Walking on a dream…
Tell me. What do you know about the Islamic Republic of Iran? Anything? Anyone?
In a few days, after 18 months of planning and preparation, I set out on what will be a most amazing and fascinating journey. Walking solo and lightweight from the northern border of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Caspian Sea to its southerly border in the Persian Gulf.
Mark Kalch - Expedition Iran
Beginning in the coastal city of Chalus, I cross the Alborz Mountains heading south to Tehran. From here I will continue south-west to Qom, before heading south to Esfahan, through the Zagros Mountains and on to Shiraz before reaching the Persian Gulf at Bushehr.
Iran is one of the most mountainous countries on Earth, and over many weeks I will pass through subtropical rainforest, 5000m+ mountain ranges, plateau and desert on course for the Persian Gulf. Just myself, my pack and a notebook. Nothing more. Will I make it? Maybe, although there is a much better chance that I will not! But, is that not all the more reason to go?
The relationship between Iran and the West has a tendency to polarise opinion which makes for interesting times ahead. I journey with an open mind and heart. I am not a politician or a campaigner. I am an explorer.
The way - Expedition Iran
I do not propose to change the world with my short walk. I am not journeying to raise funds for charity or awareness of climate change. I wish to experience the true Iran. A country of amazing, generous people, not the caricature painted for us by others. I will stay and live amongst its people, explore its diverse geography and experience what was, once upon time, the greatest empire on earth.
Sounds like an interesting expedition huh?
Mark Kalch is an experienced explorer whose determination and thirst for adventure has led him to plan and carry out several expeditions. In the last 12 years he has walked the length of the Omo River in Southern Ethiopia, rafted down the mighty Amazon River from its source in the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, run rivers in Southern Africa, trekked in the Andes of Peru, forged trails through dense jungles in East Africa and explored deserted tropical islands off the coast of Australia by sea-kayak.
Mark’s experiences of planning small, unsupported expeditions into the wilderness, far from any help and with only himself and his team to rely on, has given him an incredible insight into successful team dynamics, leadership and risk management.
Best Daze from Mark Kalch on Vimeo.
Immersed in local culture - Expedition Iran
Sky2Sea sponsored Mark to give a public talk at National Geographic in London in October of this year. This talk focused on his recent Amazon expedition (a successful human powered, source to sea journey of the Amazon River):Mark faced acute mountain sickness, dysentery, turbulent whitewater, 30 km wide tidal river waters and being shot at by both the military and narco-terrorists. After the team medic was struck down with a mystery virus and forced to return home, Mark and his other team mate were left to row the remaining 4500km between them, at times rowing 24 hours a day in alternating 6 hour shifts to reach their goal.
Quite a guy!
We’re delighted that Mark will be guest blogging for us during Expedition Iran. Hopefully this has been a good introduction to him and the expedition – get ready for the next blog….coming straight from the field!
You can also follow the journey at www.markkalch.com!
Mark Kalch - explorer, Expedition Iran
….. an RGS ‘Explore’ Conference exclusive.
Brought to you by MD Rob, expedition expert and jungle panellist for 5 years running at ‘Explore’…these are some of his top tips for experiencing tropical forests safely, and stem from questions during the ‘expedition planning and logistics’ workshop if you couldn’t make the RGS conference!
>>Top Tips<<
#1 choose the correct sleeping system
Think carefully about using the 3 in 1 versatile sleeping system of hammock, basha and mozzy net before you automatically jump for the tents: tents can be good if you have open areas, especially in higher altitudes where it’s a bit cooler e.g. in the cloud forest…they’re not so great for sleeping amongst the trees!
#2 Feet
Consider wearing Jungle Boots – they are specifically made for this environment and are designed to stop your feet rotting! Make sure they are genuine and not fake – if you can’t be bothered to wear them in then consider using a lightweight fabric boot with ankle support – avoid Gortex!
However, consider Gortex socks to keep your feet dry at night (after cleaning and powering your feet). They are an absolute dream…trust us, it’s no fun drying your feet out only to have to put them back into wet boots to avoid the creepy crawlies on the night-time jungle floor.
Consider leech socks if you’re going to an area with leeches….and think about taking some Lycra shorts to protect the vitals….
