Indonesian Digital News Archive

Way back in March of this year I wrote about an expedition that was still in the planning stages but preparing to get underway. It was named Journey America and it featured cowboy Filipe Masetti Leite traveling on horseback from Toronto, Canada back home to Sao Paulo, Brazil – a journey of 16,000km (9942 miles) that is expected to take up to two years to complete. After months of planning, Filipe hit the trail in July and has been wandering southward ever since and documenting his progress at OutWild TV.

Over the past two months Leite has been enjoying his travels through the American west, first crossing the border into Montana and continuing South into Wyoming and now Colorado. His journey even took him through the heart of Yellowstone National Park, which had to have been a spectacular place to ride. He's averaging about 30 miles per day and has just crossed over the 1000 mile mark. In order to keep himself and his two horses fresh, he takes two days off from riding each week, which will be important for maintaing the health of his mounts over the long haul.

Filipe has reportedly been overwhelmed the support he has received on his journey. Complete strangers have given him food and supplies and offered up a place for him and his horses to spend the night. That kindness has helped make his journey an enjoyable one thus far and hopefully it will continue in that way all the way back to Brazil.



In addition to following daily updates and twice weekly dispatches on OutWild TV, Filipe is also providing information via his Twitter feed and Instagram. Considering he still has a long way to go, it should be quite an adventure to follow in the months ahead. The video below is an example of life on the road for the intrepid cowboy.

Update: Shortly after I posted this story I received a note from the Long Riders Guild informing me that before setting off on his epic journey, Filipe received advice and training from ten different members of the guild, across five different countries, that will prove invaluable on his expedition. The guild also lent him a pack saddle that he is testing on the ride as well. Apparently the pack is part of a special ten-year field test and Filipe is the most recent rider to use it on this kind of sojourn.

The Long Riders also wanted me to point out that Filipe's ride esd inspired by Aime Tschiffely, who is considered to be the greatest long rider of the 20th century. In 1925 the Swiss rider set out on a three year trek that covered 10,000 miles between Buenos Aires and New York City. Along the way he crossed over mountains, jungles and deserts to complete one of the toughest and most grueling equine adventures in history. It is quite a story which can be read in his famous book Tschiffely's Ride.

Dispatch #12 - Drive-thru Cowboy from Outwild TV on Vimeo.

Back in July I posted about the Brazil 9000 Expedition which will see adventurers/filmmakers Aaron Chervenak and Gareth Jones attempt to cover more than 9000km (5592 miles) across the wild and remote places of Brazil. At the time, the boys were still in the final planning stages leading up to the start of their journey, but now they're off to South America and preparing to embark.

The expedition will begin on the mountain of Monte Cabural, which falls on the border of Brazil and Guyana. They'll first begin traveling south by canoe through the Amazon before eventually transitioning to foot in the Caatinga Forests, covering thousands of miles along the way. Finally, they'll finish up their epic adventure by riding their bikes along the Brazilian coastline, eventually ending in the town of Chul on the border with Uruguay.

Aaron and Gareth are currently in Brazil and intend to get started soon. Once they do, they'll be posting updates to their Facebook page and Twitter account to keep us all informed of their progress. Before they left, they made a beautiful short film called Leaving Los Angeles that introduces us to their adventure and shares why they're so drawn to the culture and history of Brazil. You'll find it below.


Brazil 9000: Leaving Los Angeles from The Skeeto Lounge on Vimeo.

While we're on the subject of South America and The Amazon today, it appears that another major paddling expedition is about to hit the water there. Texan West Hansen will soon be attempting to become the first and fastest person to paddle the entire length of the Amazon River, source-to-sea, completely solo and in record time. He calls this expedition The Amazon Express and if all goes according to plan, he'll be getting under way in a matter of days.

Hansen will begin the journey at the headwaters of the Amazon, which start in the Peruvian Andes on Mount Mismi, which gives birth to the Apurimac River, one of the tributaries that helps form the mighty Amazon itself. In those early days he'll be navigating dangerous Class III-VI+ rapids as he descends through Black Canyon and the legendary Acobamba Abyss, one of the most difficult sections of white water anywhere in the world.

