ASIAN ALPINE E–NEWS
Issue No. 20, February 2018

Marching to the true source of the Mekong River (Lancang Jiang), Qinghai Province

CONTENTS
1. Zaya Sanjaa, who represents the Mongolian Mountaineering Community,
has compiled a sophisticated work–A century famous female climbers inmountaineering [1808~2018]

Zaya Sanjaa
2.

Page 2～9“The Excellent Adventure” 2017 in Karakoram
East Face of BEATRICE 5800m – First Free Ascent, 600m “5.13a

Yusuke Sato

Page 10~20

3. The Hengduan Mountains in East of the Himalaya
The Asian Great Rivers and River Rafting/Kayaking
Edited & Supplemented by T. Nakamura & Sichuan Earth Expeditions

Liu Tuanxi (Penname: Little Donkey Page 21~58
1

Zaya Sanjaa, who represents the Mongolian Mountaineering
Community, has compiled a sophisticated work–A century famous
female climbers in mountaineering [1808~2018] as attached.

Adriana Bance
The ﬁrst female
to summit Mt
6959m
Aconcagua 1940.
FranceAgranovskaya
Ludmila .
The ﬁrst woman“Snow leopard”
1970 /70107495m/
RussiaAkiyo Noguchi
4 mes sport
Champion WC &winner of theSportCompe onAward 2010.
Japan

Alex Puccio
The strongest
sport climberboulder WorldChampion ,10 mesChampion
ABS / V14/
USA.

Alison Hargreavas
The ﬁrst woman
to solo summit
Mt Everest
without bo led
oxygen. 1995
UK

Alison Levine
The Adventure
Grand Slam2010 , theauthor of the
New York
Times.
USA

Anak Verhoeven
Winner WorldChampion & EG
sport climbing
redpoint & onsight 5.14
Belgium

Andrea Cardona
The Adventurers
Grand Slam 2012
& seven summit.
GuatemalaAngela Eiter
4 mes WorldChampion Sport
climber , 3 mes
World Cups
Austria

Angela Vorobeva
The woman toclimb Kilimanjaro
5895m at age 86& GWR tle
holder.
RussiaAngelika Rainer
3 mes WorldChampion Ice
climber, winnerof the World Cup
overall ranking.
Italy

Anna Czerwinska
Mt Makalu
women Exp
/Leader, sevensummit &9x 8000 Mts
PolandAnna Stohr
The best sport
climber 4 mes
Champion inbouldering of
the WCup & WC
Austria

Annie Smith
Anne Marie
Peak. 1925 A
The fastest
former of thewoman toWoman Society summit Mt5895m
Geographers ,Kilimanjaro 2017poli cian “ Votes & GWR tle
for women”
holder.
USA
Germany

Anshu Jamsenpa
The ﬁrst woman
twice to summit
Mt Everest in 5days & GWR tle
holder.
India

Ariene Blum All
Annapurna8091
Exp Leader1978.
Winner of the
Na onalWomen
Geographers ‘sGold medal
USA

Arlene Piaper
The1-st woman
to ﬁnish at the
Mt Pikes Peak
marathon in
1959
USA

Arunima Shinha
The 1-st
amputee tosummit Everest
2013, a Na onal
level volleyball
playerIndia

Ashima Shiraishi
The strongest
rock climber”bouldering
phenom” in the
World
Japan/USA

Barbara Washrum
Bachendri Pal
The Indo-Nepal The ﬁrst woman
women Everest to climb Mt
Exp leader1993, 6198m Denali
GWR tle holder, 1947, winner the
Honorary doctor. Centennial Award
NGS 1988.
India
USA

Catherine Des velle

Cathy O’Dowd
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8848m Everest
from both sides
1996 /1999
South Africa

Cecilie Skod
The ﬁrst woman
Explorer Grand
Slam 2006
NorwayCorninne Favre
The strongest
woman Mountainrunner Champion
Mountain and
Ski mountaineer
FranceChantal Maudilit
Claude Kogan
The ﬁrst
The ﬁrst leader
woman toof I/Expedi on
8201m Cho Oyu summit Mt
8516m Lhotse
1956
1996.
CanadaFranceCheril Bart
The ﬁrst woman
to summit
Mt Everest &seven summit
with herdaugther 2008
Austria

Chris ne Pae
UAAA Generalsecretary , UIAA
MC memberSouth Korea

Chhurum Sherpa
The ﬁstr woman
to summit Mt
Everest twice in aweek 2012 &GWR tle holder
Nepal

