He Walked 6,500km Along the Yangtze River — Ash Dykes

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Somewhere in the Gobi Desert, Ash Dykes had stopped moving. His urine had turned black, his satellite phone told him rescue was six days away. He didn't believe he could survive six. The only option was to walk out — 100 metres at a time.

That moment came midway through Mission Mongolia — a solo, unsupported 1,500-mile traverse, the first time it had ever been done. Trained for in a back garden in Wales with a tractor tyre and £200 to his name. Mongolia was only the beginning.

What followed was 155 days in Madagascar — falciparum malaria one degree from a coma, held up at gunpoint, crocodile rivers, jungle. Then Mission Yangtze: 6,500km along the full length of the river, source to sea, filmed for National Geographic, 352 days. Three world firsts. From a fish and chip shop in Wales to parliament with Annie Lennox.

What You'll Learn:
• The visualisation method Ash used in a back garden in Wales to prepare for grey wolves and Gobi Desert heat stroke
• What falciparum malaria actually does to your body — and why Ash kept trekking while still on the medication
• How a reckless press conference in Canary Wharf forced Mission Yangtze off the starting line
• What it takes to get Chinese government permission to access the Yangtze source — including being made a doctor to do it
• What Ash whispered to his mum at the Shanghai finish line

GUEST

Ash Dykes — Extreme Adventurer, Guinness World Record Holder, UK Adventurer of the Year, UK Ambassador for Tourism to Madagascar, Author

Website: ashdykes.com
Instagram: @ashdykes_
Book: Mission Possible
Show: Great Wall of China (in post-production — 6-part TV series)
Charity: Malaria No More UK — malarianomoreuk.org
Conservation: Lemur Conservation Network — lemurconservationnetwork.org

00:00 Why three world firsts started in a fish and chip shop in Wales
02:23 Growing up in Old Colwyn — sport, wanderlust, and no money
09:29 The $10 bikes in Vietnam that started everything
11:50 Fighting Muay Thai in Thailand — and what it had to do with Mongolia
14:10 Surviving with the Burmese hill tribes illegally in Myanmar
21:03 Planning Mission Mongolia solo and unsupported
23:24 Building a world record trailer with a tractor tyre
28:06 Visualisation — preparing for wolves and Gobi Desert heat stroke
32:53 Nearly dying of dehydration in the Gobi Desert
44:00 Why Madagascar — and the world first via the interior
52:47 Contracting falciparum malaria — one degree from a coma
01:01:00 Mission Yangtze — planning a 6,500km world first through Tibet
01:05:40 The press conference that forced Mission Yangtze off the line
01:12:42 Bears, wolves, and losing five team members before day one
01:21:09 The Shanghai finish line — what Ash whispered to his mum
01:27:14 Pay It Forward: Malaria No More UK

Transcript

[CHAPTER: Introduction — ~00:00]

CHRIS: Today we're here to talk to an extreme adventurer, athlete, and author about three of his world first expeditions. His missions took him across Mongolia, Madagascar, and on the epic Mission Yangtze — where he trekked the entire length of the Yangtze River, source to sea, covering an incredible 6,500 kilometres. He's been named UK Adventurer of the Year and is the current UK Ambassador for Tourism to Madagascar. He's also the author of Mission Possible. So settle in and enjoy this conversation with Ash Dykes.

Ash Dykes, welcome to the Adventure Diaries. How are you?

ASH DYKES: Good to be here.

CHRIS: It's been quite the adventure this morning for both of us, hasn't it?

ASH DYKES: Yeah, technology at its best. What more could you ask for? I'm in the jungle.

CHRIS: Excellent. So firstly, really honoured to have you here. I've been buzzing for this conversation. By way of introduction, for those who don't know — Ash Dykes, an extreme adventurer, athlete, and author, most notable for your three world firsts across Mongolia, Madagascar, and Mission Yangtze, which we'll come to later. Recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records, named Adventurer of the Year, UK Ambassador for Tourism to Madagascar, amongst many other things. I think it all started back in Old Colwyn in Wales?

ASH DYKES: Yes, it did. Sleepy little town.

[CHAPTER: Growing Up in Wales & Finding Adventure — ~02:23]

CHRIS: Is that where your adventures were inspired? I want to touch on your time in the UK and some of the stuff in Thailand and Australia before we get into the missions. Coming back to the start — how did it all begin?

ASH DYKES: As a youngster I was always very athletic, into my sports. In school I was in the football team, the rugby team, athletics, running club — you name it. I was raised in Old Colwyn. I've got my mum, my dad, my older sister, younger brother. It's a sleepy old town. There's not much happening there, it's difficult to make it because there's not much money invested in the place. But it's also a beautiful place — it's on the coast, you've got the mountains, the lakes, the forests.

I was at a school called Ysgol Bryn Elian [CHECK: confirm spelling] until I was 15 or 16, and from there I moved on to Llandrillo College [CHECK: confirm], which was just down the road. I was doing a BTEC National Diploma in Outdoor Education — a two-year course that was about 50% hands-on, practical qualifications and 50% academic theory. It was on this course that I really found I was a kinaesthetic learner — learning through making mistakes, trial and error, hands-on experience.

