I had the privilege of seeing Salopek announce the project at the Knight Civic Media conference, and based on his presentation I can tell you that he is not taking this lightly. This isn't a project that he decided to do on a whim without evaluating the risks. This is a very well-planned, calculated project that desires to not only be fascinating, but also to make a statement on journalism itself. He won't compromise the integrity of it. Of course, there will be people aiding him along the way out of necessity (translators, guides, etc), but I guarantee you there won't be a helicopter or truck involved.