Ash Dykes and his crew faced visa problems, missing equipment and difficult overland travel before reaching Nola in the Central African Republic, where the British adventurer is preparing to begin a 434-mile journey down the Sangha River.
The expedition, which will see Dykes travel by inflatable kayak from Nola to Mossaka in the Republic of the Congo, has already encountered several unexpected obstacles. Dykes has been documenting the setbacks on social media, giving followers a look at the challenges involved in reaching the remote starting point before the river journey itself begins.
Dykes travelled from London to Cameroon with his videographer and a local guide to begin the overland trip into the Central African Republic. Upon arriving in Cameroon, the group discovered that some of their luggage had gone missing. The lost bags contained essential equipment, including tents and pumps needed to inflate their kayaks.
The missing gear was only the beginning of their difficulties. In a subsequent video shared on TikTok, Dykes explained that the group had spent four days travelling through a series of checkpoints and dealing with other complications as they attempted to cross from Cameroon into the Central African Republic.
According to Dykes, the team encountered problems with their visa paperwork and could not enter the country using the documents they had prepared. They were forced to find an alternative overland route to reach their destination.
In another video, Dykes explained that the problem stemmed from a QR code required for the visa application process. The documents the team had obtained were intended for air travel into Bangui, the Central African Republic’s capital, rather than entry by land. He said the rules had changed over the previous year, leaving the group with paperwork that was not valid for their intended route.
Dykes said the officials handling the matter were polite but could not allow the team to enter under the documents they presented. He recalled being told that entry was not possible, even if the group offered money. The team therefore had to seek the correct paperwork and work out another way to continue their journey.
The delay brought further difficulties. Dykes described arriving at the relevant office just as a storm broke, with lightning striking nearby. Later, the group boarded a motorboat and travelled upstream for two hours in darkness, with rain and lightning surrounding them after sunset.
The team eventually made it into the Central African Republic, but the journey to Nola remained difficult. Dykes reported encountering more checkpoints and fallen trees along the route, adding to the delays before the expedition could reach its starting point.
Despite the setbacks, the group arrived in Nola, a remote town where Dykes plans to begin paddling south along the Sangha River towards Mossaka in the Republic of the Congo. The river expedition is expected to cover 434 miles and last approximately one month, with an inflatable kayak serving as his main means of transport.
Dykes also responded to followers who had expressed concern about the delays and questioned whether the expedition would begin as planned. He said the team had anticipated difficulties reaching Nola, explaining that few people travel to the area and that the route does not follow a straightforward paved road.
With the group finally at the river, Dykes said he planned to begin preparations at sunrise, allowing about an hour to inflate and set up the kayaks. He described the stretch of the Sangha near Nola as narrow, murky and fast-flowing, conditions that will shape the opening stage of the journey.
Ash Dykes Heads Into the Congo Basin for a 700-Kilometre River Expedition
The river expedition is the first of six planned adventures under Dykes’ new project, known as “Project Six”. The explorer has been sharing preparations and updates with an online audience of more than one million followers on TikTok and nearly 600,000 on Instagram.
The journey also carries significant risks beyond the logistical problems encountered before launch. In an interview with PEOPLE in September, Dykes identified crocodiles, hippos, forest elephants, gorillas, snakes and spiders among the wildlife he expects to encounter. He also raised concerns about diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, as well as parasites.
After the Sangha River expedition, Dykes expects to have just two weeks before beginning the next stage of Project Six. He has teased that the following adventure will take place in a location where temperatures reach around 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or approximately minus 15 degrees Celsius.
For now, the immediate challenge is the river itself. After missing luggage, visa complications, storms and difficult overland travel, Dykes and his crew have reached the place where the expedition is meant to begin. The planned month-long journey will test not only his endurance and kayaking skills, but also the team’s ability to manage the risks of travelling through a remote part of Central Africa.