#3 Safety kit
Ensure you are able to carry all your safety kit (aka SOP / Belt kit) items in one bag that can be easily tied around your waist or carried over the shoulder. Always wear and carry your own safety kit!
Your safety kit should always have the basics (NB. this isn’t an exhaustive list and you should always seek detailed advice before you head out): water, water purification method, compass, whistle, fire lighting gear, mini-first aid, torch and knife…this is in case you ever get separated from your main pack – you need to be able to survive, attract attention or find your way back on the minimum of items!
#4 Water Purification
We still favour Iodine as it has been proven to kill known parasites, but you can no longer buy it in the EEC. There are therefore 2 alternatives: biox Aqua Drops or Chlorine tabs.
Iodine is good as it can be used in a first aid, antiseptic capacity and is great for grazes, small cuts and insect bites to help them stop getting infected – a small tincture fits nicely into your belt kit as well.
You can still buy Iodine for water purification in-country if it is available but make sure you buy the correct one for water purification!
The steri pen is ok and effective, but it is costly and you can only do 1 litre at a time and have to constantly stir the pen – good for individual use.
#5 Weight
No need to carry too much! You need a sleeping system, belt kit and two sets of clothing…but consider extras depending on where you’re going!
If you’re in need of a jungle expedition or some tailormade planning then take a look at our main website and get in touch! Nomad do a good jungle kit list for you to get some ideas from as well.
Tags: jungle epedition advice
Remember those lazy summer days as a youngster, outside, running around with Nature everywhere. Remember those gorgeous fluttering companions flitting from flower to flower and dancing together in clear blue skies?
That’s right, the spring and summer butterflies brightening up the days! Now, there is always a lot of doom and gloom about species being in decline….but sadly it’s true, and we have to face facts to fix it. Luckily our bright little butterflies have a helping hand in the UK with Butterfly Conservation; a charity presided over by the great man himself, Sir David Attenborough.
Butterfly Conservation has saved our lovely ‘Large Blue’ after it was made extinct in 1979 – it has been successfully re-introduced and numbers are growing – hurrah!
But why bother I hear you ask – everybody loves the big mammals its true, and yes, everything possible should be done to conserve say the Snow Leopard and the Orangutan…but let us not forget the tiny beings amongst us who are actually an indicator of ecosystem health. To put it plainly, declining butterfly numbers indicates the health of the environment we’re living in is also declining: action needs to be taken to bring it back into shape ready for our children and grandchildren to head out into it.
‘Peacock’ – Jim Asher, Butterfly Conservation
But what of the moths? These little beasties come out at night and are generally less pretty and less cared about by people, even though they can be MORE important than butterflies by providing a food source for birds, other wildlife, and as pollinators. So moths certainly need a helping hand as well…
Step forward eco-warrior Izzy at Sky2Sea International! As an Environmental Biologist she gets to help her eco-buddies save the planet when she gets some time away from helping plan exciting expeditions for you! Izzy spent a few days with Butterfly Conservation in Dorset, helping survey ‘Dingy Mocha’ larvae (that’s a very rare UK moth species by the way, and UKBAP Priority species) and survey areas of land ready for conservation.
‘Dingy Mocha’ – Butterfly Conservation
“Dingy Mocha larvae live in sallow trees, so to find them we needed a big sheet underneath a suitable tree, then by beating the tree (causing no damage!) we could catch all the caterpillars and see if we’d managed to get some ‘Dingy Mochas’. We didn’t find any on the sites we searched in, but might have better luck next time. During the separate habitat classification survey, patches of land already recognised as significant for the wildlife there had species of plants and trees recorded. This will lead to increased protection for these important sites.” Izzy Jones
‘Holly Blue’ – Jim Asher, Butterfly Conservation
This work is so vital, we have already lost 5 of the 60 resident species in the UK and two thirds are in decline. In a world dominated by commerce and consumerism it is often difficult to see the significance of such small members of our ecosystem that we all have to share – however, surely looking at the bigger picture it is important to send our children and future generations off into a world still possessing summer days with butterflies fluttering…but please don’t forget the moths as they’re very cool and important too!
Butterfly Conservation really really relies on volunteers to help out – Izzy will continue to help when she can, but they could do with a lot more people taking an active role, even if it’s only a small one…as Tesco says “every little helps!”
