This time last year I was running around like a madman trying to get the final pieces of the puzzle in place for my Guyana expedition. The aim was to make the very first descent of the Potaro River, from source to mouth, with two Patamona Indians. A secondary aim was to film the journey and maintain a blog, with live updates from the jungle. I’d never attempted an expedition of this sort and I could only stare in amazement as my to-do list grew uncontrollably from day to day. Every little detail had to be thought out, from the choice of satellite messenger to the wattage of my solar panel. There was the logistics, the sponsorship, the medical kit, evacuation plans etc. It was daunting but exciting and, as time went on, I began to love the process, and the ups and downs that came with it. Finally, after 17 months of obsessing over plans, I found myself squatting in the back of the Guyanese army’s Skyvan plane, wedged between a 20 foot aluminium boat and canoe bags, flying over thousands of square miles of uninterrupted, primary rainforest. Rupert and Danny, my two Patamona team mates, were crouched behind me, taking in the views, as an air of excitement hung over all of us. The plane dipped a wing and took us low over Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest single drop waterfall and the largest obstacle we would face on our journey downstream. Then the rainforest opened up and we made a smooth landing on the airstrip near Kaieteur village. We unloaded our gear, said our goodbyes to the pilots and a few minutes later the plane was off again. Staring into the distance, as the plane fast became a dot on the horizon, the enormity of the task ahead finally struck me. The expedition had begun!
Expedition Taster from Charles Montier on Vimeo.
35 days of arduous trekking, paddling and hauling the boat through 17 sections of rapids and around 9 major waterfalls, made Exploration Guyana (www.explorationguyana.com) an exciting and at times treacherous expedition. Many lessons were learnt the hard way (e.g. don’t lend miners a pair of jungle boots if you want to see them again!) and the going was tough, but the camaraderie I had with my team mates made even the hardest moments enjoyable.
(please click on the awesome image below to enlarge)
A few months after finishing the expedition and returning to the UK, it dawned on me that I strangely missed the hours of toil involved in expedition planning and, furthermore, I felt a strong desire to encourage others to experience the simple joys that come with isolated journeys, especially when accompanied by locals who understand the environment. Work in the expedition industry beckoned. Then came the Explore event at RGS and, as a member of the rainforest panel, I had the opportunity to chat with a variety of experienced and knowledgeable fellow panellists, one of whom was Rob Murray John. We had a good chat and a week later he kindly offered me a place on the Sky2Sea team. So here I am, writing my first blog and feeling a familiar sense of excitement creeping through me once more.
I hope for all those of you who have ever daydreamed about undertaking an expedition that you’ll follow your calling and get out there and do it. And, when you’re ready, why not give S2S a shout, I’m positive we can help you fulfil that dream of yours. Be it learning how to hunt with Macushi tribesman or cycling to Timbuktu, our bespoke expedition service can make these awesome ideas happen. Go for it!
Tags: expedition in guyana, Is there any expedition employment
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