News

BGAN records epic Amazonian journey

18-03-2008 - Two intrepid Aussies equipped themselves with Inmarsat BGAN to raft 6,800 kms (4,225 miles) down the River Amazon from its source to the Atlantic Ocean.

Experienced explorers Mark Kalch, age 31, and Nathan Welch, age 30, set off September last year in a large rubber dinghy, paddling from the source of the world's longest river near the summit of Nevado Mismi in southern Peru.

Equipped with a Thrane & Thrane Explorer 500 BGAN terminal they sent regular updates to their Expedition Amazonas website - including recordings of other expedition members who dropped out during the early stages as the ordeal took its toll. 

White-water rafting
They faced six weeks of white-water rafting down the Apurimac River, descending from 4,000 metres above sea level.

Mark and Nathan travelled on to where the Apurimac merges with the Perene and Urubamba rivers to form the Ucayali.

Then they entered the Amazon basin where - between the Peruvian towns of Nauta and Iquitos, the Ucayali merges with the Maranon to become the Amazon.

By mid-January this year Mark and Nathan reached Manaus in Brazil - 16 days after leaving Iquitos. They reported being extremely exhausted after paddling around the clock for 24 hours.

Ultimate prize
Their gruelling journey along the widening expanse of the Amazon took a total of 153 days, through Santaram and then on for an "extremely challenging 17 days" to the port of Belem in the Amazon Delta.

Nine days later, on February 21, they reached Ponte Taipu. Elated, Nathan sent a triumphant blog to their website.

"We have reached the ultimate prize and at this very moment sit stranded in sticky mud just at the bottom of the Ponte Taipu Lighthouse," he wrote. 

"The tide has gone out, we¿re being slaughtered by sandflies, it's pouring [with] rain and we might be stuck here for a while but we don't mind - aahhh the sweet taste of victory! Yeeeehaaaa!"

www.expeditionamazonas.com

Back to previous page.