MADAGASCAR, SIBERIA, CONGO: INFERNAL JOURNEYS | France 5 | Les Routes de l'Impossible

An old saying goes that haste is born of fear, slowness of courage. In the farthest reaches of every continent, our reporters find confirmation of that… From the plunging ruts of Madagascar, to the snowy walls of Siberia, by way of the treacherous waters of the River Congo, our cameras have accompanied drivers in their insane battles with nature. A nature that gives no quarter. Along this trail or that river each mile is snatched at the price of superhuman efforts. Everyone exhibits admirable courage and patience. And yet, even the most experienced can crack. Every spring, the icy mists of Lake Baikal in Siberia, announce the start of a gruelling journey for Dimitri along the north shore of the lake. With his men, he sets out to bring provisions to the Evenks, the reindeer herders who live in the remote high plateaux of Siberia. Dimitri is the only one who will still accept the challenge of the 40 miles between him and the village. Along the road, the snow forms ramparts that are almost unpassable, even for a 6-wheel-drive truck. It may take him days to cover the distance. Often, he has no choice but to turn his truck into a makeshift bulldozer to crush the trees that block his path. In another hemisphere, the same commitment and the same… ordeals! During the cyclone season in Madagascar, ruts, landslides, mud and floods render the roads unusable. At the wheel of an unlikely wreck, however, Sido, continues to provision the most remote of villages. In particular, he takes the National Highway 5a, which is national in name only. Abandoned by the State, the track links Ambilobe, in the North-West of the Grand Island, to Vohemar in the North-East. 100 hundred miles that they call the “Infernal Trail”. Along it, Sido’s top speed is 4mph… On the River Congo, in West Africa, that is also Gbemani’s cruising speed. Ever since the road vanished, the river has become the only lifeline linking Kinshasa, the capital, to Kisangani, the third biggest city in the country. A route that winds along over more than 1,000 miles of constant danger. The signs marking rocks and wrecks no longer exist and the only chart on board dates back to the days of the Belgian colonisation. The captain and pilots must navigate by eye both day and night. On a boat from another age, 2,000 passengers pile one on top of another for several weeks without water or electricity. During the journey anything may happen. A journey into hell that will last three weeks.