Kayakers Change Focus Following Unrest In Tibet

Remember the kayaking team that I posted on about a week and a half ago? They were en route to Tibet where they were hoping to attempt a first descent of the Salween River with the thought of running the whole thing all the way into South West China.

Well, a lot has happened in Tibet since the story broke, as I’m sure you’re well aware of. With continued unrest there, which is still spilling into other regions as well, the country has been locked down and no visas are being issued for visitors. According to National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s official Adventure Blog, who first brought us this story, the team has now shifted it’s focus to running the Mekong River after finding that they would not be allowed into Tibet.

The Rivers In Demand Team has set up a Mekong River blog so you can follow their progress, and as of today, they have completed more than 200 miles along that river. The Mekong runs more than 3000 miles in length through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is the 11th longest river in the World and is renowned for it big rapids and challenging drops, which have always been an impediment to navigating it’s full length. The team will be running stretches of the upper-Mekong, which will be filmed for a documentary. Some of these areas are so remote and unexplored that they are being caught on camera for the first time.

It seems that climbers aren’t the only ones being effected by the ongoing issues in Tibet, but at least the Rivers In Demand Team found a way to make the best of their situation. I know they were planning on filming their first descent on the Salween and turn it into a film, and hopefully they’ll have the same success in their revised plans on the Mekong.

Edit: For those keeping track at home, this is my 2000th post. I’m not sure if that is a testament to my persistence or a sign that I really need to get a life. 😉

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Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.