Expedition outline - Gallery - Updates - Sponsors - Contact - Madagascar home

9th  February 2009

Simon is yet again back in the capital Antananarivo, staying with Gilles. Simon is very safe and well. He is planning the next stage of the expedition. But best of all he has e-mailed some new photos for us to see. The following are of the Zomandao river:

More to come tomorrow.

For the latest BBC news (9th Feb.) on the situation in Madagascar, click the link below. More news from Madagascar can be found on the BBC news website.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7878441.stm

7th  February 2009

Voicemail message - click here

Simon and gang have finished the stretch of river successfully in two days. Day one included 15 metre water slides which we "awesome fun" and complicated portages to get their legs working. Very heavy rain last night brought the water level up high, creating big volume stoppers, but the increased flow also meant they got the second section done quickly.  Simon sounds in good spirits. They are waiting for the road to dry out, so they can drive out of the valley. In the voicemail message, Simon speaks of heading straight to the capital and then onwards to the north. However since then, he has heard that the situation in Antananarivo is severe so he thinks he might head back to the mountain retreat. He is very happy and safe and on a buzz from completing the river.

For the latest BBC news (7th Feb.) on the situation in Madagascar, click the link below. More news from Madagascar can be found on the BBC news website.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7876543.stm

6th  February 2009

Voicemail message - click here (not good quality)

The voicemail message isn't very clear, but it sounds like Simon has kayaked for 10 hours today on the Zomandao river. He had to portage (walk/climb around) a few rapids so it must be a pretty extreme white water river. I imagine Simon is loving the experience as white water was his first kayak love. Tonight they will have to find a camp spot in a gorge, not the easiest of places to do so. The gorge would also explain the poor sound quality in his calls.

Photo found on Si's laptop, taken in Alpes or Slovinia

For the latest BBC news (3rd Feb.) on the situation in Madagascar, click the link below. From that link, older bulletins can be read:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7869288.stm

 5th  February 2009

Voicemail message - click here

With the help of a lot of porters, Simon has crossed over into the neighbouring valley to embark on yet another very different leg of his Madagascan adventure. He is camping beside the Zomandao river and intends to attempt a first descent by kayak tomorrow. It should take more than a day, but with Simon's track record in Mad, who knows how long it will take and what will happen??? From the sounds of it, he is surrounded by spectacular scenery. (I'm struggling to find a nice image of the area from the internet)

Simon finding some shade on the cargo boat, taken two-ish weeks ago:

For the latest BBC news (3rd Feb.) on the situation in Madagascar, click the link below. From that link, older bulletins can be read:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7869288.stm

  Opposition: Andry Rajoelina          President: Marc Ravalomanana

4th  February 2009

Voicemail message - click here (not great sound quality)

So, Gilles, Silvian and Simon have reunited up in the mountains, away from all the troubles in the country. Silvian had to leave the country and come back to re-issue his visa. While away he managed to e-mail some photos of Simon, see below. He also brought with him two white water kayaks. So they are going to attempt a First Descent of a river near them called the Zomandao. With the help of porters, they will hike in to the 'get-in' and have a two day paddle to the 'get-out'. Simon is very happy to get the opportunity to paddle some of the white water Madagascar has to offer. I can't wait to hear how they get on!

Photo of Simon on the cargo boat, somewhere in the Mozambique Channel:

For the latest BBC news on the situation in Madagascar, click the link below. From that link, older bulletins can be read:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7858024.stm

2nd February 2009

I got some photos e-mailed to me by Silvian (French kayak on west coast) that Simon took.

Simon is still up in the mountains. He is waiting for Gilles to join him to see if he will kayak a river close to his present location or go up north to do the biggest river in the country. Unfortunately Gilles has been stuck in the capital as there was no fuel for transport. He has managed to get out today and should be with Simon tomorrow.

While in the hills, Simon has been getting down and local, having a mouse sleep in his hair and cycle back from the market, for two hours, with a chicken on his handle bars. He said the locals put on a jumper this evening because the temperature dropped to 32deg C. Meanwhile back outside his house in Cornwall....

29th January 2009

Voicemail message - click here (he gets cut off at the end!)

Simon is in very different scenery now. He has left behind the coast and is high up in the mountains as Gilles' retreat. He plans to do some reforestation work. I think he is near Fianarantsoa, but it took him 5 hours to hike in from the road!

The area is a climber's dream with 1800ft cliff faces begging to be scaled

Expedition outline - Gallery - Updates - Sponsors - Contact - Madagascar home