National Geographic Adventure Magazine has posted an interesting update today on their newly launched Adventure Blog on a kayaking expedition to Tibet that hopes to make the first descent of the upper Salween River, the last unexplored whitewater on the Tibetan Plateau.
The Rivers In Demand Team, led by Trip Jennings, one of Adventure's "Adventurers of the Year" for 2007, expect to hit Class V rapids, or greater, as they begin their expedition today. They'll drop into the water somewhere around 11,000 feet and hope to run the Salween all the way through Tibet and China, following the Great Bend of the Yangtze and finishing along the Middle Salween in the South West mountains of China.
The Salween River itself runs from Tibet all the way to the South China see, passing through China, Thailand, and Myanmar in the process. It is the longest undammed river in South East Asia, although there are proposals in place to build dams along it's course, mostly in Myanmar. The river is famous for it's deep canyons and gorges, with incredible whatwater, which becomes swelled even further during the rainy Summer months.
You can follow the teams progress on their China 2008 website where they'll be posting dispatches and other expedition updates.
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