Adventurer Hits Major Milestone on World First Expedition

Adventurer, Ash Dykes, who embarked on an expedition to become the first person in history to traverse the length of Madagascar, summiting its eight highest peaks on the way, has reached the first major milestone on his epic journey – the halfway point.

In the three months since starting his expedition, Ash has trekked almost 800 miles across challenging terrain from barren desert and dense jungle to boggy marshland, battling temperate as high as 45 degrees.

So far Ash has summited five of the eight mountains with a total culminated height bigger than Everest. These include (in order of completion):

Pic Boby - 2658m – 2nd highest in Madagascar
Ibity - 2240m - 9th highest in Madagascar
Famoizankova - 2367m - 7th highest in Madagascar
Inanobe - 2325m, 6th highest in Madagascar
Tsiatajavona - 2643m, 3rd highest in Madagascar

And if that's not enough Ash has confronted of a number serious challenges and obstacles on his journey so far. Just three weeks ago he contracted the most deadly strain of Malaria and, hours away from death, was rushed to the nearest city for urgent treatment. Having now made a full recovery Ash was determined to see the expedition through and pushed on with the next leg, which has led him to this landmark point.

Ash Dykes said: “The last three months have been a complete whirlwind – some real highs but some real lows too. It's not only physically tough but also mentally exhausting. No amount of training can prepare you for challenges you face on the ground. Reaching the halfway mark is a very special moment for me – more so since contracting Malaria three weeks ago – and I feel ready to tackle the next 800 miles.”

In the final leg of his expedition Ash will face four more mountains and, as the terrain and landscapes change dramatically towards the north, his daily average will reduce significantly from 30km to around 10km as he hacks his way through dense jungle and forest.

As part of the expedition Ash is supporting Lemur Conservation Network, a charity dedicated to the protection and rescue of lemurs that are critically endangered in Madagascar.

Ash continues: “I've been lucky enough to see six species of lemur whilst I've been in Madagascar, and visit three conservation sites all working hard to protect the species. There's a lot to be done to help raise awareness of not only the plight of the lemur but also other endemic species on the island that are vulnerable. By supporting this cause and sharing all the incredible initiatives in place to secure their future I hope I can make a difference too.”

Ash is expected to complete his world first expedition in February 2016 at which point he will return to the UK.