For more information and ideas about how YOU can get involved…check out the Butterfly Conservation’s website www.butterfly-conservation.org and you can download more info on ‘Dingy Mochas’ here! (http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/uploads/dingy_mocha.pdf)
‘Large White’ – Jim Asher, Butterfly Conservation
Tags: Butterfly conservation in the uk, helping the environment
The term ‘Responsible Travel’ doesn’t always mean taking home your litter, being polite to the locals or not buying goods made from endangered animals skins.
‘Responsible Travel’ also means ‘Should I be there in the first place!’
Let’s look at some examples shall we.
WAR ZONES
There are travel operators now offering trips to Afghanistan and Iraq. When we take our clients into remote and distant lands our risk assessments are huge and we don’t even have to take into account fear of kidnapping, explosive devices, gunshot wounds, etc.
Here is a short snippet from the British Foreign Office website on both Iraq and Afghanistan -
No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts. Visitors travelling to Afghanistan do so at their own risk and without protection from HMG.
Although there has been a decrease in the level of violence throughout Iraq the situation remains highly dangerous with a continuing high threat of terrorism throughout the country. This includes violence and kidnapping targeting foreign nationals.
THE WEATHER
After the above section, one titled ‘the weather’ might sound tame…. but ignore the local weather at your peril.
- extreme cold – hypothermia and frostbite
- snow – avalanches and blizzards
- extreme heat – dehydration, heat stroke and sun burn
- rain – flash floods
- winds – hurricanes/typhoons
All the above can happen on their own or in devastating combinations.
Even in today’s rapidly changing climate weather patterns are still fairly predictable and risk assessments can be made accordingly.
DISEASE
Unfortunately, most places people want to go exploring are also home to a lot of dangerous germs, bacteria and diseases. Luckily for us though most of these conditions are known and can be vaccinated against or at least preventative measures taken.
However, it is up to the individual to know the risks and take the necessary steps towards protection. No one will drag you to a clinic for the injections, force anti-malaria pills down your neck or set up a mosquito net at night!
But no matter how successful medical science is at keeping you safe there are simply places, during outbreaks, you don’t go to. If the World Health Organisation says “Please do not jump of a motorway bridge” people would listen, so why not when they say don’t go to an area due to a cholera outbreak, for example?
A quick summary
It is a free world, you can go anywhere at any time and do what you want! But what about the people who are sent into a situation to try to save you when you are injured by a gunshot/avalanche/cholera – where would they prefer to be right then? What about the cost of saving you, couldn’t that be better spent?
Adventure is risky enough without ignorance being added to the equation! So please remember – Responsible Travel.
When a branch snaps off a tree, it might be dead or it might be the weight of all the air plants (epiphytes) growing on it, it isn’t always a certain fact that it will fall to the ground. If, after a violent storm, the top of a tree is damaged then the same again is true, sometimes it doesn’t immediately come crashing down to the forest floor.
The canopy of a rainforest is an amazing criss-cross of vines, lianas, roots from plants growing down to the floor and branches of other trees interlocking with one another. So it isn’t a surprise when branches or entire trees are held aloft by this mixture of vegetation.
The problem is that eventually something will give and a lot of debris can rain down on you from a great height. This can happen at any time but is more likely during the strong winds during a tropical downpour.
If you are having a guided tour or a stroll down a track and the wind picks up and the trees start rustling, then that is a good time to keep your eyes skyward (obviously not neglecting the dangers that are lying on the ground as well). If you are setting up camp in the jungle then it is something that you should have checked before setting up for the night. In a base camp scenario I would strongly recommend walking around the perimeter of the camp looking up and into the jungle for any trees that are dead and could reach your camp if they fell.
Top tip 1. When tying up a hammock make sure the tree you tie to is actually alive. Believe me I’ve seen this with my own eyes. A collapsed tree, a crushed hammock and mosquito net, and an expedition member nearby sleeping on the floor.
Top tip 2. Monkeys are cool to look at and very comical to watch as they sound there alarm calls at the large animals on the floor (you!), but all that jumping up and down, howling and making a commotion also shakes debris loose. I’ve had members of my own group hit due to alarmed howler monkeys.
