JOIN USA six-month journey of four million steps seems like a dream for a man who has the heart of an adventurer and the spirit of a voyager. Levison Wood, British writer, photographer and explorer, who enjoys taking up ambitious challenges, is thrilled to have walked across the roof of the world, meeting monks, soldiers, nomadic tribes and passing through some of the most remote, beautiful and perilous regions on earth. His latest trek across the Himalayas took him across the length of the world’s highest mountain range from Afghanistan in the west to Bhutan in the east. The timeless beauty of the majestic mountains, the imposing panorama of dense clouds, deep canyons, magnificent peaks and death-defying trails were inspirational enough, but Wood also loves the fact that this region held some special memories for him.
“I have travelled through this region when I was young,” he says fondly. “The mountains, the diversity of the region, its people and culture have always intrigued me. It felt great to go back and visit old friends and meet the communities that I had visited 15 years ago.”
A case of curiosity
Wood says that he can trace his love for adventure back to his childhood. “I was lucky to have travelled as a child with my parents on holidays,” he says, adding, “I remember, travelling across Europe too. It was probably those early experiences that gave me the inspiration to become an explorer. I went backpacking with a limited budget when I was 18, and travelled all around the world.”
His Himalaya expedition is no solitary feat for this intrepid explorer. A year ago, Wood won critical acclaim for his nine-month long trek and first-ever expedition to walk the entire length of the River Nile, which was also documented in a TV series. In his recent Himalayan expedition, Wood had to travel across isolated Afghan valleys and through Pakistan and India. Along the way, he passed through some of the most spectacular and inhospitable regions on earth, and journeyed through places that few outsiders ever get to see.
“I started my journey from Wakhan Corridor in northeastern Afghanistan and finished in Bhutan’s mystical eastern regions towards the world’s highest unclimbed peak — Gangkhar Puensum — the country’s holiest mountain, which mountaineers are forbidden to climb,” he explains. “I love going on expeditions to find out how people live in different regions of the world.”
As the Himalayan expedition has been televised, viewers will be able to see the unsurpassed beauty of the mountains and will be able to watch how many nomadic tribes and other people live in these areas with bare minimum facilities. During his journey, Wood did some of the most bizarre things, ate weird food, met different tribes and came across a wide range of cultures, rituals and customs. “I discovered that people migrate from one place to other when the seasons change,” says Wood. “I was amazed to know that most of the people in Kyrgyz tribe don’t live beyond 40 years of age. After seeing all this, I really feel grateful for what I have got and that’s certainly what I have learnt from my Himalayan journey. “
According to Wood, his most challenging journey to date was when he walked across the Nile. “I would say that Nile was extremely challenging because that part of Africa is undeveloped and remote. Nobody had done this journey before. Also, most of the explorers in the 1920s died in this area due to malaria and other diseases, and besides, there was a civil war in Sudan for several years. Ultimately, my journey took nine months, but it could have taken much longer. Physically, there were a lot of dangers in North Africa, like disease, warfare, violence and robbery. However, you have to do your homework and prepare for it before you start. It took me almost two years to prepare myself and I just hoped for the best.”
Dangerous liaisons
Wood also had a near-death experience during one of his expeditions. “While I was journeying through to Pokhara in Nepal, I got injured in a car crash that nearly killed me. My car fell off the cliff and fell into a deep pit. I broke my arm in the accident and I had to go back to UK for six weeks for recovery. But I never felt exhausted at any point of time nor did I ever want to quit travelling,” he says.
Any expedition requires a great amount of mental stamina, and Wood has to work hard to prepare for each journey. “You need mental and physical strength to go on these trips,” says Wood. “Apart from that, you need to prepare yourself for months or probably years in advance. Fitness wise, I keep up a base level. The fitness side for me comes from being an officer in the British Army.”
The new developments in technology have helped him, but Wood always relies on his trusty compass. “I travel with a compass, so that I don’t lose my way,” he explains. “I take bare minimum things with me on any expedition, which includes a light, a phone and other necessary things, as there is no point of taking expensive things as they might get stolen on the way. I use my GPS-enabled phone also to navigate. The survival techniques and knowledge I got from my army days also help me when I travel to places where I cannot always find food and water. You have to know the skills that enable you to survive.”
When he is not travelling, Wood loves writing and photography. “Writing is my way of sharing my journey with others,” he says.
As for his plans for the future, Wood will be walking the length of Central America from Mexico to Colombia soon. “I feel fortunate to be able to travel for a living and share that journey with other people. It’s a privileged position to be in,” he says.
Discovery Channel’s new series Walking The Himalayas will follow Wood’s expedition as he walks the length of the Himalayas. It will air on Fridays at 9 pm, on Discovery Channel.