 In September of 2007 the Expedition Amazonas team
will trek and paddle, totally unsupported, for over 7 months and 7000km, the
entire length of the mighty Amazon River. This is a complete traverse of the South
American continent from the Pacific
Coast in Peru to the mouth of the Amazon River where it
meets the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil. The experienced expedition team includes
members from Australia,
South Africa and the
United
Kingdom.
Expedition Amazonas has partnered with environmental and indigenous
rights action group Amazon Watch, and high-profile equipment sponsors including
Kokatat, Teva and First Ascent.
Arcata,
CA - In September of 2007 the Expedition Amazonas team
will trek and paddle, totally unsupported, for over 7 months and 7000km, the
entire length of the mighty Amazon River. This is a complete traverse of the South
American continent from the Pacific
Coast in Peru to the mouth of the Amazon River where it
meets the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil. The experienced expedition team includes
members from Australia,
South Africa and the
United
Kingdom.
Expedition Amazonas has partnered with environmental and indigenous
rights action group Amazon Watch, and high-profile equipment sponsors including
Kokatat, Teva and First Ascent.
The
beginning of the expedition will see the team in Peru, trekking and climbing to the summit of
5650m Mt. Mismi and the ultimate source of the Amazon River.
Following this arduous journey, the team will follow the water course,
trekking until it is possible to put in with their 14 foot ARK inflatable raft. This is the beginning of the expedition
proper; Class V whitewater for weeks on end, followed by thousands of kilometers
of the Amazon River as most know it - flat,
wide, green and impenetrable jungle.
Throughout the river
descent the Expedition Amazonas team will meet with local representatives of
expedition partner, Amazon Watch. Amazon Watch works with
indigenous and environmental organizations in the Amazon Basin to defend the environment, and
advance indigenous peoples' rights in the face of large-scale industrial
development. Through this
expedition, the team hopes to help highlight their tireless work in the Amazon
and bring attention to the on-going destruction in the
region.
Expedition Amazonas team leader Mark Kalch says "For
this amazing journey, we will rely once more on Kokatat paddling gear to keep us
dry, warm, and comfortable. First
we will battle whitewater formed by ice melt that originates high in the
Andes. Then, as we follow the descent of the
Amazon River, the team will raft a river that
can reach several kilometers in width. When inclement weather hits, Kokatat
paddling gear will again prove its worth.
We know the gear works, that's why we use
it."
Mark Kalch is an experienced guide who has paddled
and led trips throughout the islands of the Great Barrier Reef and on rivers in
Australia and Africa,
including the Mitta Mitta, Tully, Orange, and
most recently, the isolated Omo
River in Ethiopia. Mark is based in Cape Town, South Africa where he guides and
surfs the cold, shark infested, waters.
Nathan Welch is an accomplished whitewater kayaker
and guide currently based on the Tully
River in North Queensland,
Australia. Nathan has paddled extensively
throughout Australia,
South Africa,
Namibia, Zambia and Uganda and has
managed several river operations.
Phil Swart is a South African paddler who has worked
and paddled throughout South
Africa, Kenya, Namibia and Uganda. Phil is based in Cape Town, South Africa, working as a qualified
paramedic and surfing big waves in his
kayak.
Holly
Tett
has worked for the British Foreign and Commonwealth office since 2002 as an
expert in security, defense, and political policy. Currently based in Ethiopia, Holly has been an integral member of
expeditions on the Blue Nile and Omo Rivers. She is also a keen mountaineer and has
summited mountains in the Alps and in East Africa, including Kilimanjaro in
Tanzania.
Learn more about
Expedition Amazonas and follow the team's progress via the expedition website at
www.expeditionamazonas.com.
Kokatat Press releases can also be found at http://www.kokatat.com/press_releases.asp
Get "Into the Water" with Kokatat Watersports Wear, an independent
manufacturer committed to growing the sport since 1971! For more information please contact Lisa
Beckstead, Kokatat Public Relations representative, at (775) 225-8039, or e-mail
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. Visit us at
www.kokatat.com.
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