We’ve climbed Mt. Everest. We’ve put a man on the moon. But nobody has ever attempted to make human powered descents of the longest rivers on each continent. Enter Mark Kalch and his “7 Rivers 7 Continents” project.
We’re running out of firsts. Each day the unexplored areas of planet earth become smaller and smaller. For modern day adventurers this means that it becomes increasingly difficult to be the first person to do anything. For expedition paddler Mark Kalch, getting there first has become second nature. In 2008 he successfully completed a 6937 km source-to-sea descent of the Amazon river. Kalch is building on that success by planning his “7 Rivers 7 Continents” project; once completed, it will be a global first in paddle-sports history.
The next waterway for Kalch and his team is the 6275 km Mississippi-Missouri River, the longest in North America. Beginning in May, Kalch will put in near Bowers Spring, Montana and will reach his destination– the Gulf of Mexico some six months later. “Paddling these immense waterways from source to sea is a physical and mental challenge like no other,” says Kalch. “The great rivers of the world have shaped the very existence of humans and the ecosystems in which they live. Beyond testing the limits of human performance, the project will provide a unique insight into this life they have built and sustain.”
The five remaining rivers in the “7 Rivers 7 Continents” project are:
The Nile ¬– Africa 6650 km
The Yangtze – Asia 6300 km
The Volga – Europe 3645 km
The Murray-Darling – Australia 3370 km
The Onyx – Antarctica 40 km
Check out the official Mark Kalch’s website and bio here:
MarkKalch.com
You can read about Kalch’s Amazon River expedition here:
ExpeditionAmazonas
Follow Mark Kalch’s “7 Rivers 7 Continents” blog here:
KalchKokotatBlog
We’ll be sure to follow Marks progress closely, so check back with PL for updates.