Outer Edge Edition 48(clone) | Page 91

LEVISON WOOD WALKING IN WOOD’S FOOTSTEPS Words Tracey Croke Images Tracey Croke and Tom McShane Levison Wood of “Walking the Nile” fame is back with his new four-part series “Walking The Himalayas.” 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”. “There is a unique bond that unites walkers everywhere,” Lev recounts of his latest feat of endurance, which began in Afghanistan and travelled through the foothills of Pakistan, India and Nepal before finishing in the Secret Kindom of Bhutan. “Travelling on foot is the only way to really explore the backcountry and villages hidden from the main trails and roads.” The 1,700-mile Himalayan epic wasn’t entirely exploratory. Fourteen years earlier, Lev was a teenage backpacker escaping an insurgence in Pokhara. A Nepali guide – Binod - gave Lev food and shelter, despite having little himself and a young family to support. Lev didn’t forget his longtime friend when it came to hiring local guides for his Himalayan documentary. 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. His mischievous Afghan guide, Malang, is a natural entertainer who enjoys a good joke – sometimes at Lev’s expense. Lev is happy with Malang stealing the limelight. He’s often said it’s not about him, “it’s about the people you meet along the way.” On meeting Malang, Lev said at first glance he sensed “intelligence, humour and an indefinable madness”. He was referring to the hardiness of Malang, a shepherd and Wakhi tribesman, who was the first Afghan to summit Mount Noshaq (7492m), Afghanistan’s highest peak. 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”. It’s not all heart-warming though. Walking The Nile viewers were shocked by the sudden and tragic death of Matt Power – a journalist covering part of the expedition - who suffered a severe heatstroke and died just two hours after feeling unwell.