Edurne Pasaban
The 2nd woman
to summit Mt all
14 x 8000 , anadventurers of
the year.
Spain

The best rock
Queen climber,
1-st solo tosummit Mt EN
Face in winter
1992.
FranceCharlo e Adam
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
2228m
Koszciosko 1881
Australia

Beth Rodden
The one of themost best
accomplishedrock and sport
climber of allme.
USACarol Masheter
The senior
femaleSeven summit
woman at age
65 in a 4 years.
USA

Eimir
McSwiggan
The woman Ice Queen , oneof the best Ice
climber
IrelandElizabeth
HawleyThe chronicler ofthe Himalaya“THE Sharloc
Holmes of theMountaineering
World “USA

Elizabeth La
Blond The ﬁrst
mountain ﬁlm
maker.The 1-st
president ofLadies Alpine
Club.
Bri shEkaterina
Koshcheeva
The best woman
at Ice climbing
World Speed
Champion
RussiaEkaterina
Feok stova
The strongest Ice
climber of theWorld,Champion
WCup and WC
RussiaEmelie Forsberg
The best woman
Sky UltraChampion andmul ple winner
Of the World.
NorwayEvelya Fay
Fuller The ﬁrst
woman tosummit Mt
4392m Rainer
1890
USA

Fanny Bullock
Workman
The famous
woman explorerof the century
Himalayan
glaciers
France.

Fabian Da ner
The famous
woman -leaderof the largest
female exp
Antarc ca 2016
Australia

Farkhondeh
SadeghThe woman tosummit Mt Everest
Iranian women
expedi on leader
2005
Iran

Fernanda Maciel
The legendary
woman mountainrunner “ Runner’s
World Woman “Brazilia

Gerlinde
Haltenbrunner
The famous
woman to climb
Mt all 14x8000,
2012 , winner at
2013 the Pioletd’Or
Austria

Gine eHarrison The
ﬁrst woman toclimb 8586m
Kanchenchanga
1998.one of theaccomplishedclimber.
UK

Go Mi San
The woman tosummit Mt all
11 x 8000, aformer Asian X
GamesChampion

South Korea
Han Na RaiSong
The best Ice
climber, 3 mes
winner Lead
Climbing World
Cup.
South Korea

Helen Kinuthia
The ﬁrst black
Kenyan woman tosummit Mt 8848m
Everest 2012.
AfricaHenrie e
D’Angeville
A former of themineralogy
museum 1838
FranceHuayllas Lidia
An Aumara
woman-teamleader of the
Mt 6962m
Aconcagua 2016
Bolivia

Ines Papert
The strongest
legendary Ice
climber, famous
alpinist andauthorGermanyJane Lee
Janapuze
Aleksandra
Singapore-2007
Buchuevna
Autumn woman
The ﬁrst pioneer NARAS-SWEET
climber-woman to expedi on leader
summit Mt 6542m 8201m Cho Oyu
team 2007
Elbrus 1925.
Singapore
RussiaJanja Garnbret
The queen rock
Mul ple winnerof Lead climbing& bouldering,
World Champion
WorldYouth,
World Cup
Slovenia

Jing Wang
The record
woman tocomplete theGrand Slam in
142 days 2014&
GWR tleholder.
China

Junko Tabei
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
Everest1975.Shishipangma
1981. 7 summit
1992.
Japan

Karina Mezova
The womanto summit
Mt 5642m
Elbrus carrying
Olymjic torch
Sochi- 2014
RussiaKa e Bono
The ﬁrst woman
speed record tosummit Mt
6194m Denali
2017
USA

Kanchi Maya
The woman tosummit Mt
8848m Everest
for UN Genderequality in sport
Nepal

Kai Taniguchi
The ﬁrst
woman ascentof 7749m
Kamet
Southeast thewinner of
Piolets d’Or
2009.
Japan

Ki y Calhoun
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8156m Makalu
1990
USA

Krystyna
Palmowska
The ﬁrst woman tosummit Mt 8051m
Broud Peak 1983
Polandlakpa Sherpa
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8848m 8 mes
2017 , GWR tle
holder
Nepal

Liliane Barrard
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8216m Nanga
Parbat 1984
FranceLaura Orgue
The woman
World
Championmul ple
winner ofver cal km
Spain

Irene Miller
Isabella Pa ssier
The ﬁrst woman The best woman
rock climberto summit Mt
climber
1978
Annapurna 8091m
Aconcagua 6961m ﬁrst woman toWorldChampion
1978,
climb 8b andUSArally driver
FranceJulia Acchibald
HelmesThe ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
Pike’s Peak
1808
USA

