Cancer Survivor treks through the jungle to open a trail for cancer research on the Amazon 5000 Expedition

The Amazon 5000 - For the Cure foundation, www.amazon5000.com, announced today that special forces veteran and cancer survivor, Mickey Grosman, is making history on the Amazon 5000 Expedition. He has already covered hundreds of miles on his mission to reignite the fight against cancer and to inspire children currently battling cancer. Mickey his team are currently on Leg 5 out of 12 on his year long, 5,000 mile expedition across the South American continent.

This leg is monumental as they will be making history by forging a route where Francisco De Orellanas famous 1541 El-Dorado voyage was forced to turn back due to the impassable terrain and harsh conditions. Mickey is leading a team of 6 through the virtually impenetrable terrain of the Eastern Andes through the Sumaco National Park in Ecuador, creating a path through the unexplored region never crossed by man before. This area is notorious for its unrelenting rain. By creating this path Mickey will be opening a opportunity for future researchers to study the plant life of this region. 70% of the plants with anti-cancer properties are native to tropical rainforests just like the Sumaco region.

It is Mickeys hope researchers will find in this never before seen vegetation, a cure to cancer. After opening this trail Mickey is descending the brutal Eastern Andes to the tropical rainforest and will continue on the Amazon 5000 expedition, making his way along the mighty Amazon River and through the dense jungles of Ecuador, Peru, Columbia and Brazil.

Follow this journey on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Amazon5000

Suitable venue for incredible Adventure Film?

Hello there,

I am looking for a venue to host a rather special evening. I am organising a film showing (Hanuman Airlines) on behalf of Sano Babu who was voted the National Geographic Adventurer of the year 2012 along with his equally crazy expedition partner Lakpa. In April 2011, they launched a paraglider from Mount Everest's summit and kayaked the Ganges to the Indian Ocean. Babu had never climbed before, Lakpa couldnt swim, and neither had seen the ocean before. Babu is in the UK for a short time only to show his film, answer many questions as possible and generally enchant audiences with his message.

The requirements for the venue: Have thecapacityofat least50 - ideally 100 Have a projector, PA system, seats etc! Location Central or south londoni deally but would consider else where. Doesn't need to be fancy but needs to do the job well! Have availability 21st/22nd or Aug - Maybe there are adventure clubs and organisation that would have a venue? I am also looking at venues outside of London so if anyone has any ideas or organisations that would like to host him them do let me know.

Kind Regards,

Graham

Explorer of the Month - Ants Bolingbroke-Kent

EXPLORER OF THE MONTH Ever wanted to know how to become an explorer or maybe how to find the perfect GT and mobile reception in the back of beyond?

Each month Explorers Connect interviews one of its members to find out everything you need to know - and there's never a pith helmet to be seen. This month, the wonderful, the inspiring: ANTS BOLINGBROKE-KENT. 

What are you working on right now?

At the moment I'm working on a hotch potch of projects. I've just come back from Georgia, where I was producing an episode of BBC2s Worlds Most Dangerous Roads. It was pretty epic what a totally brilliant country! Now I'm working on a new anti-poaching show for ITV and also.most excitingly working on a new book. I'm writing the book for Summersdale publishers and its going to be about a journey down the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Ill be doing this trip in Jan-Feb next year, on my own, on a Honda C90 moped. The book will be out in early 2014. Very exciting, but also a little scary.

How did you become an explorer?

I've always loved travel but sort of fell into the adventure game by accident. My best friend from school, Jo, had the ridiculous idea to drive a pink tuk tuk from Bangkok to Brighton. And it all went sideways from there. I wouldn't ever term myself an explorer though. More a part-time adventurer with a penchant for Very long Trips in Very Silly Vehicles.

Why do you do it?

Because its fun. Because it satisfies my perpetually itchy feet. And because I cant bear the thought of getting to the end of my life and regretting I didn't do more with it.

What scares you the most?

Sharks. Spiders. The dark. Ghosts. No seriously, there are quite a few things about my upcoming book that make me rather nervous. Parts of the Laos jungle I'm going through are extremely remote and allegedly full of all the above (excluding sharks of course). The Ho Chi Minh Trail is the most bombed place on the planet, and there are many tales of the jungle being haunted by all the soldiers and people who died there in the 580,000 bombing missions the USA flew over the area. Oh, and someone got eaten by a tiger there less than a decade ago.

What is your greatest moment so far?

Raising 50,000 for the mental health charity Mind, through our tuk tuk trip. My friend Jo had suffered severe mental health problems as a teenager, hence our decision to raise money for Mind. So many people were so inspired by Jo's story and her amazing recovery, it was really fantastic. What's the most dangerous situation you've ever been in? I hate to be disappointing but I've never been in a Shit I'm going to die situation. I'm just not hardcore enough for that! Probably the time I've felt closest to it was when three of us were testing a new adventure for The Adventurists in February 2011. In temperatures of -40, we attempted to drive an old Ural motorbike up the frozen River Ob to the Russian Arctic Circle. On one particularly cold night the bike kept breaking down, there wasn't a whiff of civilisation in sight, and things got a little spicy. I got to that point of extreme cold when I didn't really care what happened, and the other two were having to force me to move. If we hadn't come across a tiny town and a warm bed, I dread to think what would have happened.

