It feels surreal to be this close to finishing.

There has been so much energy, effort, time, blood, sweat and fear put not only into the one year of undergoing the expedition but also two years beforehand, for the planning, training and logistics.

Myself and Mandarin Films China-based production team creating the Mission Yangtze documentary), head to the Wudang Mountains, to learn and film further Kung-Fu training.

An update directly from the side of the Yangtze River, in China: I am now 88% through Mission Yangtze! I only have around 520 miles remaining of the 4,000-mile trek.

After an exciting chapter, where Ash pushed on from Chongqing, through to Wanzhou, Fengjie, Yichang, Yueyang, he now reaches Wuhan (one of China’s megacities, known as one of the furnace cities, as temperatures can reach 40DC, plus humidity on top).

You know, as strange as it sounds, training is something I miss most.
I’m currently leaving Dali as I write this and I feel so refreshed due to dedicating that weeks visa run to refuelling my body with all the good stuff and working on body mobility, agility and flexibility. Especially after being stuck in such a fixed position for a long time (trekking with a weighted rucksack constantly strapped to my back).

Ash shares a rare and deeply honest glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work that goes into Mission Yangtze as he reflects on 2018 and being away from home for Christmas. In the spirit of a true world-first adventurer and pioneer, he also has his sights and his determination firmly set on what lies ahead in 2019: the successful completion of his expedition!

Ash is excited to report that he arrived at his second major milestone during Mission Yangtze over the weekend, as he attempts to create history with a third world-first record, this time walking the entire 4,000 mile length of the Yangtze river in China.

Ash has reached the first major bend in the river, its southernmost point, where it takes a sharp 90 degree turn and flows to the northeast in the province of Yunnan, the third province Ash has entered, having previously trekked through Qinghai and Sichuan, and has noticed some environmental surprises as he makes his way along the river.

Ash has never felt stronger or more determined as he smashes through Yushu onto chapter 2 of #MissionYangtze.

With #MissionYangtze well and truly underway, Ash is relying heavily on his survival instincts to cope with the physical and mental day-to-day challenges he’s facing. Ash calls those natural survival instincts his ‘wild side’ - a mental state that allows him to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and stay calm when in danger.

Due to an unexpected drama Ash has had to cover an extra 40 miles of terrain that he had previously walked - but is back on track, safe and well, and making good progress.