Ascent Of The Amazon River - 6.5 Years & 7,000KM - With Pete Casey

🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you

Pete Casey was chest-deep in floodwater, five days without food, in the middle of the Amazon at dusk. His guide said: "This is a beautiful place to die, and the day you die is the best day of your life." No higher ground in sight, no GPS signal, no way out. This is the story of the first ever sea-to-source ascent of the Amazon River.

No military training, no wealthy sponsors, no support team. Pete sold his home, scraped together £110,000 in equity, and walked into the Amazon alone. What followed was six and a half years, over 7,000 kilometres, swimming every river crossing against the current, trekking through flooded rainforest, and navigating remote indigenous communities that had never seen a Westerner pass through on foot.

From near-death in flood season to coca plantations in the Andes, this is the full arc of one of the most extraordinary human-powered expeditions ever completed.

What You'll Learn:
• Why Pete ascended the Amazon sea-to-source — and why almost nobody does it that way
• The method he built for swimming river crossings with a packraft and local guides
• How 23 days in flooded forest without food nearly killed him
• What encounters with remote indigenous communities actually look like
• The brutal reality of coming home to nothing after six and a half years

Pete's presentation at the explorers club in NYC.

🌐 ascentoftheamazon.com

📸 Instagram: @p.c.casey
🌿 Junglekeepers (pay it forward): junglekeepers.com

00:00 Cold open — chest-deep in floodwater
01:18 Who is Pete Casey and what is the Ascent of the Amazon?
03:21 Growing up with no money in Sussex — how adventure didn't come naturally
05:19 First trip to South America — joining Ed Stafford's Amazon walk
07:50 Photography dreams and why building became his career
11:32 How Pete decided to ascend the Amazon sea-to-source
17:23 Selling his home — the point of no return
21:17 Route planning on Google Earth and arriving alone
26:26 Why Pete swam every river crossing — method and fear
29:27 The Pororoca tidal bore and using the Amazon tide to gain ground
34:00 First Una tribe encounters — being surrounded
47:11 23 days in flooded forest, no food, chest-deep in water
51:50 Recovery in Manaus and planning the next leg
55:28 How kit evolved over 6.5 years — Wellington boots vs jungle boots
1:00:40 What Pete ate in the jungle — farinha and sardines
1:05:00 Walking alone through cocaine plantations in the Andes
1:13:40 The Explorers Club, coming home, and the food bank
1:23:34 Pay it forward: Junglekeepers

For full show notes and links, visit: adventurediaries.com/podcast

Transcript

[CHAPTER: Opening — Chest-Deep in the Floodwater — 00:00]

PETE CASEY: Life's short. Let's just do something different. I wanted to learn something new, do something vastly different to the standard life that I was leading at the time. I was struggling being self-employed, keeping up all the mortgage payments and everything else. I was struggling and I just wanted to break away from that struggle a little bit, you know? So I thought the only way is to just do something drastic.

We got stuck in a rainstorm, up to our chests in water, passing through the forest. I couldn't see any higher ground. The guy was religious — he was evangelical. He used to be a petrol runner for the traffickers many years ago, but he had reformed his life and become religious. He looked at me and we looked at each other, and I thought, this is it. I said, there's no way out of here. I was terrified. I was literally shaking. And he said, "Don't worry. This is a beautiful place to die, and the day you die is the best day of your life."

ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the Adventure Diaries Podcast, where we share tales of adventure, connection, and exploration — from the smallest of creators to the larger-than-life adventurers. We hope their stories inspire you to go and create your own extraordinary adventures. And now, your host, Chris Watson.


[CHAPTER: Welcome and Expedition Overview — 01:18]

CHRIS: Welcome to another episode of the Adventure Diaries. Today we're joined by Pete Casey — a man who completed the first ever sea-to-source ascent of the Amazon River. A human-powered expedition done against the current over six and a half years, covering over 7,000 kilometres. Pete doesn't come from an expedition background: no military training, no wealthy sponsors, and no support team.

In today's episode, we explore that journey in its entirety — what it really took to traverse the world's greatest river system on foot and in the water. Pete decided to swim many of the crossings as well as trekking through the flooded rainforests. We explore the human side of the Amazon too: the encounters with the Una [CHECK: correct tribal name?] communities, the real danger experienced, the life-threatening moments, and the unexpected warmth from strangers that carried them through. What an episode this is. Please settle in and enjoy this fantastic conversation with Pete Casey.

Pete Casey, welcome to the Adventure Diaries. How are you?

PETE CASEY: Very good.

CHRIS: Excellent — really excited for this, Pete. So the frame for those listening and watching is your ascent of the Amazon River: six and a half years, over 7,000 kilometres. But what's also extra special about it is that it was a sea-to-source, not a source-to-sea. Entirely human-powered — a lot of walking, but a lot of swimming as well, against the current.

PETE CASEY: Uphill against the tide.

CHRIS: Always making it more difficult for yourself.

PETE CASEY: Yes, exactly.

CHRIS: That's the frame for today — we want to unpack the motivation for the expedition, the planning, the logistics, the conditions, equipment, health and wellbeing, how you fared, and all the cultural and indigenous encounters. But before we get to that, as we always do, we want to bring it right back to understand what it was like for young Pete growing up in Sussex. What was life like?


