Ed Stafford - Walking the Amazon

On April 2nd 2008 Ed Stafford (32) began his quest to walk the entire length of the Amazon River from source to sea. In June 2009 Ed passed the halfway point of 2000 miles. He will keep walking until he reaches the ocean. No man has ever done what he is attempting to do.

“My aim is to create an adventure so exciting that it can be used to make people feel that they have a connection to the Amazon, its wonders and its problems, by being the first man ever to walk the entire length of the Amazon River.”

Ed’s walk has seen him encounter venomous snakes, floods, electric eels, piranhas and hostile local tribes, one of whom held him for questioning about the murder of one of their tribesman and another pushed concrete in his mouth. He has also been chased by Ashaninka Indians armed with bows and arrows, and shotguns. The route is known for drug trafficking and illegal logging and white people are rarely seen in the area.

Ed has met some amazing people on his journey, many of whom have helped him to understand that the problems that face the Amazon are not the fault of the average Amazonian, they are driven by consumer demand from the West.

Ed is walking with Cho, a local guide. He does not have a support team. He carries everything he needs in his rucksack on his back. One integral piece of kit is his Macbook, which he uses to broadcast his films and share his experiences via blog and twitter.

Ed hopes that his blog, www.walkingtheamazon.com, and his videos will encourage children to engage with the subject of climate change and specifically deforestation in the Amazon. He is shortly going to start a kids’ blog on The Prince’s Rainforests Project for Schools site.

View Ed’s PRP supporter video (in Featured Supporters)