The raft and customised oar frame embarked upon its maiden voyage in the Pioneer River in Mackay last weekend (click to enlarge).
The team will leave Sept. 15 from the Amazon’s source high in the Andes of Peru on what will be a seven month, 7,000km trek on foot and by raft. Map by Google earth. Image courtesy of the expedition's website (click to enlarge).
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Expedition Amazonas: On foot and raft from source to sea
Posted: Aug 22, 2007 10:01 am EDT
(TheOceans.net) Expedition Amazonas team members are kicking their training sessions into high gear as they prepare for their huge source-to-sea paddle of the Amazon River, set to launch in less than a month.
It's different, it's cool - and it's a big undertaking: Mark Kalch, Philip Swart, Scott Martin, Nathan Welch, Holly Tett, and Adrian Ward, white-water guides from South Africa and Australia will leave Sept. 15 from the Amazon’s source high in the Andes of Peru on what will be a seven month, 7,000km trek on foot and by raft.
The team will face tough terrain on their way to the mouth of the Amazon on the coast of Brazil, including highly demanding whitewater sections.
"In no way is the awesome power of the Amazon being underestimated,” team member Mark Kalch said. “However, we are extremely excited to tackle this challenge head on.”
The expedition is partnered with environmental and indigenous rights action group, Amazon Watch, with the intention of highlighting “the absolute need for a balance between global, sustainable development and the protection of the earth's natural environment, along with its most vulnerable populations,” Kalch stated.
Check out more about this upcoming project on the expedition website.
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