[CHAPTER: Growing Up in Sussex — Origins — 03:21]

PETE CASEY: It was really a bit of a struggle — but obviously at the time you don't think that. Only in hindsight do you look back and think it could have been a bit better. But I guess it was pretty good. A couple of brothers, always out and about, especially in the school holidays. Obviously there were no laptops and screens then, and we didn't actually have a TV for quite a few years because my parents just couldn't afford it. So perhaps that was a good thing. Always climbing trees, always out and about — not getting into serious trouble, just climbing up buildings and things like that. I love being out and about and climbing things. Very active — yes, that's the word.

CHRIS: Were you a dreamer? Did you dream about adventures when you were younger?

PETE CASEY: Do you know what, I don't think I really did. I didn't have that wider view of the world until a bit later on, when I studied a few atlases and read a few books. No, I didn't really dream of big adventures as a young child. I think that came later on, more as a mature adult. By the time I really dreamt of doing something adventurous, I wasn't really exposed to adventure as a kid — only in films and that, and to me it was just something other people did. I never considered it for myself. I was probably a late developer as far as that concept came into my head.


[CHAPTER: First Trip to South America — Ed Stafford's Amazon Walk — 05:19]

CHRIS: Before the Amazon, had you ever been to South or Central America, or had you travelled much?

PETE CASEY: I never flew until I was in my mid-twenties, when I worked for British Airways doing baggage handling for a few years. Never really went abroad until then. As far as South America goes, the very first time I went there was when I tried to get onto the walk of the Amazon expedition as a photographer in 2008. I offered to go out and photograph it. So that was my very first time in South America.

CHRIS: Was it a bit of a culture shock?

PETE CASEY: That was Ed Stafford's expedition, I believe. Yes. How did that come about?

CHRIS: How did you get into that?

PETE CASEY: I was following other expeditions at the time, and a guy from the town I grew up in — Luke Collyer — a local guy who went to a similar school to me. He was on the expedition with Stafford. Apparently I went to a launch party in London because I'd read about it, and I met them both. Six months down the line, Luke had left, and Ed was putting out a plea for someone to join him. I thought, well, I want to be an adventure photographer — this might be my chance if I offer to come out as a photographer.

I believed I wouldn't get invited, so I actually invited myself. I flew out there to meet them at a convenient point and offered to be a photographer on part of the expedition. But that didn't happen until the following year. That first trip over Christmas 2008 was pretty much overwhelming. I knew he wouldn't consider me because I'm not ex-military with jungle experience, so it was all pie in the sky. I wanted to get out of the work I was in and try something different — that's how the initial South America thing started, really.


[CHAPTER: Photography Dreams and Early Life — 07:50]

CHRIS: Photography — so when did you pick up a camera? Have you always been into it?

PETE CASEY: I've always had a fascination with filming and photography. I had cameras when I was a teenager, and I did try to get into the National Film and Television School when I was 18, then again at 19 and 20 — nothing. I just couldn't get in; you needed to have produced films and I didn't have the equipment. Three-millimetre film and stuff like that. I've always been interested in photography and cinematography. One of the jobs I tried to get was as a cinematographer or camera operator at the BBC — I tried so many different options but nothing came to fruition.

So I ended up working for British Airways for a couple of years doing baggage handling because I wanted cheap flights. Then I got into building — construction. But I always had that fascination for documentaries, filmmaking, and photography. Once you get into the wheels of life and get a mortgage and everything else, you just sort of let that go, but it was always there. That desire to get into filming and photography — I thought adventure photography would be great. That's how I initially got motivated to try to get into that.

CHRIS: So how did you know Ed was doing the expedition? Did he advertise for people to join him?

PETE CASEY: I'd met them both at the launch party in London back in February 2008. So I was following the expedition, and I was aware of an advertisement in The Times or The Guardian. I knew at the time I wasn't experienced enough, but I had some time off at Christmas, I had a bit of money in the bank, and I thought — I'll just fly over and try to persuade them to let me join, even if it's only as a photographer for a few weeks. That's how the initial South America thing started. I always had a fascination with the Amazon. It just sort of came together that I had the chance to go out there. It was a culture shock, pretty much, for me — not having travelled much. Yes.

CHRIS: Can you remember what it felt like as a younger man just arriving in South America for the first time?

CHRIS: Can I ask a quick favour? If you're enjoying the Adventure Diaries Podcast, could I ask that you take the time to click the subscribe or follow button? And if you're feeling extra generous, a written review or star rating on your platform of choice would be greatly appreciated. Now, let's get back to the episode. Thank you.

PETE CASEY: I think there was a space of about 12 years where I didn't go anywhere — just working, trying to get a business together in the building industry. Yes, it was very much an eye-opener. I flew to Lima, then from Lima I got a flight into [the Amazon region], and the humidity and the buzz of the place was just incredible. It really opened my eyes to how different a place can be compared to a more developed, Western country like the UK. It was a bit of a culture shock to me, having not travelled much — not having the opportunity, perhaps financially or generally in life.


[CHAPTER: Planning the Sea-to-Source Amazon Ascent — 11:32]

CHRIS: So how do you go from that first experience with Ed in the jungle to building and planning your own expedition? It must have left an impression on you.