Growing up, I always had this wanderlust and curiosity for the world — and for myself. I wanted to develop, I wanted to face adversity, I wanted to turn from a boy to a man. I wanted to throw myself into uncomfortable, awkward, embarrassing, and sometimes dangerous situations and see how I learned from them. Because I feel you don't really learn until you face something far outside your comfort zone — and then you realise what you're made of. The more you can push yourself, the quicker you'll figure yourself out.

But this was all just thinking, all ideas. I didn't come from a financial background. The thought of me going off and travelling in the first place seemed daunting. One year into my college course, having seen all the other students head to the military or university, I just knew neither of those were for me. I was more of a free spirit. But I was making £3.10 an hour in a fish and chip shop in Wales. So I needed to manage my expectations if I wanted to go the unorthodox route — especially back in 2008, when the idea first came to mind, and not many people were really doing that.

The path was: college, university, degree, maybe a master's, settle down. And that just wasn't happening for me. I didn't let it.

CHRIS: I think it's safe to say you've ticked a few of those challenges and adversities. Some of your list of adventures are phenomenal. Can we touch on some of the UK ones first? You've done some charity walks and cycles in Britain, haven't you?

ASH DYKES: Yeah. Some of that was before I set off travelling, and some was midway through — I'd come back, top up the funds, do a couple of adventures, and then head back out. I walked the length of Wales in the dead of winter, which is pretty miserable. It was just over 200 miles — took nine days. Six or seven hours of daylight, raining, snowing, hit by all seasons. Me and my friend Martin, a waterproof tent — just a random idea, but I saw it as training for Mongolia. That's when I was preparing for that expedition.

[CHAPTER: UK Adventures — Cycling & Training — ~07:06]

And the UK cycle — I came back from travelling at around 20 or 21 with the idea of becoming the fastest person to cycle around the planet. I was in touch with those who'd done it before and they said, "If you can do 100 miles a day for six days, you're fine." So I came back and cycled the UK. I was averaging 150 miles a day for seven days — the last day was over 200 miles.

But whilst I was cycling through the UK, I was just pedalling and bypassing beautiful areas without stopping, because I was on a time limit. And I thought, if I'm going to cycle around the world through stunning places — Pakistan, India, Iran — and I can't even take time out to enjoy them, that's not what I want. So that's why I did the UK cycle first. And I was raising funds for the NSPCC along the way. Just a bicycle, panniers, a tent, a map, and my phone. Land's End to John o' Groats — I got lost so many times, but I did it in seven days.

CHRIS: I understand the point about missing the local interactions, the cultural side, if you're whizzing through on a clock. And thinking about Wales — 200-mile trek — were Mongolia and your other missions already on your mind? Was the structure of building from 200 miles to 1,500 to 6,500 a conscious thing?

[CHAPTER: Vietnam Cycle & Asia Travels — ~09:29]

ASH DYKES: At that point, when I cycled the UK, I genuinely didn't know what direction I was going in. It was only after finishing that cycle — when I realised I didn't just want to whizz through beautiful countries — that I remembered a conversation from when I was travelling in Thailand, on Koh Tao. An Irish lad there said that doing your divemaster on Koh Tao is the cheapest place in the world to do it. So I thought: right, I'm going to become a scuba diving instructor.

I didn't even know an adventure career was possible. It happened very accidentally and very organically, for two reasons. One: to get off the beaten track and have unique experiences rather than sharing the same stories and photos as every other traveller. Two: finance. I didn't want to keep spending money on tour buses.

Travelling across Cambodia and Vietnam on an overnight coach, curtains drawn, watching a movie — missing all of this beautiful landscape. Instead, I wanted to get a bicycle. Had to be cheaper than the bus fare. That's how it started — and then from that point, the adventures just kept growing bigger.

CHRIS: What was it like with those bikes — I think I heard you talk about the cheap, rickety things?

ASH DYKES: Hideous. Yeah, the rickety things. $10 bikes. No puncture repair kit. String on the side of the road to strap the rucksack onto the back. We were chased by dogs, hit by mopeds, dodged by lorries — but we cycled the entire length of Vietnam and Cambodia. Two and a half weeks, over 1,100 miles. The bikes broke 17 times. The last day was over 39 hours cycling, over 45 hours with no sleep. We were turned down by seven different hostels because we looked horrendous.

I remember saying to my friend, "How cool would it be, at the end of my days, to have a world map with lines across different parts of the world where I've cycled, hiked, or survived?" And from that point, things grew bigger.

We left Vietnam, went to Thailand, and literally a week later, on the border of Myanmar, in a place called Pai, we came across a local — bandana, machete — and he said, "Do you fancy an adventure in the jungle where I'll take you into Myanmar illegally, with no permit, and teach you how to survive with the Burmese hill tribes?" And that was just something I couldn't say no to.

