JUBA, South Sudan - Crocodiles, civil war and even the death of a fellow traveler have not stopped Levison Wood from pursuing his goal: walking the entire length of the Nile River.

The 4,250-mile journey along the world's longest river will take a year to complete. Along the way, the onetime British army captain will pass through six countries.

After four months of trekking through Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, Wood is now in South Sudan. That country has little in the way of roads or electricity. Even worse, it is in the middle of a civil war.

The 31-year-old said it took three years to plan the walk from Rwanda to Egypt. The White Nile starts in Rwanda and goes through Tanzania, Uganda and South Sudan. At Khartoum in Sudan, the White Nile joins the Blue Nile, which starts in Ethiopia. The Nile then flows through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

Dangers From Man And Beast

Wood has been fascinated by Africa since he was young. "The River Nile has always interested me and I thought, what's the biggest expedition I could ever think of? And walking the Nile it was," he said.

Wood faces many dangers on the walk from both man and beast. Still, he noted, past explorers had it even worse. Unlike him, they didn't have a satellite phone or Google maps.

"We've had some close calls with buffalo, elephants and a very close call with a crocodile," he said Thursday. He says the toughest challenge is just to keep on going at a steady pace. It's hard, he said, to not get frustrated when there are delays.

On average Wood walks 20 miles a day. He is seldom alone, though. His guide from Congo, who goes by the name Boston, has been a long-time companion. In South Sudan, three soldiers with machine guns provide protection. Another South Sudanese man on a bike carries supplies.

"South Sudan has been a challenge to say the least," Wood said. "And when I set off on Nov. 25 I obviously didn't" know a civil war would be "kicking off mid-December."

Camera Crew Tags Along

Further complicating matters is the camera crew following Wood. They are there to shoot a four-part TV series. In the United States, it will be aired on Animal Planet. Wood and his crew were arrested while filming near the only bridge that crosses the Nile in South Sudan.

Wood and the others have reached Juba, South Sudan's busy capital. They are moving through the city at a very fast pace. Occasionally, their South Sudanese guide barks orders to stop filming. This happens, for example, whenever they are near a military building.

There are serious safety concerns for this part of the trip: The Nile passes through Jonglei state, a region that has seen heavy fighting recently.

"I'll have to make a decision when I get there whether I have to move away from the river," he said.

Just then, a well-known Juba curiosity strolls past: a man without any clothes.

The team laughs. "No comment," Wood says to his cameraman.

Tragedy In Uganda

South Sudan seemed likely to to be the toughest part of Wood's trip. It was in Uganda, however, that something really terrible happened. On March 10, American journalist Matt Power, who was walking with Wood, died from heat exhaustion. Wood said the death forced him to reconsider his plans.

"We took a week off" after Power died, Wood said. The death made him ask, "Is this something we really want to be doing?"

After speaking with Power's wife and family, Wood decided to continue his trip. The reporter's family gave him their blessing.

Power's death "really brings home" the fact that "this is not an easy thing to do. It's incredibly difficult and dangerous in parts," he said. "All I can do is be as prepared as I can be and hope the same doesn't happen to me." ]]>