Walking the Himalayas: In Wood’s Footsteps

We only have to look in our own outback yard to know that tens of thousands of years before a chap in a safari shirt dreamt up a pioneering expedition in the rooms of the Royal Geographic Society, nomadic tribes were there, doing it without the maps, compasses and survival gear. It’s a point modern-day explorer, Levison Wood (Lev to his mates) has lauded to packed audiences on his speaking tours.

The ex British Parachute Regiment Officer shot to fame in 2014 after he became the first person to attempt to walk the whole length of the River Nile. But Lev, who was forced to skip a 400-mile section of South Sudan after conflict broke out, insists, “It’s not about firsts, it’s about the journey and the people”.

It’s not the only time Lev put himself in the line of fire during his nine-month expedition of almost 4,000 miles to walk the world’s longest river. He introduced us to the lighter side of himself and the so-called dark continent by joining in local customs such as a hair-rinse ritual, which involved shoving his head under a peeing cow.

In his new series “Walking The Himalayas” Lev returns with his handheld camera and continues with his mix of confronting and quirky commentary. “The aim of this new expedition was not to climb or break any records, but instead to meet the people who call the Himalayas their home”.