Newsletter April 2008

"We've done it now, it's locked in there and no one can take that away from us!" boasted Mark Kalch after he and his Australian mate, Nathan Welch, became the fourth team in history to successfully complete the daunting challenge of navigating the entire Amazon River. At 3,900 miles long, the Amazon River is the second longest in the world next to the Nile. Due to the river’s substantial length and harsh environments, few have been able to successfully travel it in its entirety. However, early this year the two Aussies made history. Beginning at the source of the Amazon in the Peruvian Andes, the incredible adventure lasted 6 months and finally ended in the Atlantic Ocean off of Brazil’s coastline.

After losing their third team-member to a mysterious virus, the duo paddled in 6 hour shifts, 24 hours a day on a 14-foot inflatable raft. The voyage pushed the men to their physical and mental confines with challenges that included snowstorms, tidal surges, downpours, altitude sickness, and tropical diseases. After losing their raft, the two trekked barefoot through the jungle and sought refuge in a cave before locating a remote village where they recovered. “It just never stopped!” exclaimed Kalch.

"You have to block out the pain and focus on your goal", said Welch as he reflected on his Amazon adventure that has given him and Kalch a place in history.

Source:livinginperu.com

PAST NEWSLETTERS:

• Newsletter April 2008
• Newsletter February 2008
• Newsletter January 2008