What makes you smile?

Open roads, feeling free, new places, dancing, very loud electronic music, tea made over a camp fire, a Large GT at the end of a long day, the hum of a motorbike engine, (winning) Boggle, words, unexpected adventures, achieving something you didn't think you could do.

What are the biggest obstacles to expedition success?

Your own mind. Even if you don't have the best equipment and haven't spent months planning something, if you're determined enough, you can make it happen.

What's the worst injury you've ever had?

Nothing really (loads of broken bones as a child but they don't really count here!)

What's your nickname?

I have a few, they're all animal related make what you will of that! Ants, Ferret and Skunk are the main ones. Long stories.

How do you balance the adventurous life with your home life?

That's the hardest thing about what I do. I try and make sure I'm not away for more than 3 months of the year. Doing this sort of job is awesome and I feel very lucky, but home life is also incredibly important. As much as I adore travel and adventure, I also adore being at home in Somerset. People often say Wow your life sounds so exciting. But I also spend a lot of time at home talking to the dog and hanging up my boyfriends washing - its not all rock and roll!

What's the one thing you do better than anyone else you know?

I'm pretty good at drinking hard liquor in odd places. Whether its vodka up a Mongolian mountain, Siberian moonshine or chacha in Georgia. A dubious quality I know. I think I'm also pretty good at avoiding potholes in a tuk tuk.

What one thing couldn't you live without on expedition?

Wirral. My grubby little teddy bear dragon thing. He comes everywhere with me. Hell definitely be riding the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

What is the best advice you've been given in your career?

Someone said to me years ago The first rule of life is to turn up. He was a film producer who a friend of a friend had said I should go and meet, as he might be able to help me get my first job in TV. I remember thinking Whats the point, hows he going to help me? But that meeting got me a brilliant job at ITV and led to so many doors opening. As I left the producer said to me The first rule of life is to turn up. And I've never forgotten it. It applies to so many situations.

Is there anything left to explore?

Of course. Your mind. Your own back garden I really don't subscribe to all that rubbish about there being nothing left to explore. It depends who you are, what your past experiences are and how you look at things.

If you could only do one more expedition what would it be and why?

Something in Russia, but I'm not quite sure what. What's your life time ambition? To be the next Dervla Murphy.

How can readers learn more about you?

Check out my website www.theitinerant.co.uk and also follow me on Twitter @AntsBK.

Ants Bolingbroke-Kent was interviewed and edited by Frank Coles, a writer and broadcaster with a taste for adventure.

You can find out more about him on Explorers Connect or at www.frankcoles.com."

Kathmandu - Kashgar - Kyrgyzstan overland

Hi everyone,

In 2013 I'm planning an overland adventure (by any means other than flying) from Bangalore to Birmingham. My proposed route will take me through Nepal, Tibet, Western China and then into the Stans. I've read on my travel forums that if coming from Nepal, only a 15-21 day visa will be issued for Tibet. An existing Chinese visa will be ripped up. It is my understanding the the Tibet visa can be changed to a Chinese one when leaving Tibet, but the 15-21 day rule still applies. So that means you have very little time to get out of China. However, I see a number of overland tours do this route and seem to take much longer over it. So I hoped that somebody may be able to advise me whether there is a potential way around this?

Many thanks,

Ed

edwardjfhewitt@gmail.com

Question - cameras

I am off to Island Peak in Nepal in November and need a wee camera that can do great views and people shots, and handle the temps of -20C and UV at 6000m. Any suggestions?

Many thanks,

Dave Stewart

dave@freshairlearning.com

Walking in Logged Tropical Forest (can be a nightmare)

Trekking in tropical forests has long attracted people, despite the stifling humidity and temperature and the increased likelihood of being bitten, infected, scratched by spines (from plants or caterpillars) or getting completely lost in the disorienting landscape.

On a bad day I get claustrophobic and exhausted; on a good day the forest is one of the most incredible places on earth. The smells, sounds and cooling shade under a true tropical canopy is an experience never to forget. Sadly, it is an experience with dwindling possibilities. I am in Borneo writing this article after having spent two months collecting data with the SAFE (Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems) Project.

The project, the largest ecology experiment in the world and open to all scientists, is set up in 7000 hectares of logged forest between two of the most important conservation sites in South East Asia, Maliau Basin and Danum Valley. Incredibly, in Sabah, the Malaysian province covering the north of Borneo, there is no longer any unmodified tropical forest that isnt protected as a reserve. The rest of the landscape is either Oil Palm plantation or logged forest. Trekking through the SAFE Project sites to collect data is rarely like the stunning tropical forest scene that many people will have in their minds. Logging opens up the ground to light and a profusion of plants shoot up to around two metres above the ground. Monotonous ginger, rattan with its spines perfectly placed to rip your skin, and thick grass which cuts like a paper-cut is everywhere. I had, perhaps foolishly imagined selectively logged forest this has been pretty much clear felled except for a few token trees. Saying that, biodiversity in logged forest doesnt suffer as much as you would expect.

