From the Altai Mountains, across the Gobi Desert to the Mongolian Steppe, 24-year-old Ash Dykes walked Mongolia solo and set a new world record. Pulling 120kg cart of provisions, he battled sandstorms, heat exhaustion and dehydration, and became known to locals as ‘the lonely snow leopard’, in acknowledgement of the respectful distance kept by the dangerous wild wolves. Next week, the young Welsh explorer – who has been nominated for a National Adventure of the Year award – is coming to Radlett to share the challenges he faced and the determination required to achieve this incredible feat. Here is Ash’s amazing trip by numbers.

1,500
The number of miles Ash covered on his trek, over 78 days. “When I started looking into it, I couldn’t find any evidence that anyone had completed it before,” laughs Ash. “There was one guy who’d attempted it but failed, solo and unsupported, and that was a bit worrying as he was a desert explorer and a Navy soldier! But it was the challenge that drew me to Mongolia, to see if I was capable of doing it.”

18
The weight, in stones, of Ash’s laden provisions cart, that he pulled behind him for the entire trip. “I only weighed just over 11 stone, myself!” says Ash. It was loaded with a 25-litre water container, ration packs (Ash’s favourite was the dehydrated chicken tikka masala – “I was gutted when those ran out!”), his sleeping equipment, cooking equipment, protective clothing for sandstorms and blizzards, clothes to suit both the extreme heat and bitter cold in Mongolia, and camera equipment. “I coped much better as the journey went on. My body adapted to walking and pulling such a weight behind me – although I was skinny (Ash lost 10kg over the course of the expedition) my legs were strong.”

8
The highest number of days Ash went without speaking to anyone. “I would maybe see a yurt in the distance or maybe a local would go past on his horse. This was my first solo expedition and that was part of the challenge, how I’d react to the loneliness. But I really started to enjoy it – it’s rare that you can travel such great distances and see absolutely no-one.” Ash passed the time planning his next expedition!

3
The number of days Ash had to continue walking to get to the next settlement after developing heatstroke in the 40-plus degree heat. “If I didn’t push on, I could easily have died. It wrecks your body, you become dehydrated so you lose focus and you can lose the track, which would mean missing the settlement and the next water point.” Luckily Ash made it but he was so ill he had to spend eight days recovering in the settlement, looked after by a lovely family in their hut.

55
The most kilometres Ash covered in a single day, which took him about 14 hours. “That was the last stretch, to get me to the city that was my finishing point, so I was buzzing and excited. The evening before, I’d seen the lights shining in the distance and I hadn’t seen a town or city in such a long time and that really excited and inspired me to get the distance covered the next day.”

  • Ash Dykes - Breaking Mongolia: The Lonely Snow Leopard is at the Radlett Centre, Aldenham Avenue, Radlett on Friday, March 6 at 8pm. Details: 01923 859291, radlettcentre.co.uk. To vote for Ash in the National Adventure of the Year awards, visit ashdykes.com