PETE CASEY: Yes. So the following year — Luke had already left — I managed to persuade Ed and Cho [CHECK: this may be Gadiel "Cho" Sánchez Rivera, Stafford's final guide] to let me join the expedition for a few weeks, on the agreement that I bring out a load of gear for them that their sponsors had supplied. They sent it all to my address — huge excess baggage fees — and I was quite happy to do that. I bought some new camera equipment and joined them for that stage. So I had firsthand experience of trekking in the jungle.

I was pretty fit — always down the gym, running and jogging. But I still struggled during those several weeks with them. After that, I went back and I continued supporting the expedition, helped raise some money to buy a laptop for Ed's team, and I followed it right to the end. I managed to get out there to the finish point and walked with them for the last 48 hours — I offered to film everything and take photographs. On the finishing day I filmed them running into the sea and took hundreds of photographs. I thought, well, this has got to open a few doors now for expedition photography.

But it wasn't until a few months after that, when I'd settled back into work and was feeling a bit down, that I thought — perhaps I could do something myself. I hadn't really considered it, but I thought, well, I've got experience now, I've got the feel for it, I'm strong, the timing is right, I'm not in a relationship, I haven't got kids — it's now or never. I started thinking about walking the Nile. I planned that route for about 18 months, tried to get sponsors, but I couldn't. I didn't even consider selling my home at that point.

Then I met Levi [CHECK: a separate explorer — Pete mentions meeting someone called "Levi" in London who also had a Nile plan] by pure coincidence in London, and he had the same idea. I thought, congratulations — you beat me to it. I gave him the domain name and thought, Amazon — what can I do? Nobody's done the sea-to-source before. Why does everybody go downriver and not up? That's where the thought started.

CHRIS: I think there is a reason why people go sea-to-source — just because of the way the water flows, it's easier.

PETE CASEY: Yes, exactly — go with the flow! I thought, well, if I do the opposite, it'd be a first perhaps. And I like the challenge. I don't want to do something that someone else has done. I've got experience in the Amazon, I've got a bit of confidence — so I started planning, without any real commitment. Just dreaming, I guess. The actual point of commitment wasn't then — I was just planning and thinking about it. I hadn't sold my home. That came a few years later.

CHRIS: So what was the point of commitment?


[CHAPTER: The Decision to Sell His Home — 17:23]

PETE CASEY: Do you want to know the point of commitment? When I decided to sell, because I couldn't get sponsors. I tried — I approached a lot of companies, I went to London to all the adventure nights — and I just felt it wasn't going to happen, and I hadn't got the money. I had equity in the property I'd spent years and years paying for and doing up and renovating. I decided that was the only way to do it: sell up.

Much to the dismay of a lot of friends and work colleagues. You know: "You're throwing your life away, you've worked so hard for this." I had about £110,000 in equity, I think. I knew I could probably use that to do it in two and a half to three years maximum — that was the plan. I thought, life's short, let's just do something different. I wanted to learn something new, do something vastly different to the standard life I was leading.

And I think I mentioned to you before — a good work colleague and friend of mine shockingly took his own life. He had problems with his ex-wife and things like that. It was a real shock. I went to pick him up one morning and he wasn't there — got a call from his sister. And I think that was another trigger. He knew I had the idea about doing this and he wanted to join me. I said, "You could join me for a few months." So it was a real shock, and that sort of triggered me to get the ball rolling: sell the flat, start planning. And I quite enjoyed the planning and prep — the training. I really put myself into it. Learning Portuguese, open-water swimming training. I really decided to commit one hundred percent.


[CHAPTER: Route Planning with Google Earth — 21:17]

CHRIS: How did you plan your first footsteps into South America — what was that early planning phase like?

PETE CASEY: I couldn't really afford to fly out and scout the route, but I had been there already. I was meticulously studying Google Earth and planning the route for a few years before I committed. The more I studied the logistics, the topography, the more I learnt — and the more confident I became that perhaps this was possible. Very risky, but possible.

I literally plotted the route on Google Earth five or six times, stored all the waypoints. I became an expert using Google Earth. Having worked in the building industry, you're not often in an office — so it was another learning curve, the technology side of it. I didn't even have Facebook at that point, so that was quite a learning curve. But I was fascinated by Google Earth — it really opened my eyes, from atlases to satellite imagery. That was the next jump.

CHRIS: Did you have fixers on the ground — guides waiting to hook up with you when you got there?

PETE CASEY: No. Nothing lined up at all. I literally got on the plane, arrived in South America practically on my own, completely. Nobody there waiting for me. I actually didn't send out a link to my website to family and friends until I arrived in South America, because I didn't want any negative reaction. No one really knew exactly what I was doing — they thought I was going on another jungle trek. There were only a couple of people I told the full plan to.

I went to Atalaia do Norte [CHECK: confirm Pete's base town near the Amazon mouth] initially, because I have a friend — Clive McGuire — who lived there with his wife. He's someone I met when I went out in 2009 on Ed Stafford's expedition, and I'd arranged accommodation at his place. So yes, I did have someone on the ground. But more or less it was all my own organising — no team behind me initially. I couldn't afford a team.


[CHAPTER: Swimming the Amazon — the Method — 26:26]

CHRIS: Were you not terrified of what might have been underneath when you were swimming in the Amazon?