[CHAPTER: Muay Thai Fighting in Thailand — ~11:50]

CHRIS: Going back to your time in Asia — scuba instructor, and then I think you picked up some Muay Thai skills and actually went into the ring?

ASH DYKES: Yeah. I was doing a lot of boxing in Wales, and when I went over to Thailand at 19, I saw a big Muay Thai stadium fight in Bangkok and thought, that is brutal — that is different. The martial art of eight limbs: elbows, knees, kicks, grappling. I'd stuck my toe in a few fights in Thailand and it was rough.

I saw a big Scandinavian lad, must have been about six foot four, get his shin snapped after about ten seconds by a guy half his height. Just horrific.

What you see with the Thai fighters — they're not a big build, they're slender, very athletic — but the bone strength and technique they've developed through years of training is just extraordinary. The bigger guy almost always loses.

When I was living on Koh Tao as a scuba diving instructor, I started to take Muay Thai seriously. Training five or six times a week. I remember beating my shins with a book at the end of my bed at night to help kill the nerve endings, because it really hurts when you block or throw a kick. I had a few club fights and a stadium fight. The stadium fight — I knocked him out in twelve seconds in the first round. I had the crowd there, all paying to watch, so I wanted it to go a bit longer. But it was done.

And I was training Muay Thai at the same time as I had Mongolia on my mind. For me, if you can't step into the ring to fight someone, don't expect to be able to cross the Gobi Desert or go up against a pack of wolves. I kept seeing it as levels. The Muay Thai training was a stepping stone — and mother nature, in the end, was far more brutal.

[CHAPTER: Burmese Hill Tribes & The Road to Mongolia — ~14:10]

CHRIS: From a mental or wilderness survival perspective, you also spent time with the Burmese hill tribes. Was that part of your preparation?

ASH DYKES: Effectively, when I was in college, I quit my job at the fish and chip shop and started work as a lifeguard and a waiter, saving as much as I could. Then when I went off to travel, I lasted about two weeks before I got annoyed with being on the beaten track.

The catalyst — the first real away-from-home adventure — was that Vietnam cycle. Me and my friends on the beaten track, sharing the same photos and experiences as everyone else. We wanted something different, we wanted to save money, and we wanted our own adventure. $10 bikes, no puncture repair kit, string on the side of the road. Chased by dogs, hit by mopeds, dodged by lorries. We cycled the entire length of Vietnam and Cambodia.

At the end of that, I was like: that was brutal. How cool would it be to have a world map with lines across it? And from that point, everything grew. We left Vietnam, went to Thailand, and a week later came across the local near the Myanmar border in Pai who offered to take us into the jungle — illegally, no permit — to survive with the Burmese hill tribes. I couldn't say no.

CHRIS: That's a tough part of the world — quite a lot of conflict and tribal tension in that region.

ASH DYKES: Very. But it wasn't the catalyst for Mongolia. It was a combination: the Vietnam cycle, the Burmese hill tribes, cycling across southern Australia, hitchhiking across the north. Then when I was actually teaching diving in Thailand — two years in — I started to miss those raw experiences. I was only 22, I still had a lot further to push myself. I wanted to do another adventure, but not on tarmac. If I'm cycling or running on a road, there are people. And if there are people, there's food, water, hotels, safety. I wanted to be out there, self-sufficient, surviving in the elements, no people.

I started thinking of the most extreme countries that no one really spoke about. It was 2010, 2011. I was teaching thousands of people over those two years, and not one of them had mentioned going to Mongolia, or planning to. And I just thought: why isn't anyone going there?

[CHAPTER: Planning Mission Mongolia — ~21:03]

Mongolia — home to the Altai Mountains, the Gobi Desert, one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. Brutal. Snow blizzards, sandstorms, wolves. But why isn't anyone going there? And then I was hooked. Maybe walk 50 miles, maybe 100, and then it kept growing — north to south, then west to east. I asked my mates if they'd join me. No one was interested in taking that risk. And then I realised it would be solo and unsupported.

CHRIS: And what was the total distance end to end?

ASH DYKES: 1,500 miles. Anticipated to take 100 days — I got it done in 78. Three weeks over the Altai Mountains, five weeks across the Gobi Desert, then a further three weeks across the Mongolian Steppe, pulling a homemade trailer that weighed around 120 kilograms fully loaded. On an empty load, it was already 40 kilograms.

CHRIS: Tell us about the trailer — how did you build it?

ASH DYKES: I wish I'd had more money, honestly. With more money I'd have had a proper evacuation plan, valid insurance, a factory-built carbon fibre lightweight trailer. But I didn't have any of that. I sold my scuba diving kit, did extensive research, and started bringing teams on board who joined for free because they were excited by the project. Once we realised no one had completed this route, we confirmed it would be a recorded world first — and that's a big deal, because there are very few firsts left.

I moved back to the UK to take training seriously. I had literally £200 in my account, so I moved back in with my parents. I contacted my uncle who was a lorry driver and asked if he could pick up a tractor tyre from any farms on his route. Within a few weeks, he brought one over — plus a sledgehammer. I put up a pull-up bar on the outside of my parents' house. That was my training ground: a little green back garden in Wales.

