Colombia Jungle River Expedition

Our expeditions are designed to both provide you with a challenge and ignite your sense of wonder. We have carefully planned this trek to avoid the main tourist routes, many of which are travelled by vehicle. For large sections of the trek you will see no signs of other people as you venture into some truly remote wilderness.  

Achieving this level of self-sufficiency is immensely satisfying, but does come with an element of physical demand. 

The trekking days will consist of a total of 4-6 hours of hiking a distance of around 20km with a 2 hour break for lunch. You might be walking over rough terrain or soft sand and there is little shade from the sun.  

Anticipate some stretches of moderately strenuous activity, combined with some stretches of relaxed and easy walking.  

There will be moments of discomfort from the heat, or the cold at night, and moments of bliss where everything feels calm and simple. This is the magic recipe of adventure, one that almost without fail leads to an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and some excellent stories. 

The mornings are fresh and cool. As the sun comes up the day will warm to around 20°C. Skies are generally clear and blue, rain is extremely unlikely.

Once the sun sets the temperature drops quickly to give us cooler evenings where you will appreciate some extra warm layers. Overnight the temperature can drop to zero degrees Celsius.

You will need stamina, some good all-round fitness and most importantly a positive attitude to challenges.

If you are generally not very active, we recommend you undertake some training before attending our expeditions. Getting used to trekking on consecutive days will be an advantage to you.

There will be five full trekking days of 4-6 hours and a half day at the end. The total trekking distance is around 120km.
Maintaining a slow and steady pace will help you to adjust to this new environment.

The Morocco Desert Adventure is supported by a camel caravan which transports the bulk of your equipment from camp to camp making it achievable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Please note for the welfare of the camels we do not allow them to be ridden.

Whilst in the desert you will be sleeping in a twin-share tent (single supplements available). We provide a tent, sleeping mat and some warm blankets. We suggest you bring a sleeping bag too as temperatures can drop significantly overnight.

The nights skies in the desert are definitely not to be missed, so we would encourage you to sleep under the stars for at least one night to witness this wonder.

Water is a precious and extremely limited resource in the desert. You will need to bring wet wipes to keep yourself clean. We will provide water for hand washing as required. At the midway point of the trek we will also provide a basin of water each for a “birdbath” (flannel wash).

The toilet system is a trench dug into the ground, which is a simple and hygienic wilderness method.

Once you are in the desert you are encouraged to embrace the opportunity for a total digital detox, a rare thing in today’s world. Whilst there may be occasional spots of signal as we trek we suggest making the most of the opportunity to totally switch off and immerse yourself in the moment.

Your loved ones can be given contact details before your expedition should they need to contact you. Your expedition leader will use known signal points to check for any such contact, and of course have communications plans in the event of any emergencies.

You should bring a power bank or spare batteries for any electronics you will be using in the desert. You could also bring a portable solar charger to hang on the outside of your bag while you hike.

There is WiFi at the hotel in Agdz.

The desert is surprisingly rich in wild life and plant life. A little patience, a keen eye and some help from our excellent guides will reveal some unique and fascinating creatures of the desert.
On awakening you will often spot the tracks of small nocturnal mammals that have been active around our camp. These will include the large eared fennec fox and the tiny, kangaroo legged jerboa.

Whilst trekking you may be lucky enough to encounter Dorcas gazelle, an endangered species whose numbers are increasing in the Iriqui National Park. Addax antelope have also been recently reintroduced into the park.

The silence of the desert is often broken by the calls of sandgrouse, lark and wheatears.

Look out for the tracks of the adorable Berber skink, which is also known as a sandfish for the way it appears to swim through the sand.

You will trek alongside a local guide, unparalleled in their expertise in wildlife spotting and botanical knowledge. Your guide will assist you in identifying various creatures and educate you on how to interact with them safely.