Most groups so far studied maintain relatively high abundance, and ground flora increase in diversity as well as abundance. So far so good, but logged forest such as this doesnt remain so. Everything except for the fragments of forest SAFE will be monitoring will be converted to Oil Palm plantation over the next year or two. The last forest connecting Maliau and Danum will pass into history. And if the diversity of species in logged forest is an encouragement, the diversity of species in Oil Palm is a nosedive. I probably dont need to explain what damage an endless monoculture of an imported species does to an ecosystem. The encouraging results that SAFE will no doubt produce over the next ten years will tell us how much forest you need to conserve a certain amount of biodiversity.

This will hopefully be adopted in a similar way that hedgerows as corridors have been in the UK. Indeed, Malaysian law already stipulates that 30 metres of forest has to be left on either side of a waterway. Sadly, most that I've seen here appear to be logged forest. Before I finally left the forest (logged and unlogged) I climbed the highest mountain in the area with a friend. At 930m its no giant, but there are no paths or proper maps and we ascended at around 750 metres/hour with a trusty GPS, hacking our way through dense patches. Above 850m the forest changed completely from lowland dipterocarp forest to elfin woodland and finally to heath forest, where gnarled shrubs and giant clumps of moss are the order of the day. None of the other scientists at the camp knew about this.

This tiny island of heath forest must have been separated by a similar ecosystem by tens of miles. I have no idea where the nearest example is. That it survives and sustains is fantastic. But that it shows something of the resilience of nature is also true. Tropical forest is something not to lose. That there is only 700km2 left in Sabah (as opposed to 14,000km2 of Oil Palm plantation) is sad. But take a step into what is left, to see the majesty of those giant trees, and at least we can be grateful that large swathes are protected.

Any traveller or explorer, or human for that matter has to content themselves amidst landscapes that have been modified permanently by us. Many have lost much of their beauty, diversity and attraction for adventurers. That the products of this modification support the modern lifestyle, including travel, is also true.

Sometimes when travelling we think about all that has been lost in the transition to the world today. SAFE will be a heartbreaking process, giving us the raw data as a landscape is transformed and species such as the eight hornbill species go locally extinct. Looking back in 10 years time and expanding these 7000 hectares outwards, we will have a poignant reminder of what has been lost."

A quick guide to navigation

"Do you recoil in horror when someone presents you with a map and compass? Are you looking at cryptic lines and symbols like a spider has climbed out of an ink jar and danced a polka over some paper? Then focus in fear on the crazily spinning needle of a compass which you're sure was pointing the other way just a few seconds ago?

Navigation can at times seem like a black art. However there are a few tips which can make sense out of the chaos. Always trust the compass. This is probably rule No. 1. Your compass will never lie to you. Depending on which type you use, one end of the magnetised needle will always point North, everything else to do with naving follows on from this unalterable truth. N.B. never wear mitts or gloves with a magnet in them while holding your compass I am speaking from experience. The map is a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional environment. Imagine your room if viewed from above, with line representations of all the furniture, contour lines and spot heights to show the shape and elevation of all objects above floor -level.

One common error is for people to try to make the terrain they can see in their surroundings fit with where they think they are - or want to be - on the map: You have a point on the map where you THINK you are, so you look and see what features are marked around it. You see a wood, some hills, a river and a road and then you look up from the map and try to find these around you. Wrong! You should always identify features on the ground FIRST and then try to find them on your map. Otherwise, wishful thinking can get in the way of objectivity. The best features you can use as reference points are the most obvious ones. Structures like power-lines, radio masts and bridges, their singularity and prominence make them great reference points like the pole star. In the absence of these try to find a prominent natural feature that you can use and always keep half an eye on it while you are steering/walking so as to maintain your course. Rivers and tracks or roads can be good but if you are right off in the ulu then you may have to find a prominent hill or mountain and use that as far as possible. Always orientate the map to the ground. If you turn the map so that the top is pointing North then it will help you to match up the features on the ground with features on the map, making it much easier to find your way. If you get lost, always retrace your steps to the last place where you knew where you were.

For equipment, a full-size clear plastic Silva compass is probably a good bet. Keep it on a lanyard and secured to you, either around the neck or on a mini-carabiner attached to a belt loop. Your map should be kept in a waterproof case, also secured to you. If your map gets wet or blown away it wont be much use to you. If you are planning to go off into the wilderness then there is no substitute for experience. You could read all the books, guides, videos and get a doctorate in theoretical navigation, but you still don't know diddly until you put it into practice. So get out there with a map and compass amongst the hills and do some routes on your own before you head off into the wilderness. One last tip - never use a green head-torch to read a map - try it sometime and witness all the woods and main roads vanish as if by magic!"