Walking the Nile

5 January 2015

This new four-part series follows British explorer Levison Wood’s expedition to walk the length of the River Nile from source to sea. His nine-month, seven million step journey takes him through jungles, savannah, deserts, cities and war zones in some of the continent’s most remote and spectacular locations. Along the way, he encounters modern Africa, its people and its wildlife face-to-face and at ground level.

The Nile remains one of the last holy grails in exploration – no-one has ever completed its entire length on foot. Levison’s goal is to reach the Mediterranean Sea – whatever lies in his way and wherever the Nile takes him for 4200 miles. The river pushes him to the edge of his mental and physical limits as he is forced live off his wits and bushcraft skills.

Accompanied by local guides, he battles temperatures of more than fifty degrees Celsius, is often forced to catch his own food and sleep wherever he can fashion a bed. Travelling by foot, he traverses beautiful landscapes, discovers some of the region’s hidden secrets, and spends time with tribes people whose way of life hasn’t changed for centuries as well as city-dwellers partying in one of the most rapidly changing areas of the world.

The harsh realities of life in an unforgiving continent are brought home as Levison has close encounters with crocodiles and armed robbers, is caught up in an escalating civil war and experiences tragedy with the sudden death of a walking companion.

A film crew follows Levison for part of the expedition but he films most of it himself, capturing extraordinary, intimate moments rarely seen on screen.

 

Executive Producers: Adam Bullmore, Melanie Darlaston, Tony Moulsdale

Production Company: October Films and GroupM Entertaiment

Channel 4 Commissioning Editor: John Hay