool to serve that purpose.