PETE CASEY: Yes, initially. Basically, I decided to swim across all the rivers and lakes — do it completely by manpower, human-powered only. This was my crazy idea. I had swum across a few rivers when I was with Ed and Cho [CHECK], and they thought I was crazy. Ed actually filmed me once — I think he was hoping I'd get attacked by an anaconda or a caiman to boost his viewing figures. Unfortunately for him, I got across fine, and I quite enjoyed crossing the rivers.

When I started, yes, it was scary and risky and probably stupid. But the more I did it, the more confident I got. Most animals just stay away from you. It took me the first six or seven months to start feeling more relaxed about it.

The first big river I swam across — Ed and Lima [CHECK: may be a local guide named Lima] were filming. I got filmed crossing, and they said there was a sea serpent in the water when I was swimming, and that they're highly venomous. He said, "I wouldn't do that." I didn't see it, luckily. That was quite memorable — because when I got to the other side, I got swept downriver and ended up in the mangrove forest, the mud just waist-deep, literally pulling myself out. Ed came along in his motorboat, filming everything, saying "Watch out for the stingrays!" And I thought — great footage this. I looked at the camera. He didn't film anything. He missed it completely. That would've been good. But never mind.

CHRIS: Coming back to the route — when you were starting near the sea, that's a tidal tributary. Was there ever any risk of bull sharks in the early stages?

PETE CASEY: I never saw any, but the Amazon River at the Atlantic is tidal, and I was aware of this before the expedition. Twice a day the river actually flows inward instead of going out. And they have the Pororoca, which is twice a year around the full moon — have you heard of that? Where people actually surf the Amazon tidal bore wave? It's a big sport among Brazilians. If you Google it, it's like a tidal wave — literally the moon's gravity creating a big ocean wave a couple of times a year, very destructive.

I did use the flow of the river a few times when I crossed — I timed it so that when the tide was coming in, I actually advanced my route upriver, even though the river flows down. So I took that into account. It was a big learning experience. The currents were dangerous — very high risk.

CHRIS: You had an Alpacka packraft with all your kit — how were you managing that on the water?

PETE CASEY: I trained at a reservoir a couple of times and tried a few different methods of towing it behind me as I swam. In the end, the method I came up with was: the Alpacka packraft was there for insurance, really. I never used it to cross rivers. What I did was — the local person walking with me would have an equal kit including their own packraft. I put both backpacks into one raft, tied it to their raft, they'd paddle across, and I'd swim. But I could only do that on smaller rivers.

On bigger rivers, it was too dangerous — I hired a motorboat and driver, put everything in that, and I swam alongside. It just ended up being too complicated to drag all my kit behind me. And if I got in the Alpacka and paddled, it was defeating the object of wanting to swim across. So that was the method I settled on.

CHRIS: Did you actually paddle sections of it at all?

PETE CASEY: Very rarely. There was one emergency evacuation when one of the Una [CHECK] brothers decided for no reason he wanted to go back after four days of trekking — that's another story. We had to use the packrafts to go back downriver to his village, about seven or eight hours of paddling. And a couple of times, the lakes are obviously dangerous to cross. I swam across practically all the lakes, but if there's green algae floating on the surface, you just can't swim — a couple of times I had to get in the packraft and pull myself across by grabbing the algae. You just couldn't swim through that. And that's Anaconda territory.

So I did use it on a few lakes, but no rivers. All rivers I swam across.

CHRIS: I've got a big Alpacka Raft sticker on my desk, actually — I didn't realise you used an Alpacka. I met the Alpacka team in Colorado last year. I went to their HQ and had a tour and chatted to them. Cracking bits of kit.

PETE CASEY: Yes, I carried the Alpacka Scout — the lightest one possible. I just wanted to streamline my kit as much as possible. The Scout is very good for that.

CHRIS: What did the indigenous people think of your packraft versus their canoes? Had they seen packrafts before?

PETE CASEY: The Una [CHECK] were the first major indigenous tribe community I came across, and they'd never seen anything like it. It really broke the ice. I let the kids play with it. Every time I hired someone new, I trained them how to use it — they quite enjoyed it. They thought I was crazy when I explained what I had in terms of kit: you've got this packraft, you've got all this food, you've got hammocks, the logistics were a big time consumer of the expedition. But yes, it was a fascinating icebreaker.

They were fascinated by the compasses too. I gave away about ten compasses overall and had to reorder logistics to get more. I made sure every local who walked with me knew how to walk on a compass bearing — I trained them, let them walk up front. It took them a few days to get used to navigating on a bearing. And most of them wanted to keep the compass afterwards. I always had a spare.

PETE CASEY: Yes, they wanted everything. I said, look, when I finish, if I make any money, I'll come back and visit and bring you a complete set of kit for each one of you. I put this proposition to a documentary producer — I thought it was a good idea. But yes, I would've loved to go back, meet them all again, and give them the hammocks and all the kit they loved.


[CHAPTER: Indigenous Encounters — the Una Tribe — 34:00]

CHRIS: With the locals — were you aware of where the settlements and villages were before you arrived, or were there surprise encounters? I imagine someone just trekking through could create tense situations, especially given the history of outsiders and prospectors in that region.

PETE CASEY: On Google Earth you can spot huts, and I did plan strategically for each leg — planned to get to a small village even if it was just five or six houses, to resupply food and whatever else. I planned waypoints in my GPS and walked on a bearing to get to each village.

