The dry overgrown bush paths were often havens for the many highly venomous snakes…..
This left me feeling very nervous and treading very carefully indeed!
On one occasion we came across a fully grown Black Mamba, which luckily for us scurried into the bush to our sides, leaving us shocked with our hearts in our mouths and thanking our lucky stars!
Absolutely honoured to be amongst the speakers at this years #Explore2017 @rgs_ibg
Explore is the Society’s annual fieldwork and expedition planning weekend and is taking place over the weekend of 10-12 November 2017 at the Society’s headquarters in London. With over 90 leading field scientists and explorers, it’s incredible to be part of such an awesome line up of inspirational people! 
😊
I managed to set & keep a staggering pace when the route & path was clear!
Covering anything up to 50km a day depending on the terrain in which I was walking!
After a long night of negotiations and being held captive!
I made my way through the mountians, heading down toward the deep gorge that follows the Cahora Bassa!
On reaching the Zambezi river there were fast flowing rapids and beautiful rocky beaches!
I thought it a perfect location to bath and reflect on the previous nights troubles!
It’s always nice to know what happens once the story ends!
After reaching the Indian Ocean I had to then make my way back to civilization!
After getting beached in between mangroves and the ocean, I was forced to flag down a passing fishing boat, which cargoed me to a nearby shore!
From there my only option was a 15 hour overnight boat journey back down the Zambezi! This was slow and painful and consisted of me being cramped in with the vast amounts of cargo and locals!
I fell asleep on bags of dried fish, waking with sore ribs and not smelling too fresh! All eyes were on the strange Muzungu, cramped in amongst the locals!
Once I had reached the nearest town 60km away, I hitched a lift with a lorry driver and headed to Caia where I was told I could get a bus!
I reached Caia 6 hours later and stayed the night. The following morning I managed to get a bus. The only problem was the bus was full and I had to stand up as a passenger for 9 hours! The roads were bumpy and I felt tired, exhausted and sick!
But I eventually reached Beira after 2 days of travelling non stop by any means possible! and from there I flew to Maputo, where I was fined for overstaying my visa!
Then I took a flight via Nairobi to reach the UK!
Now you can see why I like my walking so much! 
😜 ha
Everytime I crossed the Zambezi river to the opposite bank, I was often faced with a new set of challenges and obstacles!
New paths, new terrain and often new tribes, languages, cultures and wildlife to negotiate around!
Is was always important to try and keep my mind sharp and to stay focused at all times!
It is a huge honour to announce that I have now been made an ambassador for the life saving water filtration system Water-to-Go .
Water-to-Go is a product that has breathed new life into my expeditions over the past few years and is now one of the most crucial pieces of kit that I carry whilst out on my many remote and wild journeys.
It has changed the way I look at adventure, allowing me to venture further into more and more inaccessible regions, but yet still obtain safe clean drinking water without the worry of becoming sick or seriously dehydrated.
With my plans for more wild African based trekking adventures in motion, I look forward to continuing to be supported and using such an incredible piece of equipment.
Resting languidly upon a dusty hill, the impressive edifice watches knowingly over the Zambezi rushing by below. Bearing witness to years of abandonment and neglect, its walls are stained a dusty grey and the glass of its eerie windows was shattered long ago.
This is the Mission of Saint José de Boroma, one of the oldest remaining man-made structures along the Zambezi’s banks!
During my trek along the mighty Zambezi river, I visited the resting place of Mary Moffat Livingstone, the wife of the late great Dr David Livingstone himself!
On her return to Africa she had met Livingstone at the mouth of the Zambezi, but then fell ill from malaria in the camp here at Chupanga. She died 3 months later on 27 April 1862.
The place has a real eerie feel to it and is completely abandoned! Hers being the only maintained site, nestled amongst many other neglected headstones!
What was camping like along the Zambezi river?
Often overgrown jungle or bush, sometimes it ment hiding away from the at times, hostile locals!
Mosquitoes would often be buzzing around and zapping at the outer of the tent, desperate to try and break through and give me a hard time!
Life along the river!