That section of the journey will cover approximately 425 miles (684km) before the water begins to even out and slow down dramatically. From there, it is another 3800 miles (6115km) to the sea, all of which West intends to run as quickly as possible, going night and day to the finish line to the best of his ability. All told, the entire expedition will cover 4425 miles (7121km).

West is currently in South America and preparing to start his epic paddle. He has secured his visas and is in the final stages of getting his gear and supplies ready. He'll have a support boat that will resupply him along the way, but he'll be doing all of the paddling completely alone. If all goes as planned, he should hit the water as early as next week.

It should be noted, and Hansen acknowledges this himself, this isn't the first kayaking expedition to run the Amazon. His "firsts" include doing it solo and fast. Seems like it's going to be one hell of a journey and I wish him the best of luck, and not just because he lives in Austin, my place of residence. This will definitely be one amazing adventure.

Follow along at TheAmazonExpress2012.com.

A few weeks back I posted a story on the Brazil 9000 expedition which involves adventurers Aaron Chervenak and Gareth Jones traveling north to south across Brazil on foot, canoe and bike, covering more than 9000km (5592 miles) in the process. The journey is set to begin in a few months and they expect it to take roughly 15 months to complete.

Today, the CheapTents blog, which is always a great source for interesting stories, has posted an interview with Aaron and Gareth. The two men discuss their inspirations for the Brazil 9000 expedition, their previous experience in the Amazon and what they expect to find as they traverse the remote regions of South America. They also talk about their training as they prepare for the epic journey, what they're most looking forward to on the road and what they expect to be their biggest challenges.

Being a gear blog of sorts, CheapTents always asks their interviewees about their favorite gear and Aaron and Gareth are no exception. This is always one of my favorite sections in a CP interview as I'm often curious about the gear that adventurers take with them on their travels. In this case, Aaron says that he loves their Ally canoe made be Bergans of Norway, calling it "the best collapsible canoe on the market." For his part, Gareth gives the nod to his Arc’teryx Naos 85 backpack, which he lauds for its ability to comfortably carry heavy loads over long distances and for the fact that it is waterproof. Something that will no doubt come in handy in the rainforest.

This is one of the upcoming expeditions that I'm looking forward to following the most. Aaron and Gareth intend to use social media to the fullest while traveling which hopefully means we'll get plenty of updates and lots of information from them in the field. It's going to be one amazing journey to say the least.

In September of this year, adventurers Aaron Chervenak and Gareth Jones will embark on an epic journey that will cover more than 9000km (5592 miles) across the Amazon Jungle in South America. Along the way they intend to document their travels through photos, video, web updates and film production as they introduce their audience to the diverse and unique people and landscapes of Brazil.

Aaron and Gareth call their expedition Brazil 9000 and it will begin at Monte Caburaí, a 1465 meter (4806 ft) mountain on the border of Brazil and Guyana. From there, they'll travel south by canoe through the Amazon, then by foot across the dense Caatinga forests and along thousands of miles of coastline, before finishing the final stage of the journey by bike, eventually ending in Chuí, a small town on the border with Uruguay.



 South at the 28th Spring from The Skeeto Lounge on Vimeo.

Last week South African adventurer Davey du Plessis embarked on an ambitious and challenging expedition that will see him following the iconic Amazon River from source to sea. His journey will cover an estimated 7200km (4474 miles) and last from 4-6 months, as he makes his way across the South American continent on foot, bike and kayak.

I'm always a sucker for a good long-distance cycling adventure and it seems riders Dom Smith and Andy Robinson are prepping for one of their own. The two men plan to set out in September on a 10,000 mile (16,093km) bike ride from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Naturally they've called their little expedition the Ride To Rio.

Dom and Andy's journey will take them through 12 countries, including the U.S.; Mexico; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru; Bolivia and of course Brazil. They expect it will take roughly six months to complete the ride, which they'll be filming for a documentary that they'll make upon their return.

The duo have just launched their new website, which is a great place to learn about their plans, and they'll be posting updates to Facebook and Twitter in the weeks leading up to their departure and of course on a regular basis while they're actually on their ride. As of today, they're still 133 days from departure, but once they get underway, it should be fun to follow along with their adventures.

Oh, and by the way, neither of the guys speaks much Spanish, which should make for some interesting experiences considering that is the primary language in almost all of the countries they'll be visiting along the way.