A family friend built me a mild steel trailer in his back garden, for free. He said it would be heavy but durable. At 40 kilograms empty, 120 fully loaded — it was heavy, but it was robust. I took it up to Scotland to trek the West Highland Way. It smashed the trailer to bits. So I called my uncle, got picked up, and sent it back for adjustments. A good lesson — because if it broke in Scotland, Mongolia would have wrecked it within hours.

Once the fixes were done and I got the green light, I flew to Mongolia. The insurance was technically invalid. The evacuation plan was reckless, almost non-existent. But I was at the start line and I was ready.

CHRIS: You believe in visualisation — did that play a role in the Mongolia preparation?

ASH DYKES: With Mongolia, it was better planned than anything I'd done before. Meticulous, in terms of studying why the previous guy — a soldier and desert explorer — had failed on three separate attempts. I emailed him, asked about the dangers. He said: watch out for drunken nomadic herders, snowstorms, sand blizzards, stagnant water, dry wells, steep ravines, grey wolves. The list went on and it genuinely scared me.

But it was too late. I'd announced it. I'm a man of my word. And just because no one's found a way to do something doesn't mean it can't be done.

Visualisation was huge. Even in the middle of winter in my parents' back garden, flipping that tractor tyre, beating it with a sledgehammer — I was thinking about grey wolves. I was thinking about worst-case scenarios. Because if I was already visualising them, when I faced them out there, they wouldn't hit me by surprise. Nothing took me by surprise. Although when I faced it for real, it was a lot worse and a lot more life-threatening — but the preparation made the difference.

I even deprived myself of water during training. Tried to replicate the conditions as best I could. Even had nightmares. Over-analysed and blew everything out of proportion in my back garden. And that, I think, is what really helped me mentally.

CHRIS: What order did you encounter the terrain — Altai Mountains first, then the Gobi?

ASH DYKES: Altai Mountains first, then the Gobi Desert, then the Mongolian Steppe. I flew to the most western city, Ölgii — already over 3,000 metres altitude. Still really cold, maybe minus 10 to minus 15. Rugged, knife-edge ridge mountains, rocky, snow on top. I only came across people every few days, following goat tracks, horse tracks, or motorbike tracks.

CHRIS: Is that where you got the nickname "the Lonely Snow Leopard"?

ASH DYKES: Exactly, yeah. I came across a town with signal and my local Mongolian logistics manager, Genya, called me up and said I was making a name for myself in the capital. There was no PR or marketing — they'd just got wind of this mad white man trekking across their country alone. Solo and unsupported is deemed as suicide by Mongolians. They don't do it. They take yaks, camels, or they travel as a close-knit family community. So the news picked it up.

Genya said they'd come up with a nickname. "The Lonely Snow Leopard." And I thought, that's a pretty savage name — I like it. And he said, "Because you haven't been eaten by the wolves yet. The snow leopard is the only other predator that the wolves have a healthy respect for and keep their distance from." Part of me thought that was cool. But part of me thought: I'm still in the Altai Mountains. I haven't escaped them yet.

CHRIS: The grey wolves are a real threat in Mongolia, aren't they?

ASH DYKES: Absolutely. Especially in Mongolia — they're big. On my Yangtze journey in western China, they weren't as large and not as much of a threat. But in Mongolia, they really were. If the locals are panicking and worrying for you, you should definitely be worried — they know their wolves far better than you do.

[CHAPTER: Surviving the Gobi Desert — ~32:53]

CHRIS: So you've come through the cold and the mountains — and into the desert?

ASH DYKES: Yeah. It almost felt like two separate expeditions in one because I had to prepare for both extreme cold and extreme heat. The trailer was so heavy not just for the food and water, but for the clothing and protection for both a winter and a summer expedition effectively.

By the time I broke into the Gobi Desert, without realising it, I was probably already slightly dehydrated — because in the Altai Mountains I just hadn't felt the need to drink water when it was minus 15.

Me and my logistics manager had confirmed and unconfirmed water sources mapped out — wells, mainly, plus communities and towns. When I had a confirmed water source I would top up as much as possible to account for any dry well at an unconfirmed source ahead. But that was a lot easier said than done when it was 40-plus degrees Celsius, no natural shade, no breeze. The only shade I had was underneath my trailer. And the mix of gravel and soft sand meant the thin wheels were sinking in, which made it feel like 500 kilograms. Like pulling a concrete block through hell.

By this point I was a lot thinner and a lot weaker from the mountains. I came across a dry well — an unconfirmed source with nothing in it. Four days to the next confirmed water source, and I'd already used more water than anticipated. I had my last remaining water — hot, barely a dribble — to last those four days.

I was already in a state of dehydration before reaching that dry well. Heat stroke caught up with me. I was delirious, hallucinating. I could almost feel my organs drying. I remember resting under the trailer for an hour at a time, thinking: if I keep resting here, it's not going to take four days to get to the next water source — it'll take longer. I had a text-only satellite phone, but if I texted my logistics manager, it would take three to four days for him to reach me and another couple of days to get me out. I didn't believe I could survive six days. I realised: if I stay under this trailer, I'm going to die in the Gobi Desert.

