Just before boarding a plane to China, Colwyn Bay adventurer Ash Dykes added an equally exciting business to his growing list of supporters.

Zip World have come on board with the adventurer ahead of his journey to walk the length of the Yangtze River in China after Dykes paid a visit to check out the new Velocity 2 at the Penrhyn Quarry site.

Having already become the first person to walk solo across Mongolia and Madagascar, the adventurer and extreme athlete from Old Colwyn is hoping his latest adventure will become another world first.

Ash’s 2018 mission, which he said is his “most ambitious to date”, is to become the first person to walk the length of China’s Yangtze river.

On the mission, he will cover more than 4,000 miles over the course of a year.

He will take about eight million steps and expects to come across bears, wolves and snakes as well as the highest river source in the world – at an altitude of more than 5,100 metres.

It’s this spirit for adventure which caught the attention of Zip World, and has resulted in the announcement of a long-term partnership between the two.

Speaking at Zip World last week, Dykes said: “Growing up in North Wales filled me with a spirit for adventure that still burns strong - it must be something to do with the people and the landscape.

“The Yangtze will be an enormous challenge and I know I will need all the support I can get. That’s why having the support of organisations like Zip World is invaluable.

"They have put North Wales on the map for adventure - a bit like myself, really.”

Sean Taylor, co-founder of Zip World, added: “We love nothing more than promoting North Walian people with passion for adventure on the world stage. Ash is a man after our own hearts here at Zip World, constantly pushing boundaries.

“He’s a great ambassador for the region and we will be following every step of the trek.”

People can follow the walk from the comfort of their own homes on both Ash’s and Zip World’s social media channels via a series of live streams, stories and vlogs.