By: IOL Motoring Staff
17.05291°E, 2.07035°N, Republic of the Congo - Thirty-nine days after leaving from Gauteng's Lesedi Cultural Village, adventurer Kingsley Holgate has reached the Heart of Afric a.
The continent's most-travelled man was on a unique quest to find the geographic centre of the continent, as scientifically determined by the University of Cape Town's Department of Environmental and Geographic Science.
On the way to the remote spot in the rainforests of the Congo, the expedition team faced both life-threatening dangers and logistical challenges.
For the final leg of the forest trek, the team had to park their vehicles and continue on foot, accompanied by 14 Ba'aka pygmies, who played the role of porters as they carried tents, bedrolls, water, food, satellite phones and, of course, three GPS devices to help pinpoint the exact location of the Heart of Africa.
"Vivankwako," said Holgate. "I greet you, Ba'aka, men of this great forest and swamps. It is with your knowledge that we can survive and cut a path to the heart.
"My friends, we need your help."
Despite their knowledge of the forests they call home, the pygmies had no concept of what Africa looks like on a map, not to mention the co-ordinates that were scribbled in the margins. With the help of the expedition's interpreter, Nazaire, the team discovered that the pygmy porters had never travelled beyond their familiar forest routes, so what lay ahead was completely unknown for everybody.
The first casualty of the forest hike was Mike Nixon, who was stung in the mouth by a bee. This eighth sting of the day proved too much for his system. A quick dig through emergency rations saw an Epipen being administered, preventing the swelling from affecting his airway.
At this point the pygmies decided to share their three big fears: forest leopards, elephants, and being bitten by the Ndolo - or Gaboon viper - for which they had no cure. Undaunted, the expedition crew proceeded, albeit a little more informed of the potential dangers ahead.
SLOW PROGRESS
Relying on ancient Ba'aka knowledge of taking nourishment from the jungle, the team survived on fresh water extracted from vines; tree roots as potatoes and honey from wild bee hives, which they carefully smoked.
Holgate and his crew took seven days to complete the final 17 kilometres of their journey. Constant rain and skin-piercing vines made for slow progress, with the team taking more than six hours to travel just one kilometre.
"After 9000 kilometres on the road, across six countries, it was the last 17 kilometres that nearly killed us," said Holgate.
"It became a physical and emotional nightmare of endurance, and the longest seven days of my life. A whole week of grabbing roots to drag us along our bellies, digging through deep mud, and crafting our own pole bridges."
With worn bodies and weary minds, many team members relied on potent antibiotics to stave off infections. At the same time, the Ba'aka realised they might have bitten off more than they could chew, and started turning back.
Lacking the translating skills of Nazaire, who was recovering at a base amp, Holgate's son Ross took the lead in motivating the remaining members, while former rugby player Deon Schurmann used his best French to convince the Ba'aka to continue.
Seven hours and 1.7 kilometres later all three GPS units read "17.05291°E, 2.07035°N" - the exact co-ordinates supplied by the University of Cape Town and verified by the International Geographic Union.
Filled with emotion, the expedition crew and Ba'aka teamed up to screw the Heart of Africa beacon into the roots of an old tree. Holgate unscrewed the traditional African gourd, containing symbolic water from the Cradle of Humankind, and poured its contents onto the site.
"Three days after reaching the Heart of Africa," said Holgate, "we returned to the expedition Land Rovers. We paid our pygmy friends their wages, gave them bonuses and gifts - and threw a rip-roaring party to celebrate our success.
"They were the true heroes of this journey and, thanks to them, a beacon that marks the Heart of the African continent now stands in the vast, 200 000 square kilometre rainforests of the Congo.
"We hope this pristine part of Africa is protected and treasured for generations to come."