So I had to walk out. I couldn't visualise four days — I was in too much pain. But I could visualise 100 metres ahead. So I broke it down: rest no more than five minutes under the trailer, push on 100 metres. Keep doing that. Four days will pass. And as difficult as it was, I did just about make it to that community. I collapsed. My urine was black. It took me eight days to recover.

CHRIS: You were right on the brink.

ASH DYKES: Yeah. And it put a lot of fear back into me, because I wasn't out of the Gobi Desert yet. I'd just reached one community with water. I was intimidated by pushing on again, knowing how fast the sun can take you without the right water. Even at those water sources you're rolling the dice a little with parasites and contamination.

CHRIS: Did the nomadic tribes help when you arrived?

ASH DYKES: They were amazing. From far away, even if I could see a ger on the horizon, it would still take me a day, maybe two days, to reach it. At my worst point, I could see a cluster of gers in the distance and knew it was about eight hours' walking. When I finally rocked up on their community, they were confused at first, maybe a little scared. But within minutes they could see the state I was in — and probably put two and two together.

They let me rest for eight days. Once I felt 99% again, I decided to keep going. From there, it was maybe another week of the Gobi Desert and then three weeks across the Mongolian Steppe — greener land, more wildlife, more water, more communities. I think I did it the right way round: mountains first, desert in the middle, steppe at the end. If I'd had to haul that trailer back up the mountains in the final weeks, as thin and weak as I was by then, I don't think I'd have had it in me.

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[CHAPTER: Mission Madagascar — World First #2 — ~44:00]

CHRIS: So you've closed out Mission Mongolia. What gave you the inspiration to tackle Madagascar next? The distance increased — was it around 1,600 miles?

ASH DYKES: It was, yeah — so weirdly, only about 100 miles longer than Mongolia, but it took almost double the time: 155 days as opposed to 78. Madagascar was a different beast entirely. I always say Mongolia was the toughest mentally, because it was my first, and I had to be alone for it to count as a record. Whereas with Madagascar, it was just about completing the journey — it didn't matter who joined me.

Part of the reason Madagascar came to mind was that in Mongolia I went over eight days without seeing a single human. Amazing, but also gruelling. I thought on my next journey I'd like to encounter more locals, get to know their way of life, traditions, culture. And Madagascar is one of the world's most unique countries — over 80% of its plant life and wildlife is endemic to the island. It would offer desert, jungle, mountains, incredible diversity.

I was introduced to a logistics manager — French, based in Madagascar his whole life, who has led even David Attenborough's film crews around the island. He said: "Why don't you walk its length from south to north via the interior?" There's a mountain range running the full course of the island, central-east. Someone had walked the length via the coast before, but via the interior — that hadn't been done. Communities suffering from the plague, communities that had never seen a white person, having to hunt and gather, home to the eight highest mountain peaks on the island. As soon as he said that, I was like: I have to do that.

CHRIS: You teamed up with the Lemur Conservation Network too — were they part of your planning?

ASH DYKES: With all of my adventures, going back to the UK cycle when I raised funds for the NSPCC, I've always tried to give back. In Mongolia it was the Red Cross and raising awareness of climate change and its effects on nomadic ways of life. With Madagascar, I partnered with the Lemur Conservation Network. They have 60 organisations on the ground protecting and preserving Madagascar's biodiversity. I partnered with them and with the tourism minister. On completion, we reached over 350 million people. They drove me back to the island and that's when they wanted to make me Ambassador for Tourism.

I always try to look at the bigger picture rather than have it be one man and his adventure. Whether that's unique stories about the island and its people, photos and videos of the biodiversity — that's what I've always tried to do.

CHRIS: That's partly the reason I started this podcast — to bring these stories to life and raise awareness for good causes. And being named UK Ambassador for Madagascar — you get to have fun, risk your life, and raise awareness. Incredible.

ASH DYKES: That's what it's all about, for sure.

[CHAPTER: Contracting Falciparum Malaria in Madagascar — ~52:47]

CHRIS: So if Mongolia was nearly dying of dehydration, Madagascar brought malaria?

ASH DYKES: Yeah. Out of 155 days, there genuinely wasn't a day where I thought, "That was a nice one." To name a few: held up at gunpoint by the military, avoiding bandits, crossing crocodile-infested rivers, being covered in leeches, bitten by spiders, machete in hand hacking through jungle, hunting and gathering, escaping bushfires — and then contracting the deadliest strain of malaria.

I was taking anti-malarial pills and was only one month into a five-month expedition when we walked up to a community that was suffering from the bubonic plague. My logistics manager had warned me about it — I didn't necessarily expect to encounter it. They said, "You can stay, but remain in your tent." They'd recently lost relatives to it. I almost wanted to pack up and leave them in peace, but they were warm and welcoming. They brought food — eel and rice — to our tent. Me and Joe, my guide.

