Ash Dykes, 34, will journey 3,400 miles (5,400km) along China’s Yellow River
Ash Dykes on a previous trek in China (Image: Ash Dykes)
A Welsh adventurer is embarking on an epic journey along one of the world’s most extensive waterways.
Ash Dykes, 34, from St Asaph, Denbighshire, plans to travel 3,400 miles (5,400km) following China’s Yellow River from its origin to the ocean.
Throughout his expedition he will undertake various pursuits including skydiving, paragliding, scuba diving, kayaking, climbing, and hiking to explore and show the “mother river of China” in different ways. In Wales another adventurous man has just become the world’s first professional bog snorkeller.
Ash will begin his adventure at the start of September on a voyage documented for global television.
He previously became the first person to accomplish a 4,000-mile (6,437km) trek on foot along China’s Yangtze River in 2019.
Britain’s longest waterway is the Severn, extending 220 miles (354km) across Wales, the West Midlands, and southwest.
Ash’s adventure in China will lead him from the Yellow River’s isolated headwaters on the Tibetan Plateau across the Gobi Desert, over mountain ranges, through expansive plains, via Inner Mongolia, and ultimately to its estuary at the Bohai Sea. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Ash Dykes previously became the first person in the world to trek across the whole Yangtze River(Image: Ash Dykes)
The Yellow River is frequently referred to as the birthplace of Chinese culture and ranks as the nation’s second-longest waterway.
He has previously completed the full distance of the Great Wall of China and his exploits have established him as a recognisable figure throughout China.
Ash said: “The Yellow River is known as the lifeblood of Chinese civilisation and China has always felt like a second home to me.
“Having walked its southern sister river, the Yangtze, this feels like the natural next step and, once again, China has welcomed me with open arms.
“This expedition is about showing the river as it truly is, its vast scale, its rich history and its modern-day importance. That means choosing the right way to travel at the right time whether that’s by land, air, or water.
“It’s the biggest and most ambitious project of my career so far.”
In 2014 Ash made history as the first documented person to cross Mongolia from west to east during an unassisted solo journey lasting 78 days.
He also claimed the record as the first documented person to complete the full length of inland Madagascar covering 1,600 miles (2,575km) across eight mountains during a 155-day trek in 2016.