Yes, they were obviously surprised and shocked when we walked in — but that was the beauty of having a local with me. They would go in first, explain everything. If it wasn't for that, I don't know what would have happened. And half the time, the guide had a relative who hadn't been seen in years living in the village. It was like a little party — cook some food, a big bonfire. The bigger villages had little shops for resupplying.

But entering a village was always a bit dicey. There was one Una village where I'd swum across a river in a rainstorm and looked up — the whole village was standing there staring at me. Even though my guide was also Una and from the same tribe, he had to get out and explain everything to everyone. I got accosted as I climbed up the bank, surrounded, and guided towards the Chief's house. I thought, I'm in trouble here.

The chief was away in town, so we had to wait. In the end we got a boat back downriver to the town, and they arranged a meeting with all the chiefs. I had to speak in Portuguese, then my guide translated into the local language to explain everything.

PETE CASEY: They have a terrible history of abuse from outsiders — from loggers and the rubber trade. It's still very much there with them. They're one of the most defensive tribes, and one of the biggest in the Amazon. So yes, every time we got to a village, it was difficult to break the ice and get everyone relaxed. There were quite a few occasions where we had to run and get out. I was threatened.

One particular occasion they said they were going to kill me — I shouldn't be there. Even though my guide was Una himself, luckily they contacted a nearby Una community and someone came and escorted us out without me even asking. When you're exhausted and you just want to put your hammock up and sleep, and you end up having to trek further into the forest and sleep at a distance — it's hard. The next day we walked another seven kilometres, then the guide went back to the village.

Most of the time it was good — very friendly, curious, and hospitable. The dangerous occasions were usually when they were drunk on the home-brewed cauim [CHECK: local fermented drink — verify with Pete], which is made from the manioc plant — a kind of fermented beverage. When they were drunk, I was threatened quite a lot.

CHRIS: Did that ever make you want to quit?

PETE CASEY: Obviously yes, at moments. But I didn't want to quit. As I say, I walked with a local and that really helped. Usually when they sobered up, it was all fine. I felt uncomfortable if I upset anybody, but I made a huge effort to break the ice, explain everything, give them little gifts. It worked out well most of the time. These people live near the river, so they've seen Westerners [CHECK: Pete says "green goes" — likely "gringos"] before. In the more remote inland villages, they were less familiar with outsiders.


[CHAPTER: Near-Death: Chest-Deep in Floodwater — 47:11]

CHRIS: Six and a half years is a hell of a long time to be in that environment — particularly for someone who hadn't spent lots of time in it before. Was there a point where you really settled into that way of life? Or were you always adjusting to it?

PETE CASEY: I would say the first year was the most difficult because of the language barrier. And what helped was that between each leg there were quite long breaks — finding the next person, sorting logistics, getting the last person home. During those breaks, I got into a routine of thinking: this is going to take as long as it takes. I'm not going to rush. Just prep strategically, find the right person to walk with.

The first year was a struggle, but I was determined. Never thought of giving up — it never entered my head. I just thought, I've got nothing to go back to anyway. Clive McGuire contacted me after about six months or a year and said, "You're homeless." And I said, "No — my home is in the Amazon." Probably is. Yes, that's where I was living.

CHRIS: Were there any locations where you stopped for longer periods — weeks or months?

PETE CASEY: More stopped from moving, to be honest — due to cash flow, logistics, illness, waiting for the river to go down so I could get across certain areas. The first big stop was when I got to Manaus — the heart of the Amazon — about a year after I started. I spent three weeks there, staying with Clive McGuire who had become a sort of part of the team. I was eager to get going but couldn't find anyone willing to walk during that time of year.

Eventually I started again — and then I had the disastrous episode where I nearly died in the flooded forest. I ended up going back to Manaus and staying there for about five months, waiting for the water level to go down.

So what happened was: I was just eager to get going, and the guide I'd organised was from a village further along — someone recommended by people I'd met — and he didn't want to start until after Christmas. So New Year's Eve we started, partly because I needed to get past a military checkpoint and I knew my visa had expired. I figured New Year's Eve they wouldn't get out to stop us in the rain.

From that point we walked inland. The route I'd planned — I'd been studying it over and over during Christmas. I was advised it was flood season, the rainy season, high flood. I looked at the topography and I honestly didn't realise how bad it was going to be. I tried to cross inland and reach the Rio Purus [CHECK: confirm], a tributary off the main river. I planned for 15 days. It took 23 days. The last five days — no food. Real struggle. I was practically emaciated by the time we finished. I didn't think we were going to make it.

At one point we got stuck in a rainstorm, up to our chests in water passing through the forest. I couldn't see any higher ground. The guy was religious — evangelical. He looked at me and we looked at each other, and I thought, this is it. I said, there's no way out of here. I was terrified, literally shaking. And he said, "Don't worry. This is a beautiful place to die, and the day you die is the best day of your life."

I went through my head — I had a GPS but couldn't get a signal in the rainstorm, the battery was going. I thought: well, if I die, at least my last GPS waypoint would probably find our bodies. Even went through my head that if I got eaten by piranhas, at least my bones would be there for the waypoint to find. Stupid thoughts, but that's what was going through my mind.

