BENEDICT
ALLEN
 Benedict
Allen differs
from most
conventional
explorers
in that he
learns about
survival and
the places
he visits
from remote
tribes and
not from scientific
research.
Generally,
he takes nothing
with him into
these communities
- no equipment,
maps or compasses,
throwing himself
on the "mercy"
of these people.
His expedition
to Mongolia
resulted in
a television
series. The
first episode
of his series
“Icedogs”
was shown
on BBC in
March 2002.
He became
the first
person to
be allowed
to walk the
Skeleton Coast
of Namibia
in South Africa
which is littered
with diamonds.
He prepared
himself for
the gruelling
task by learning
from the nomadic
Himba tribe.
These very
resilient
people survive
with little
nourishment
or water by
using the
forces of
the desert
instead of
fighting them.
There were
other problems
too; to keep
the lions
at bay at
night it was
suggested
that a fire
should be
lit - but
rhinos are
known to charge
at the flames!
Benedict
safely returned
in December
1995, having
walked some
2,000K over
three and
a half months
with three
reluctant
camels. He'd
had to train
them himself
- having never
even ridden
a camel before!
Together they'd
survived extreme
temperatures,
ranging from
bitterly cold
sea fogs to
humidity and
heat in the
eastern inland
region. They
negotiated
the highest
sand dunes
in the world
and then in
the north
the rocky
terrain. The
bones of men
who die hunting
for diamonds
at the turn
of the century
lie uncovered
by winds and
eerie shipwrecks
add to the
mystery. The
BBC broadcast
a six part
series of
this expedition
during January
and February
1997 with
an accompanying
book. He also
presented
an account
of contemporary
life in East
Africa for
the well loved
and prestigious
BBC 2 series
"Great
Railway Journeys"
during Autumn
1996.
During the
last ten years
Benedict's
explorations
include crossing
North East
Amazonian
on foot and
by dug out
canoe, a distance
of 600 miles.
This was described
in his first
book "Mad
White Giant".
Benedict is
also the only
non-tribe
member to
have undertaken
the "Niowra"
initiation
ceremony featured
in his book
"Into
The Crocodile
Nest".
The ceremony
enables the
participant
to become
"as strong
as a crocodile".
He has even
gone in search
of the elusive
"ape
man"
of Sumatra
documented
in his book
"Hunting
the Gugu".
He has crossed
the Amazon
Basin at its
widest point,
some 3,600
miles, single
handed and
without the
aid of a map
or compass.
He is the
only white
man to have
completed
this journey,
described
in Benedict's
book "Through
Jaguar Eyes",
which was
published
1994, The
BBC commissioned
him to film
a "Video
Diary"
of his expedition
in search
of the Wild
Lake, gaining
the highest
ratings of
any ever made
for the BBC.
He contacted
the remote
Matses "Jaguar
People"
(who tattoo
their faces
and put whiskers
in their noses).
They trained
and prepared
him to try
and locate
the mysterious
Cocha Brava
or Wild Lake,
previously
never seen
by an outsider.
Benedict returned
to England
in one piece
to deliver
a second lecture
at The Royal
Geographical
Society in
November 1994.
His
publications
include:
1. Edge
of blue
heaven :
A journey
through
Mongolia
(1998)
2. More
great railway
journeys
(1997)
3. Through
jaguar eyes
: Crossing
the Amazon
Basin (1995)
4. The Skeleton
Coast :
A journey
through
the Namib
Desert (1997)
5. Hunting
the Gugu
: In search
of the lost
ape-men
of Sumatra
(1989)
6. Into
the crocodile
nest : A
journey
inside New
Guinea (1989)
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