Central American
Sea Kayak Expedition 2000
Paddle into the Past with an Eye to the Future!
Jean-Philippe Soulé
Growing up beneath the soaring peaks of the Pyrenees, Jean-Philippe Soulé has dedicated his life to leading expeditions and guiding across the far-flung globe. After numerous solo mountain and jungle expeditions, he lived in the Siberut rainforest for seven months among the Mentawai, an indigenous clan of hunter-gatherers. This led him to conceive of the plan to undertake the CASKE 2000 challenge.
CASKE2000 was an undertaking that had never been attempted. It’s an achievement that remains intact to this very day, and the bar was set for all adventurers that would follow.
Jean-Philippe’s gripping account of his epic expedition all the way from Baja California to Panama, is now available in his inspiring 2019 published memoir titled : "DANCING WITH DEATH"
Dancing With Death will take you on the ride of a lifetime. A rollercoaster of resilience, rare encounters, and moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat; it’s a fascinating account of adventure, passion, and an insight into Jean-Philippe’s very own life.
Before the end of this expedition CASKE2000 had evolved into a lifelong calling to educate people about native cultures and to assist traditional communities where possible - thus Native Planet was born.
Jean-Philippe adores sharing the splendor of Europe’s mightiest mountains with others. It was only natural that after two decades of world expeditions, he would return to his native lands of the Alps and the Pyrenees, and would channel his passion for cycling, adventuring, history, culture and travel into designing the worlds most unique cycling experiences.
The VéloTopo.com tour company offers joie de vivre tours that cut straight to the heart of the world’s best cycling locations.
Follow J-Philippe’s cycling adventures on velotopo.com, Facebook and Instagram.
Luke Shullenberger
A native Vermonter and a devotee to the outdoor and sporting life, Luke Shullenberger had spent 4 years living in Hokkaido Japan, prior to undertaking the CASKE2000 expedition. In Hokkaido he worked as an instructor, international relations coordinator, and later as a teacher and manager at an English conversational school. During this time he continued training hard and racing in the cross-country ski marathon series across Hokkaido.
Although he started his athletic career as a runner and alpine racer, he made the jump to Nordic ski racing in high school and went on to become a Vermont State Champion in track and field, and Nordic skiing. He also became a Junior National Cross-Country Ski Champion. He continued ski racing in a Division 1 program at Williams College and by his fourth year had achieved a top 30 national ranking. That love of skiing followed him to Japan, where he competed in ski marathons, back-country telemark skiing, and during the summer months – occasionally competed in mountain bike events, marathons, and triathlons.
A graduate from Williams College with a degree in history, anthropology and music, his education, physical ability, and endurance sport experience made him a great candidate to join Jean-Philippe on this epic expedition. Or so he thought...
For the full story read "DANCING WITH DEATH: An Epic and Inspiring Travel Adventure" co-authored by Luke.