Luckily I managed to get an emergency message out to Clive back at the house. He studied the topography in the middle of the night and got back to me with a bearing and a distance to what looked like higher ground — about half a kilometre away. I left the other guy there and swam and looked for it. Stupid thing to do in hindsight because I got swept into the forest and forgot where I'd swum from. Eventually I got back to him, relieved. I hadn't found higher ground, but I decided to keep moving and pull ourselves towards the point Clive had given me. We found a bit of ground sticking just above the water — enough to hang our hammocks above the flooded forest. I was coughing, sputtering, gasping, breathing in water. Tangled, enclosed forest. A nightmare. And it was dusk.

Eventually we got to a river, and I looked like a skeleton. Eventually I decided to go back — we got a passing passenger boat by pure coincidence (a weekly service) that rescued us from the riverbank. He had to go — he wanted to quit anyway, and I understood that completely. I thought, let's go back. He'd left some kit and his Bible there. So we went back, and then I ended up staying and waiting for the flooded forest to go down. I put an extension on Clive's house, worked, improved my Portuguese. It was worth the stop.


[CHAPTER: Recovery in Manaus — Planning the Next Leg — 51:50]

CHRIS: I have seen the photos of you with your top off — you were emaciated. And I think you'd said that was after days of eating, so God knows what you looked like before.

PETE CASEY: Yes — I booked myself into a small hotel in Manaus. I didn't want to go straight to Clive's, I wanted to give him a break, sort the guide out, pay him. He was happy because he'd actually lost weight too, bought new clothes, and said, "Right, I'm going back home to Colombia." He was from Colombia and hadn't been back in four years. So that's what happened. I stayed in Manaus — and it was worth it.

That's when I decided: no more rushing. It's going to take as long as it takes. I joined a gym in Manaus, got stronger, learned more Portuguese, built my confidence, and planned ahead for the next leg. The next leg turned out to be one of the best, because two brothers joined me — we crossed hundreds of kilometres of rainforest in 22 days. They were great. They had such a good sense of humour, they genuinely enjoyed it themselves. No accidents, which I always prayed wouldn't happen. No snake bites. That experience really set me up for the rest of the expedition.

CHRIS: And you still made it out — after being up to your chest in floodwater, emaciated, five days without food. That's pretty remarkable.

PETE CASEY: And it was dusk. We would have had to stop an hour earlier if we hadn't found that ground. It's hard to explain that fear. As I said, he said, "It's a beautiful place to die, and the day you die is the best day of your life." That might be the title of my book, actually. "A Beautiful Place to Die."

CHRIS: That's brilliant. Wow.


[CHAPTER: Health, Kit, and Jungle Boots Evolution — 55:28]

CHRIS: Coming out of that, you got yourself fit, sharp, you had a bit of purposeful time in Manaus — but generally over that six-and-a-half year period, were you always adjusting to the conditions, or did you settle into it?

PETE CASEY: The first year you learn a lot — how to arrange your kit, what to wear, how many times to stop and wring your socks out. I improvised and improved my kit and methods a lot over the course of the expedition. I stopped using military jungle boots and started using Wellington boots, and that solved most of my foot problems. I did have some issues with blisters and early-stage trench foot, but nothing major. When you cross a river and the boots fill with water, you just get to the other side, wring your socks out, tip them out, put them back on — no problem. And they didn't slip on logs the way the military jungle boots did. I believe I fed some of that feedback back to Berg [CHECK: confirm boot brand — possibly Berghaus or a different company], and I think they may have modified that sole design. Not sure, but I believe they tried.

Yes, it evolved. I improvised, I learned as I went. I made sure the campsite at night was well organised because sleep was important. I stopped a bit earlier just to get everything right. No rush — what's the rush? Enjoy the campsite, the food, the jungle, rather than trying to get there quickly.


[CHAPTER: Food and Rations on the Expedition — 01:00:40]

CHRIS: What were you eating along the way? Did your diet change much over the years?

PETE CASEY: When I had someone with me, I organised all their food as well. I meticulously divided everything — even putting rice into little plastic bags for each night. If I estimated a ten-day crossing, I got enough food for ten days and added a few extras: powdered milk, pasta, tinned sardines — which were everywhere in all the villages. Tinned sardines — brilliant. I needed to carry enough to get across without having to stop and fish.

And a lot of the locals made this stuff called farinha — processed manioc/yuca into little pellets. I called it the "gold food." Dense carbohydrate, always available in the villages, especially among the poorer communities. That was another thing I learned that genuinely helped me complete the expedition. So the main things I carried were farinha, tinned sardines, rice, and sugar when I could get it. Obviously you can only carry so much, so at times I had to ration it.

I did fish a few times with the guides, but not many. Carrying ten to twelve kilograms of food was one of the big negatives weight-wise. I always offered the guide the same kit and said, "This is what I recommend — this is how long I estimate we'll take. I'll buy you more food if you want, but you'll struggle with the weight." A few accepted more and did struggle. But from my experience, I tried to pass that on to them.

CHRIS: That actually doesn't sound too bad — especially with the sardines.

PETE CASEY: Yes! My planning was probably too meticulous at times. I always wanted to know where I was going, how much food I had, the logistics, the waypoints, the terrain — all in advance. That's the only way I thought I could achieve this.


[CHAPTER: The Andes and Cocaine Plantations — 01:05:00]

CHRIS: What was it like in the latter stages, as you were approaching the Pacific? How did the environment change?

