GLACIERS, RAVINES & LAKES
ICE AGE WATER COURSES
ACROSS THE 3rd POLE OF TIBET
.
THE TIBETAN PLATEAU HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST & MOST UNIQUE RIVERS ON EARTH, MOST FLOWING OFF THE SIDES OF UNCLIMBED PEAKS AND THROUGH PLATEAU AND GORGES UNSEEN BY OUTSIDERS.
IF FIRST ASCENTS EXCITE YOU, PAIRING WITH A FIRST DESCENT FOR THE RETURN MAKES FOR THE ULTIMATE HIGH ALTITUDE EXPEDITION.
TIBETS VAST AND UNIQUE TOPOGRAPHY INCLUDES SOME OF THE MOST DYNAMIC RIVERS ON EARTH, MANY MUCH OLDER THAN THE MOUNTAINS THEMSELVES MEANING THEY CUT THROUGH LANDSCAPES AND LOSE ALTITUDE IN WAYS UNSEEN OFF THE 3rd POLE. AMONG AMAZING FEATURES ARE LAKES WITH DOUBLE EXITS (PICTURED ABOVE), SEASONAL RIVERS THAT SHIFT COURSE AND SOME OF THE DEEPEST GORGES ANYWHERE.
MUCH OF TIBET WAS SETTLED ALONG IT’S WATERWAYS, SERVING AS THE WINTER PASTURES FOR A HUGE NOMADIC POPULATION, BUT REMAINS VIRTUALLY UNSEEN BY OUTSIDERS WHO STICK TO THE ROADS AND TRAIN LINES. ACROSS AREAS LIKE THE NORTHERN PLATEAU, THE GREAT RIVERS OF ASIA LIKE THE UPPER YANGTZE, YELLOW & MEKONG, MEANDER ACROSS HUGE LANDSCAPES, UNCROSSED BY BRIDGES, FAR FROM LARGE TOWNS, THROUGH UNEXPLORED +6000m RANGES AND FOSTERING THE UNIQUE TIBETAN RIVER CULTURE ALMOST NO OUTSIDER KNOWS ABOUT.
OUR TIBET RIVER DESCENTS ARE PLANNED WITH JIYUE ZHANG, THE DEFINITIVE EXPERT ON TIBETAN PLATEAU RIVER DESCENTS AND RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST ALL MAJOR RIVER TRIPS THERE (AND MOST MAJOR MOUNTAINS ASCENTS AS WELL) IN THE LAST 30 YEARS. JIYUE CONNECTS UNEQUALLED KNOWLEDGE OF THE RIVERS WITH OUR UNEQUALLED ACCESS LOGISTICS SO WE CAN MATCH UP PEAKS, GLACIER SNOUTS, PUT IN’S & PICK UP’S RIGHT ACROSS THE PLATEAU AND DOWN THE ESCARPMENTS.
FOR THESE TRIPS WE USE OUR CUSTOM PRODUCED ARKATAG EXPEDITION PACKRAFTS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE WITH FEATURES SPECIFIC TO LONG TRIPS, LARGE LOADS, COLD CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WEIGHT SO THEY CAN BE CARRIED TO OUR HIGH ALTITUDE STARTING POINTS.