Paddling onwards

The treacherous Yangtze, a lost raft and a health scare didn’t stop two Irishmen on an incredible journey across Asia, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

THIS week Maghnus Collins and David Burns have returned from their 10-month tramp across Asia. It hasn’t been their first big trek. In 2009, they cycled from South Africa to Ireland, a trip which, says Collins, “ignited something in us”.

A year later, they finished the notorious Marathon des Sables across the Sahara desert. This latest expedition, which is being completed as a fundraiser for Self Help Africa, is even more gruelling. Limerickman Collins, 28, and Burns, 28, from Coleraine, had been scratching around for an expedition when Burns hit on one.