The eel smelled pretty funky, but we were starving after big days, so we ate it. The next morning we left and both started suffering from severe diarrhoea. I think the pills went in one way and out the other. They only protect about 80% anyway, but that's usually enough. And over the next few days, that's where I think malaria got a hold of me — falciparum, the deadliest strain.

There are four strains. Falciparum is the deadliest and can kill within 24 hours, but if you catch it in time, you can eradicate it completely. The other three aren't as acutely deadly but can remain dormant and recur for years. I didn't know which I had at first. The symptoms felt similar to what I'd experienced in the Gobi Desert. I walked for five days with falciparum before reaching a community with overland transport.

That next morning I realised I was in a dire situation. A 45-minute mental battle just to sit up in bed and grab a glass of water. I told Joe I needed to get evacuated to the nearest city. I made it there, collapsed on the bed. The doctor took my blood and came back minutes later: "You've got falciparum. The deadliest strain. If you'd arrived a few hours later, you could have slipped into a coma." My body temperature was one degree away from that threshold.

I wasn't educated on malaria at that point. I didn't know what it meant for my future. My parents wanted me home. But I felt I was in safe hands — they deal with malaria cases every single day. And I was fortunate to have just enough funds for the treatment, which costs the same as a cup of coffee. Eight days later, I'd lost around 10 kilograms, but I felt well enough to push on — with only one month of my five-month journey gone.

CHRIS: Did you have any thoughts of calling it quits at that point?

ASH DYKES: I didn't, but the medication hit me sideways. For a few days I hated everything — hated myself, hated the country, hated the people. Really angry, really negative. It was strange, almost like the pills affected my mindset. It didn't last long, just a few days. Then I started dropping off the medication, regaining my positivity, feeling more like myself. I started doing push-ups and sit-ups in the room, ordering all the food I could, trying to put on weight. And I got bored in the hotel.

I told the doctor I wanted to leave. She said, "You haven't finished your course." I said, "I'll take my course while I'm trekking Madagascar." She laughed and said, "What?" But she gave me the all-clear, and I ended up trekking the second highest mountain in Madagascar while still finishing my falciparum medication. Looking back, I wouldn't do that now. Absolute glutton for punishment.

CHRIS: What was the highlight of Madagascar, before we move on to Mission Yangtze?

ASH DYKES: Just being there and experiencing the biodiversity. Every day I walked past something I will never see anywhere else on earth. The locals were incredible — yes, there were difficult situations in the south, but that was because people there were in a very desperate state, and I understand that now. Up north, very friendly, very positive culture — dancing to music, experiences around the fire I'll never forget.

And my guides. We went through thick and thin together — hacking through jungle, hunting and gathering, bitten by spiders, eaten alive by leeches. We built a bond. They are like my Malagasy brothers. I loved it so much I went back a year later to lead an expedition for charity, summiting the second highest mountain on the island. I actually woke up the other morning missing Madagascar and wanting to go back.

CHRIS: What about wildlife encounters?

ASH DYKES: So many. I saw giant comet moths — they're enormous, bigger than a small bird. You'd actually feel the wind from their wings as they flew past. And some mornings in the jungle up north, I'd wake to find the fire from the night before still smoking, and lemurs directly above us — wild lemurs — using the smoke to drive off the insects. Chirping and howling above us. I'd look up and think, there are wild lemurs right there. That was one of my greatest highlights.

[CHAPTER: Mission Yangtze — Planning a 6,500km World First — ~01:01:00]

CHRIS: So Mongolia done, Madagascar done — what on earth made you think about Mission Yangtze? To put this into context for people — 6,500 kilometres. That's the equivalent of walking from New York to Los Angeles and then carrying on down to the heart of Mexico.

ASH DYKES: Yeah — or like walking from eastern Turkey to London. The Yangtze had been on my mind for a few reasons. When I left at 19, I spent two weeks in China with my friend Matt and we barely scratched the surface — Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong. I always knew I wanted to go back properly, and China has far more wilderness than most people imagine.

But honestly, part of it was financial too. After Mongolia, I was struggling. Still living with my parents. After Madagascar, same situation. Still no TV deal. I eventually got a book out, but through a small publisher, and I had to market it myself to about 2,000 Instagram followers, so I wasn't making money from that either. I was at a point where I thought: this is what I'm great at. I can't go back to lifeguarding or a fish and chip shop. This has to be groundbreaking.

I considered a few options — the Great Wall of China, Greenland, the Congo River, the Yangtze. I narrowed it down to the Congo and the Yangtze. The Congo is arguably tougher physically — almost suicidal, frankly — but the Yangtze was harder logistically, because of Tibet and the political sensitivity. And the Yangtze is bigger — the Amazon has been hiked, the Nile was almost hiked. The Yangtze is the largest river running through a single country, third longest in the world. And it hadn't been done. 6,500 kilometres, roughly a year to complete.