PETE CASEY: Obviously because of the duration, I had plenty of time to think about the end point. And the Amazon — getting out of the Amazon and into the Andes — it was completely different. People were more friendly, more open. Tracking through jungle — I'll be honest with anybody out there — it wasn't that enjoyable most of the time. It was extremely difficult and often horrendous. But in the Andes, yes, it was more enjoyable. The latter part of the expedition was still difficult — I walked through some drug-trafficking areas. And there was a point where I took a shortcut through coca leaf plantations on my own. I walked through the red zone completely alone because I couldn't afford anyone to walk with me. I walked through the red zone entirely on my own. I knew it was a risk.

Once I got far enough through, I knew the dangerous section was behind me and the people were friendly and welcoming in the villages again.

CHRIS: Did you come across any cartel operatives — the Marcos [CHECK: possibly Los Shining Path, local traffickers, or similar]?

PETE CASEY: Probably, but not with certainty. There was one place where I stopped at a little farmhouse and they offered me dinner. The next day they took me out with people picking coca leaves. I knew what it was — I mean, the Cusco leaves for people to chew, some to be processed. I saw that firsthand. It's pretty open out there in those areas.

And I met a gang of guys when I was trying to find a shortcut — they asked what I was doing, I explained, and they were okay. I think they were growing it for processing. One pointed across a field and said, "Cut across there, climb up that little mountain, get to the top and you'll find a track." So I found myself hacking through coca leaf plantations with people harvesting, staring at me as I passed. I climbed up this little mountain — took me two hours just to get halfway — and finally got to the top and there was a track running all the way around following the main tributary. I got to a little village of about six houses and the man there said, "This is a mule route. Traffickers use this frequently — up to thirty at a time come through here." He said, if they find you, they'll push you off the cliff.

Apparently it was the mochileros [CHECK: Pete says "mos" — likely mochileros, the young cocaine couriers who carry loads on foot]. He said it was the quickest way to get where I was going — but I didn't realise the risk I was taking until he told me. So I think I had quite a lot of luck there.

CHRIS: Riding your luck, perhaps — sometimes being unaware is protective in a way. But yes, that's quite terrifying.

PETE CASEY: Yeah — on my own as well. That was dodgy.


[CHAPTER: The Explorers Club and Life After the Amazon — 01:13:40]

CHRIS: Do you have plans to write a book about all of this? We're only scratching the surface — it's such a long expedition.

PETE CASEY: So many things happened, so many near misses. Yes, I have been working on a book. I printed out 13 six-chapter extracts from 36 chapters and went to New York — went to all the big publishers, they wouldn't let me hand them in over the desk. So I found ways: went back, posted them, approached all the big publishing companies. And none of them got back to me. Not one.

So I've left it for a while and I've been working, trying to pay off debts. I still plan to get it out. My plan, if I don't get a publishing deal, is to self-publish. Someone's advised me to put it on Amazon — get it proofread, self-published — and apparently sometimes the big publishers pick up self-published books that gain traction. Maybe that's the way.

CHRIS: There have been a few people on this show who've self-published and it's worked out well for them. It's definitely a viable route. And I don't think it's time-sensitive — people are still releasing books about Shackleton after all these decades. It's an evergreen topic.

Okay, time check — we've been on for over an hour and twenty and we're only scratching the surface. And, honestly, for those wondering — yes, Pete and I have spoken before. This is take two. We had severe technology problems last time.

PETE CASEY: Yes — I had my iPhone 10 last time. Now I've got myself a new laptop, so the sound quality should be better.

CHRIS: Yes, much better. Actually, Pete — the Explorers Club. You were invited to do a talk there. For people listening and watching, it's on YouTube — we'll link it. There are some fantastic photos and a lot more to this story. What was the experience like?

PETE CASEY: That was a fantastic opportunity, all organised by Piotr Chmielinski — who was the first person to do a sea-to-source Amazon descent by kayak. He wrote, or was the subject of, the book Running the Amazon. He's a fellow of the Explorers Club and he was very persistent in organising the event. He said, "You deserve to do a talk here." And he eventually got me a slot in New York.

It was pretty overwhelming. I'd never been to New York before. It was packed — they were turning people away at the door, and I was shocked. I was expecting maybe ten people sitting in the front row. It was my first ever public talk in front of a live audience. Yes, it was pretty scary, but an amazing experience.

CHRIS: Does that not make you want to do more talks? Is that not an option?

PETE CASEY: Yes — I've written to most of the speaking agencies, hashtagged them on Instagram asking if they'd like me to join their agency. Sent links to the Explorers Club New York talk. Perhaps it wasn't good enough — I've never actually watched it back myself. I did a talk at the Explorers Club London this year, again organised by Piotr. But apart from that, no invites to do any major or paid talks.

I'm honest — there are moments when I've thought I've ruined my life. I sold my home, it took 20 years to pay for it, and the financial reality after coming back was pretty brutal. Santander closed my bank account without explaining why. I was refused carers allowance, refused universal credit, refused jobs at Tesco and Sainsbury's delivery because I hadn't been in the country for three years. I cycled to a food bank to get food for me and my brother, and my bicycle was stolen outside. That was one of the low points. Yeah, it didn't quite pan out as I hoped. But then the Explorers Club talk happened, a few doors opened, and I thought — well, I've had this experience. I saw New York for the first time, which probably never would have happened otherwise.

