Round the Outside
Riaan Manser's quest to circumnavigate Madagascar by kayak
Solo adventurer Riaan Manser has a fascination with going round the outside. The first man to cycle the perimeter of Africa is now attempting to become the first person to circumnavigate the Madagascan coast by kayak, alone and unaided.
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| Starting point: Mahajanga pier |
In December 2005 Riaan Manser accomplished what no man had done before. Cycle AROUND the African continent.
His 37,000 kilometre route passed through 34 countries and returned Riaan to the same point in Cape Town more than two years later.
His journey was lonely at times, but never dull. In Equatorial Guinea an altercation with immigration officials landed him a stint in jail, while Liberia proved his closest brush with death when he was held hostage by child soldiers high on drugs. The rocky Sudanese desert was a bewildering world with dead camels the only landmarks in any direction. In Eritrea Riaan stood at the continent's lowest point, 153m below sea level, and then a couple of months later summited Kilimanjaro's Uhuru peak.
Obtaining visas and handling over zealous immigration personnel at nearly every border crossing extended Riaan's travelling time but remarkably he returned home without paying a single cent in bribe money.
Riaan then spent many months documenting his epic adventure and his first book 'Around Africa on my bicycle' has been a travel bestseller for the last six months.
Now he's at it again.
In mid-July Riaan sets off to become the first person to kayak alone and unaided around Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world.
The most valuable lesson he learnt while cycling he'll be applying again: "Start with the right attitude and never even think of quitting."
Riaan is an effervescent idealist with the pure belief that anything is possible. He's not doing this to raise millions for some obscure charity, nor is it a pursuit of fame and glory. His over-riding ambition is for his grandchildren to remember him as a legend of an old man who did incredible things with his life.
"When I see people overcome adversity I realise more and more I am not trying hard enough," he says.
Riaan's latest exploit will begin at Mahajanga on Madagascar's north-eastern coast. From there he will paddle in a clockwise direction and, if all goes according to plan, he'll return to the same point 5000 kilometres and 12 months later.
His customised Paddleyak kayak has been created for a combination of speed, balance and storage. When travelling alone like this, packing light is critical. Apart from clothing, a tent and communications equipment, Riaan will begin with only 10 litres of fresh water, some dried fruit and vitamins. Each day will be a challenge to catch fish as he paddles and then search for fresh water when he beaches in the late afternoon.
The physical demands on this Madagascar quest will be immense. Eight hours a day of sunshine and salt water literally has a pickling effect on the body and tendonitis in the wrists could make constant paddling exceptionally painful. To add to that, the natural elements will be more of a threat than people in this part of the world, so the battles against stubborn winds and relentless currents will push Riaan's endurance and patience daily.
Is he nervous? Definitely. But Riaan has a comforting thought process he reverts to for these types of challenges. He asks himself if the feeling of fear is because he doubts himself and the answer is inevitably "No". Then he asks himself if there is anything stopping him from starting. If the answer again is "No" then the rest is easy.
Sponsors
The cycle trip around Africa was largely funded from Riaan's own savings, with assistance from Windhoek Lite. This time, Windhoek Lager has come on board as a major sponsor, with various assistant sponsors contributing equipment and accessories.
Communications
On a weekly basis Riaan will make himself available for media interviews via a satellite phone. He will carry a laptop to write updates of his journey for various newspapers and his own website www.africa365.co.za
Riaan will be equipped with HD video cameras and digital photographic equipment, sponsored by Sony. Video and high-resolution photographs will be sent back to South Africa approximately every 6-8 weeks and will be available for broadcast and print media.
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To arrange an interview with Riaan Manser, or for further information, please contact:
Seamus Reynolds
Africanborn Media
Tel: ++27 82 886 5727
Email: seamus@africanborn.com
