Ash Dykes: Meet the self-taught British adventurer who's taking on the Yangtze River

The explorer contracted malaria in Madagascar and almost died of dehydration in Mongolia; but now he's taking on his most ambitious challenge yet

“It felt like pulling a concrete block through hell.” So says professional adventurer Ash Dykes of dragging an 18 stone trailer through the Gobi Desert in 40-degree heat back in 2014 – his first proper expedition.

“I nearly didn’t make it out of the desert, but 78 days later, I did.”

The self-taught explorer had come up with a plan to be the first person to walk across Mongolia solo and unsupported.

“I knew very little about the country, but I loved the idea of experiencing it first hand and relying solely on myself,” he says. ”I had to pull a trailer carrying everything I needed to survive.”

He sounds surprisingly casual about this near-death experience, during which he suffered severe dehydration.

“My water was running low and I had to ration it. I was hallucinating; I almost slipped into heat stroke, which is usually fatal.

“The only shade was under the trailer, so I kept lying underneath it for 45 minutes at a time. I remember thinking, if I don’t get out from under this trailer I’m going to die here.”

The 27-year-old from North Wales is not your typical adventurer. He doesn’t have a military background for one, or a wealthy family to fund his expeditions – he’s just a passionate traveller who loves seeing new places and setting himself increasingly difficult challenges.

“I was studying a diploma at college when I decided to go travelling,” he says. “I worked hard, saved up and set off to China with a friend. We’d nearly run out of money and were sulking because we didn’t feel like we’d done anything wild.

Ash holds a white chicken to ward off evil spirits (Suzanna Tierie)

“We suddenly came up with this idea to buy a cheap bike for £10 and cycle across Vietnam. It was this ridiculous looking thing, and we set off with no puncture kit, no pump and minimal supplies.

“We learnt how to survive in the jungle with a Burmese hill tribe – building, hunting, which berries act as mosquito repellent…”

What started as the most intense gap year ever quickly gave Ash the adventuring bug, sowing the seed for his solo Mongolia trek.

Next up was Madagascar a year later, with another world-first expedition – he hiked the length of the country, during which time he contracted the deadliest strain of malaria and was on the brink of death.

“The malaria experience was scary,” says Ash. “I was a few hours from slipping into a coma.”

Ash has to do intense training to prepare for expeditions

Hacking through leech-laden jungle with a machete, building rafts and navigating crocodile-infested waters, Ash completed the 1,600-mile journey in 155 days. But, rather than putting him off, it simply egged him on to come up with his most ambitious plan to date: a third world-first trek, where he’ll walk the length of the Yangtze River in one year.

“I always told myself I’d return to China one day and take on the heart of the culture, learn from the locals, explore the interior and share its stories with the rest of the world.

“That’s what always fascinates me – the stories. In Madagascar I had to carry a white chicken called Gertrude up to the top of the highest mountain to protect us from bad spirits! It’s definitely the different cultures and traditions that draw me in.”

The 4,000-mile journey will take Ash from west to east China, through 11 provinces, diverse ecosystems and multiple major cities including Chongquing and Shanghai.

“The severity of the challenge isn’t to be underestimated. I will be facing a lot of dangers throughout: sub-zero temperatures, wolves, bears, snakes.”

Ash Dykes is taking on his third world-first challenge

But he’s fully expecting there to be as many beautiful moments as there are brutal ones.

“No matter how difficult parts of the expedition get, there are definitely rewards,” he says.

“It can be a simple thing like arriving; we spent two weeks crossing the jungle in Madagascar, and when we got to this village they were so welcoming, almost like they were expecting us. They cooked us food, smiled at us – it was amazing.

“And at the Mongolian Step, looking up and seeing the Milky Way because there’s no light pollution. Just incredible.”

Ash’s advice for those looking to get into adventuring, whatever their background, is simple: go for it.

“The biggest things that would’ve stopped me were lack of knowledge and experience, and lack of funds,” he says. “But, without being too reckless, don’t let that put you off. We don’t get anywhere in life without giving it a shot.

“You never stop learning – all the survival skills I’ve picked up have been from local communities.

“You don’t need a military mind-set, you can develop yourself by taking things one step at a time.”