TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES – Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
We last heard from Spanish extreme diver Paco Acedo in March after he tackled a 120km expedition across Lake Inari, Finland’s largest lake.
His previous trips were no less trying. Back in 2014 he crossed the Baltic Sea with fellow ice diver Jesus Noriega and the next year he set out to Lake Baikal in Russia for a series of ice dives and an attempt to cross the lake from south to north.
After 3 straight polar expeditions Paco has understandably headed to warmer climes for his next journey. The South Pacific region of Melanesia includes both Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, stretching all the way down towards Fiji.
Melanesia is little visited by travelers and areas of the upper highlands in Papua New Guinea were not even mapped till the 1930s. The regions isolation is perhaps enhanced by the islands association with historical cannibalism, as well as the very limited infrastructure, making travel difficult for all those but the most dedicated. However, there are many reasons to visit, including almost untouched reefs, WWII wrecks and some of the most spectacular tribal displays on the planet.
Paco has now spent 6 weeks solo traveling the region, setting himself two main goals; to dive and explore the wrecks of the Guadalcanal campaign and to “sit face to face with the tribes of the Solomon Islands and the highlands of Papua New Guinea”.
Over the 6 weeks he describes Melanesia as if “drawn from a book of Jules Verne” and managed to accomplish his goals, hiking the mountains, diving the oceans and experiencing tribal life on the islands.
Paco’s expedition offers a rare insight in to one of the few remaining “off the beaten path” adventure locations on earth. You can view Paco’s expedition video here.
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Baikal Ice Diving, and Facing Fears: Paco Acedo’s debrief
Paco Acedo diving Finland’s Lake Inari
Paco Acedo and Jesus Noriega skiing and diving the Baltic Sea
