Birmingham explorer: 'Why I went to the world's most dangerous border'

Daniel Eggington said the expedition took a lot out of him, mentally and physically

An explorer has returned from what's said to be the world's most dangerous border crossing between Panama and Colombia.

Daniel Eggington, from Birmingham, spent more than two weeks crossing the notorious Darién Gap which is known for illegal people smuggling.

Mr Eggington said he "literally didn't enjoy one part of the trip itself" but completing it was "overwhelming".

Planning the adventure took him five years, he added.

"I think I just enjoy challenges - I want to travel to the most risky, the most physically demanding locations," he said.

"At times I felt like a broken man, it took a lot out of me, physically and mentally."

Mr Eggington documented his journey every day through a podcast

The Darién Gap is an expanse of 575,000 hectares (1.42 million acres) of thick rainforest which forms a natural barrier between South and Central America.

There are no paved roads or marked paths to help navigate its lawless expanse, in which robberies and rapes are common.

• 'Too dehydrated to cry' - a lethal trek for migrants

Mr Eggington, brother of professional boxer Sam Eggington, has previously travelled alone in remote parts of Indonesia, Costa Rica and Guyana.

Funded by sponsors and partners, he travelled unsupported through rainforest and wetlands in Colombia, documenting every day of the challenge in a bid to raise awareness about conservation and the rights of indigenous communities.

The Darién Gap is a treacherous route for migrants crossing the border

To prepare for the physical strain of hiking up to 12 hours a day, he trained on the Brecon Beacons in Wales but said in hindsight, he would have done more river training.

"Walking up rivers was constant," he said. "It's one of the wettest locations on the planet - it just rains every day, 12 hours a day."

"I was so excited and overwhelmed when I finished it."

For his next expedition, Mr Eggington is considering other parts of South America or Africa.

"But I think less cartels or less dangerous in terms of the political side of things," he said.

"As long as there's a jungle and a physical challenge, I'll be planning it."