14 of biscuits , a 700-calorie dinner and a 500- calorie pudding , would be enough to keep us going , but we did have to force ourselves to eat in the heat despite not wanting to . You would feel the ache and slow down when you were hungry , especially on the bigger and slower days . Each of us drank more than 7-8 litres of water daily to keep ourselves hydrated , and despite drinking nearly constantly , we rarely needed to go to the toilet due to excessive sweating .
We all saw some fascinating wildlife , including Giant Armadillo , Giant Otter , Macaws , Toucans , vultures , and hummingbirds as small as your thumb or as large as a sparrow , buzzing and being very territorial . Frogs , bats , spiders as big as your hand and playful like kittens , insects , crabs , monkeys , snakes , lizards , and some very impressive paw prints from Tapier , pigs and big cats . Massive blue butterflies , and at night , the moths and other eyes we saw staring back at us were everywhere , so much life in all abundance .
Lastly , Cocaine production : We were all attuned to our senses of the water and the rainforest smells : clean , alive , and almost sweet . However , we did notice a change of smell at several locations to a rich leaf mulch smell , almost like silage or compost . This was the Narco labs making cocaine .
We understand you were the first SUP team to cross the line , and Caz , you are the first woman to finish this challenge Caz : Being the first woman to paddle the Madre de Dios on a SUP is a pretty cool achievement . It felt super special after it was so touch and go as to whether I would even make the start line . There were a few tears shed . It ’ s made me think of other paddle possibilities out there . The challenge wasn ’ t a race , but our SUP boards travelled considerably faster than the traditional canoes , which helped us make the daily checkpoints in good time .
Jon : We started as a team and finished as a team . We worked incredibly hard preparing for the trip to ensure our skills were up to speed in areas such as self-rescue with loaded boards .
Matt : We stuck together , kept moving ( we averaged 8.3km / hr over the 335km ) and worked as a team … we all had skills that complimented one another .
Can you let us know about the organisers and their team ? Amazon Challenge organisers Carlos and Freya were fabulous and went above and beyond to ensure everyone had a great challenge . They are keen to welcome more SUPs for the 2025 Challenge . As were the support crew … a big shout-out goes to members of the Shipiteri community , who were always so smiley , helpful and supportive in their rescue boats and at every checkpoint .
Can you let us know about your Challenge fundraising ? Over £ 2000 of donations were raised through our Just Giving page , which has been split between Manu Biological Station , Los Amigos Biological Station ( as visited by Sir David Attenborough ) and the Shipiteri Community , all of which we visited on our trip .
The funds will support rainforest conservation and the development of ecotourism opportunities for the Peruvian Amazon communities .
Do you have particular people you would like to give a shout-out to for their help ? We have received incredible help and support with this challenge from friends , family , and clients making donations via our Just Giving page through to top paddle and outdoor brands that supply us with kit .
We particularly would like to thank : McConks : 14 ’ touring boards Mustang Survival : clothing , bags and buoyancy Ainsworth : carbon paddles Kelly Kettle : water filtration system Lifesystems : first aid kit , mosquito repellent and suncream Waterhaul : sunglasses Sealskinz : waterproof socks Exposure Lights : waterproof torches Phizz : hydration tablets Target Trees : cash donation Agronomic Digital Innovation : cash donation
Advice for people sitting on the fence about this event ? Go for it ! It ’ s a very special event , and the environment ( 30c +, high humidity , wildlife , and remoteness ) makes it a unique challenge . It would be great to see more SUPs take part in 2025 .
Thank you so much to Team SLPA for their fascinating insight into what appears to be an incredible adventure and challenge – if you are interested in registering for 2025 , I am sure Caz , Jon and Matt would be delighted to give you more info and you can also check out the official website here : https :// amazoncanoechallenge . com