Expeditions & World Firsts
Solo across the Namib Desert
Essequibo: World First Descent
Essequibo: World First Descent
Over 1000km solo, by fatbike across the northern reaches of the world's oldest desert, the Namib.
Stalked by hyena at night, losing consciousness 200 yards form a fresh lion kill, cycling through a wilderness furnace with temperatures peaking at 50 degrees C, sleeping under a rock overhang with ancient bushman cave paintings thousands of years old, and using elephant tracks to find water in one of the most arid and hostile locations on Earth... this expedition pushed mind and body to the very limits and beyond.
From the banks of the Kunene River, bordering Angola, to the peaks of the giant red dunes that guard the southern half of this vast desert, this expedition took Ness to what felt like the very edge of the world.
Essequibo: World First Descent
Essequibo: World First Descent
Essequibo: World First Descent
An expedition of two parts; to find the source of the Essequibo River - the third largest river in South America - which had never before been found or documented, and then to embark on a world first descent of the Essequibo from source to sea.
Through uncharted remote jungle where no human has stepped foot, down white water rapid systems carrying everything needed to survive for 3 months, living alongside giant cayman, jaguar and venomous snakes, suffering near expedition ending infections, flesh eating parasites and critters burrowing under our skin. This expedition had it all. But the most powerful piece was an international collaboration to make it all happen between our team and the Wai Wai, an indigenous peoples who live along this crucial source of live in the remotest primary rainforest.
First Female to Swim the Thames
First Female to Swim the Thames
First Female to Swim the Thames
The first female in history to swim the length of the Thames River. An endurance feat that saw Ness battle with the mental fatigue and weaknesses that comes with 10 hours of swimming in cold water, and solitude every day.
She fought off illness through most of the expedition as ‘Thames Tummy’ caused violent cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. This began below Marlow where she was warned that pipes from a sewage plant were broken and leaking raw faeces into the water.
1000 Mile SUP: The Mighty River
First Female to Swim the Thames
First Female to Swim the Thames
Ness’ adventure career began in 2012 when she quit her 9-5 and set off to paddleboard over 1000 miles down the Missouri River.
Furthermore, this challenge was the longest stand-up paddleboard journey by any female.
The expedition tested both mind and body as Ness faced searing heat, being shot at, unforgiving headwinds, electrical storms, tornados dropping all around her, hypothermia and battled the wildly unpredictable waters of a raging, unruly and mighty river.
Across Bolivia with No Money
Across Bolivia with No Money
Across Bolivia with No Money
Ness joined her now best friend Laura Bingham to cycle unsupported across the high altitude mountain paths of Bolivia, from the highest city in the world to the vast salt flats in the south.
They did it with no money whatsoever, relying on foraging for food and water resources along the way. One of the days saw the pair scratching through piles of rotten oranges that had fallen off a truck, but most humbling was the extraordinary kindness of strangers in remote villages throughout Bolivia who embraced the duo's spirit of adventure and welcomed them into their communities, homes and culture.
15 Marathons in 15 Days
Across Bolivia with No Money
Across Bolivia with No Money
Having just peeled off her wetsuit after swimming the Thames River, Ness strapped on her running shoes and ran 15 marathons over 15 days from London to Land's End in England.
Off the back of two weeks in the water for 10 or more hours a day, Ness had to battle her body's rebellion as she engaged it in an entirely different discipline. Most challenging was the adjustment, both physically and mentally, from debilitating illness (Thames Tummy) as she fought to overcome diarrhoea to complete a marathon every day. The run passed along the Jurrasic Coast, finishing at the UK's most south-westerly point.
Inside the Illicit Rhino Horn Trade
Ness is currently filming a documentary that uncovers the realities of the war on rhino poaching, following the illicit rhino horn chain from the tip of Africa to the Far East. This raw and eye-opening journey will also see Ness with her boots on the ground undertaking full anti-poaching training and heading to the frontlines to discover what it really takes to put your life on the line to safe this endangered and iconic species that is racing towards extinction at the hands of criminal syndicates.