The Yangtze also made more business sense than the Congo. So part of it was a financial decision. It took two years to plan. I held a press conference in Canary Wharf in London and announced something I hadn't yet secured — because sponsors, logistics, and production kept deferring. I attached their names to the press release I sent to the BBC. A massive risk. My parents didn't want me doing it. Friends said it was reckless. But the world was now watching, their names were attached, and they had to work. It paid off. Permits started coming through. I got the visa, government support, the authorities covered my back.

They made me a doctor in order to get access to the source of the Yangtze. They made me Ambassador for the Green Development Foundation to access that sensitive region. There were over 14 to 16 stamped and signed governmental documents. I got sponsorship. Two years later, I got the green light.

CHRIS: Quite a lot of political red tape, especially around the Tibet-Qinghai border?

ASH DYKES: The source is on the border — that's where it gets sensitive. I had Qinghai government documents giving me access, but I was still pulled in and interrogated by police on five different occasions, who insisted I was in Tibet. I had to keep telling them I was in Qinghai. It got messy. But because of the documents I held, I had leverage.

With this expedition, it felt like I'd finally become professional. It was 50% adventure, 50% business. I understood the market. I understood what needed to be done to stay in China and keep following that river until the job was complete.

CHRIS: And National Geographic were involved?

ASH DYKES: Yes, we filmed for National Geographic. We also had Guinness World Records and WWF on board. Big trip, big excitement. Nat Geo Asia covered it — they look after Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Nat Geo International covers everything else. We still want to break into the West. My latest project — the Great Wall of China show — should open the door for the Yangtze series to break through internationally.

CHRIS: It does seem frustrating that you've had more support in America and China than in the UK for your own work.

ASH DYKES: It is. With Ed Stafford — I'm totally different from him, he's strictly survival-based. With Bear Grylls, again, totally different. It's hard to get the channels to understand that. I am the audience. People like me want to see this kind of content. If anybody watching or listening can help make that happen — get it on UK television, sharp. I'm a big believer that consistency always wins. I will get there eventually.

[CHAPTER: Bears, Wolves and Altitude on the Yangtze — ~01:12:42]

CHRIS: What were the lowlights on the Yangtze?

ASH DYKES: I wouldn't call them lowlights, really — challenges. And there was the first time I ever truly questioned what I was doing, which happened early on the Yangtze. But I almost look at that and think I needed to face it.

The challenges included losing five members of the team before we'd even found the source — evacuated due to altitude sickness, fear of wildlife, injury, or vulnerability. Eight weeks in, we'd already lost over ten of the sixteen different people who were due to join me at various points — film crew, guides, support. We were at over 5,100 metres altitude, equivalent to Everest Base Camp. Minus 20 degrees Celsius, snow blizzards. Bears — we were there at the wrong season, when brown bears were actively foraging for calories before going into torpor. Followed by a pack of wolves for two days. The day after, those wolves had killed a local. I shut the expedition down and continued alone until the six-month mark, when it was safe enough to open it back up.

And the authorities pulling me in five different times. I remember thinking on day ten: I've got over 340 days left. What am I doing here?

CHRIS: The bears sounded particularly terrifying. I've seen the videos of them going through people's homes.

ASH DYKES: Exactly. I went out there with the healthy mentality of "leave the bears alone and they'll leave you alone." I had a whistle and an air horn. The locals just laughed at that. They started sharing stories — a group of bears rummaging through a man's hut on the other side of a stream. The man came back, revved his motorbike, hit the horn. The bears chased him off. He never went back.

They were sending me photos on WeChat — big men who'd been mauled to death. Bite marks, scratches. One photo I had to delete immediately. I just couldn't have that energy on my phone. Then videos of bears killing families in huts, CCTV footage on news channels. Blood dripping. They were serious. A whistle wasn't going to do much.

The advice was: make noise so the bear doesn't encounter you by surprise and get scared. I get that. But there were also stories of bears walking straight past Tibetan Mastiffs — the massive dogs Tibetan herders keep to protect livestock from predators — and scratching through steel doors. I was in a tent.

If you watch the History Channel show Alone — the season eight winner, Clay Hayes, was dropped in Chilko Lake in British Columbia, dubbed "Grizzly Mountain." He was telling me about his encounters. You just don't want to stumble upon these animals. They're ferocious. And the bear spray issue — you have to be downwind, otherwise you're just incapacitating yourself. Bears are the wildlife I'd least want to encounter. I'd take a tiger or a lion over a bear.

[CHAPTER: Completing the Yangtze & What's Next — ~01:18:48]

CHRIS: How did the Yangtze compare to Mongolia and Madagascar overall?

ASH DYKES: There were similarities between the high plateau regions. Qinghai, western China — vast open land, very remote — felt similar to Mongolia in that sense. But it felt different. I felt more vulnerable in West China in a way I hadn't expected.

With the Yangtze, though — I think it's the one where I proved myself most professionally. It was so well-executed, so well-planned. I didn't suffer any diseases or serious dehydration. I really handled the challenges as they came. Even when my entire team in the UK and China were saying "abandon it, try again next year," I said no — I'm experienced, I'm confident in my decision-making, and I'm going to make it.