Most people who do things at this scale have always had wealth behind them, historically. Not someone from a working-class background who worked 20 years to pay for a small flat and sold it to do it. So — think twice before you do something as drastic as I did. Then again, you might not regret it. I've got to a stage now where the experience is extraordinary, and I'll carry it with me for the rest of my life.

CHRIS: Would you not think about taking people out there — guiding or tours — using your connections in the Amazon?

PETE CASEY: Yes, I felt the logistics, the initial costs, the insurance and liability needed money behind them to get it going, and I just haven't had that. I wanted to go back to Peru to pursue options like that. I'm looking now, actually — now that I'm working part-time for someone I worked for many years ago — I'm looking at visiting Peru this year. I've got some connections, and hopefully some doors will open. I'm slowly climbing out of the financial situation I'm in. Things come so slowly when you've got no money. But yes, various ideas are in progress.

CHRIS: I wish you every success with it, because you're a great guy — and what an incredible story. It's just finding a way to monetise that story and experience. I think it's just a matter of time.

PETE CASEY: Yes — and I've just become a member of the Explorers Club, actually. I got confirmation about two weeks ago. Someone paid my membership for a couple of years — the members organiser from New York flew over especially to see my London talk, and he offered to pay for it. So I'm now a member of the Explorers Club, and I've been invited: if I do a book, I can go and do another talk. So yes, there are opportunities coming. Slowly but surely. But I'm not counting on it. I've got my health — physical and mental. I'm good. And I've got the memories. My mother always used to say, count your blessings. So, yes.

CHRIS: And life goes through seasons and cycles — you might just be about to come into a new one.

PETE CASEY: Yes. Life goes like sound waves — up and down. Political, global, financial, everything goes in waves. Hopefully things will go up. I think they are.


[CHAPTER: Pay it Forward — Junglekeepers + Call to Adventure — 01:23:34]

CHRIS: Time to move into our closing traditions. First up: Pay it Forward — an opportunity to recommend a charity, cause, or project you're passionate about.

PETE CASEY: Obviously from my experience I'm much more acutely aware of deforestation and everything to do with the rainforest. When I was prepping for the trek, I read a book by Paul Rosolie called Mother of God. I've followed him on social media ever since. He's developed an organisation called Junglekeepers, and they're doing fantastic work — actually getting loggers, retraining them to be forest guardians. They pay them triple what they earn logging, to protect the forest instead. He's been on national TV in America, and they're protecting more and more sections of this rainforest. I'd say: anybody, take a look at their website — Junglekeepers — and give them your support.

CHRIS: That's quite timely — he's got a new book out right now. Excellent recommendation. And finally, the Call to Adventure — a place, an activity, something to excite listeners to do something adventurous.

PETE CASEY: I'm going to be biased and say Peru and South America. The continent is so vast — Chile, Patagonia, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil. You could spend a lifetime adventuring over there. It's not as dangerous as it's perceived. But locally, I'd say: when I was younger and struggling, the only way I got out of a dark place was exercise — swimming, running, jogging, a hundred lengths at the pool. Getting outside. Going for a run in the forest. Running is free. There's something special about walking through a forest when you're feeling down. It definitely helps. So: get off the screen, get out, and force yourself to do something locally. And if you've got the money and the desire for something bigger — South America. I can't recommend it highly enough.

CHRIS: Fantastic. A few things to unpack there. And that's it — take two of our conversation, technology problems last time aside. It's been excellent, Pete. What a fantastic episode.

PETE CASEY: Good luck with editing that! Yes, it's one of those things you could talk about for hours and hours. I hope someone enjoys it and picks something up from it. And a bit of advice I could add: don't always doubt yourself. Believe in yourself. You can do things that you would never dream of doing.

CHRIS: You've been recommended by a few people to come on this show, so know that there'll be people who've been looking forward to this. It's been an absolute pleasure.

PETE CASEY: Good to speak to you, Chris. And I have listened to a few of your podcasts — I'm going to try to listen to all of them now. It's a really good adventure podcast. It deserves everything it gets.

CHRIS: I do appreciate that. But before we wrap up, Pete — where can people go to find out more about the Ascent of the Amazon?

PETE CASEY: The website is still online — I've managed to keep paying the annual fee to keep it alive. So if you Google "Ascent of the Amazon" or go to ascentoftheamazon.com, all the blogs from the expedition are there. I also have an Instagram account — you can find me at P.C .Casey" on Instagram. It's also linked to the website, which I need to get repaired because it's not working properly. I'm on X as well but rarely use it now. Instagram is my main platform. So basically online in those two places, Chris. Yes.

CHRIS: Great — we'll get all that listed in the show notes. We'll also link to the Explorers Club talk for people to see more of the photos and context. That's a great watch as well.

PETE CASEY: Fantastic.

CHRIS: It's been a pleasure, Pete. Thank you for joining us.

PETE CASEY: Pleasure talking to you, Chris. Thank you very much.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for tuning in to today's episode. For the show notes and further information, please visit adventurediaries.com/podcast. And finally, we hope to have inspired you to take action and plan your next adventure — big or small — because sometimes we all need a little adventure to cleanse that bitter taste of life from the soul. Until next time, have fun and keep paying it forward.