If I'd listened to them and turned back — I would never have done Mission Yangtze. The following year, COVID-19 hit. There would have been no way of doing it.

The highlight — the day I said goodbye to my parents. My mum was there at the expedition launch in Shanghai. A big event along the Huangpu River [CHECK: confirm river name — Pudong is a district, not a river], with delegates, a presentation, my logistics team outlining every danger: military zones where people go missing, government disappearances, all of it. And my mum was sitting there hearing all of this. She started to cry that last day, when they were flying home. I hugged her and whispered: "They said the same things before Mongolia and Madagascar. I've faced it all before and overcome it. One year from now, you'll be at the finish line. I'll be hugging you again and I'll whisper: I told you I'd make it."

A whole year later, I did exactly that. Over a hundred people at the finish line, news cameras. I hugged her and whispered in her ear: "I told you I would make it."

CHRIS: A man of your word. Amazing. How was it received in China?

ASH DYKES: Immense support. Book signings in shopping centres with banners four storeys high. Each city I visited — media obligations, TV interviews, meeting journalists, presenting in schools out west, partnering with Water2Go to give filtration bottles to thousands of schoolchildren. I partnered with WWF too, meeting organisations bringing the finless porpoise dolphin back in increasing numbers. Working with the eBird fishery department to help combat illegal fishing. Taking time out to connect with locals, share stories, give back. It broke up the monotony and it was genuinely meaningful.

CHRIS: You bring a real balance to it — the adventure and the conservation and awareness. It's not just about the challenge; it's about the people, the country, what they're struggling with. Really refreshing.

ASH DYKES: That's what it's all about. That's how it began — wanting to get off the beaten track and see the Vietnamese locals rather than sitting on a tour bus. And I've been able to give back. With Malaria No More UK, I presented in parliament alongside Annie Lennox, pleading for a 20% increase in the global fund — which, if successful, would save over eight million lives from malaria in five years. And as a joint effort, we succeeded. People ask if I'd ever want to get malaria again. I wouldn't. But if getting it meant being a voice that helped save those lives — I'd take that fight again.

[CHAPTER: What's Next for Ash Dykes — ~01:25:00]

CHRIS: What's next? Anything you can talk about?

ASH DYKES: We've just come back from following the entire 21,000 kilometres of the Great Wall of China. It was a multi-million pound production — 20 members of film crew and I was hosting my own six-episode, one-hour TV series. I really believe this one will go international. I'm currently doing voiceovers for the first three episodes this week. Seven months of post-production. I think this will open the doors for Mission Yangtze to break through in the West — especially the UK. If I can break UK television with the Great Wall show, I can go back in and pitch my other projects. I've got plenty. Some of them are more world firsts. Some are great TV concepts. So let's see where it lands.

CHRIS: I hope it does break through — I'm the captive audience that wants to see this. There's room for everybody, and the awareness you've raised is genuinely something special.

ASH DYKES: Appreciate that, man. Thank you.

[CHAPTER: Call to Adventure & Pay It Forward — ~01:27:14]

CHRIS: Two closing traditions. First — Call to Adventure. A recommendation, suggestion, or activity to inspire people. What have you got?

ASH DYKES: You can all have your own adventure. People overanalyse, overplan, and always think they need to go abroad. But it's on your doorstep. Hiking, cycling, canoeing, kayaking, mountain trekking — it's all there. Get out there. It's good for your mindset.

There are also organisations out there like Charity Challenge, where you can go abroad, tick off a huge bucket-list trek — summiting mountains, great waterways — whilst raising funds for charity or just for personal growth. I also want to say — and I haven't announced this publicly before — but I do want to start leading trips myself. In between the big expeditions or TV projects, there's room for me to plan two or three trips abroad. Partnering up and taking people back to Madagascar, back to Mongolia, to western China — trekking a mountain, following the river, trekking part of the Gobi Desert.

CHRIS: Keep me posted on the Mongolia trip — that's something I'd genuinely want to do.

ASH DYKES: I certainly will. That'll be ace.

CHRIS: And finally — Pay It Forward. One final message or cause to raise awareness for.

ASH DYKES: Malaria No More UK. They're doing everything they can, all voluntarily, to fight malaria. The world saw COVID-19. COVID has nothing on malaria. Malaria is a different beast — but because we don't have it here in the UK, it's out of sight, out of mind. In Africa and other affected regions, the suffering is severe. Every two minutes, a child dies of malaria. To recover, the medication costs the same as a cup of coffee. But they can't afford it. Malaria No More UK has eradicated malaria from many countries — they're winning the battle. They just need more help and support.

CHRIS: A very worthy cause. Thank you, Ash. We'll get that listed and get awareness out to it. So thank you for your time — this has been a journey in its own right. Could probably talk to you for hours. Respect for your time. If you're ever in London, let's meet up for a coffee or a beer.

ASH DYKES: I will do, mate. Thanks for having me. Good to talk.

CHRIS: And with that, we bring the show to a close. Thank you.
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