Kim Jain
The queen of
sport climbing, 3
mes winner ofLead climbibng
World Cup andChampionships.
South Korea

Lucy Walker
The ﬁrst womanof the Golden
age alpinist to
summit Mt
4478m
Ma erhorn
1871
UK

Lut Vivijs
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8167m Dhalagiri
1982
Belgium

Losune Bereziartu
The greatest rockclimber; Na onal
Geog/ Adventureof the year 2005,
Gold Piton Award
2003…
Spain

Lydia Bradey
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8848m Everest
without sup/oxygen 1988
New Zerland

Lynn Hill
The legendary
queen rockclimber- famous
woman of theWorld , a record
holder for 10
straight year.
USA

Malavath Purno
The youngest
woman tosummit Mt
8848m /13/
Everest climber
2017 & GWR tle
holder.
India

Maj Neha
Bhatnagar
The woman Exp
leader of Indian
Air Force’s tosummit Mt
8848m Everest
2013
India

Marie Lose
Valencot
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8080m
Gasherbrum
1982
FranceMarie Paradis
The 1-st womanof the Golden
Age to summit
Mt 4810m
Montblank 1808
“quite a fortune”
FranceMargo Hayes
The best ,ﬁrst
elite woman
rock climber, theWorld’s ﬁrst
5,15a at just 19
years old.
USA

Marin Minamlya
The youngest
woman tosummit Mt
Everest -theExplorer Grand
Slam/21/ sevensummits 2017
Japan

Masha Gordan
The fastest
woman meSummits andExpedi ons of
Explorers Grand
Slam in 8 month
Bri sh/Russia

Maya Sherpa
The experienced
woman climber,2014 K2 womenteam leader, theSecond vicepresident NMA
Nepal

Melissa Arnot
Reid
The woman tosummit Mt
8848m Everest
6 mes
USA

Meta Brevoot
The most famous
mountaineer ofthe era, the ﬁrst
woman to climb
traverse 4478m
Ma erhorn 1871
USA

Mina Markovic
The best sport
climber-winnerof the WorldChampionships
in 3 disciplines:
Lead, boulderingand speed.
Slovenia

Miriam O’Brein
Underhill
A pioneering
mountaineer,environmentalist
and writerauthor “ Give me
the hill” feminist.
USA

Molie Hughes
The youngest
Woman tosummit Mt
8848m Everest
from 2 sides
2012 / 2017
UK

Nasanova Elvira
The ﬁrst woman
3 mes Snow
Leopard 1991
15 x 7000 m Mts
RussiaNellie Silitee
The senior
mountaineer
woman a 100
years climber .
2017
UKNikki Bart
The woman tosummit Mt
Everest and 7
summits with hermother 2017 and
GWR tle holder.
Austria

Nives Merol
The 4-rt woman
to summit Mt all
14 x 8000
without extra
oxygen 2017
Italy

Ngim Sherpa
The youngest
Everest climber/16/ 2012
GWR tle holder
Nepal

OksanaStefanishina
The fastest
woman to climb
Mt 5642m
Elbrus -Absolute
ExtremeChampion
Russia.

Ola Dzik
The womanﬁrst longest
extreme race
Mt Elbrus
champion and“Snow leopard”
PolandOliga Rjavskaya
The woman toclimb Mt 5642m
Elbrus - extreme
champion runner/4100-5621/
RussiaOh Eun San
What Challengemeans? The ﬁrst
Giant Woman tosummit all Mt
14 x 8000 andseven summits& GWR
tle holder.
South Korea

Pasang Lhamu
Parvaneh Kazemi
Sherpa The
The ﬁrst woman
woman toto summit Mt
summit 8612m
8848m Everest
K2,The Na onal 8516m Lhotse
Geographic
in a week
Adventure of the 2012.
year 2015
Iran
Nepal

PaulineSanderson
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8848m Everest
from the lowest
point 2011
UK

Pemba Doma
SherpaThe womanleader of the
Nepaly women Millennium
8848m Everest
expedi on.
Nepal

Phandtok The
first woman tosummit Mt
8848m Everest
from North side
1975, A past
deputy in the
Na onal People’s
Congress.
China

Santosh Yadav
The ﬁrst woman
Indian Armyoﬃcer tosummit twice
Mt 8848m
Everest 1992
and 1993
India

Sasha Digiulian
The ﬁrst woman
to climb “MunderWall” and “Magic
Mushroom “,Na onal andOverall WorldChampion.
USA

Nungshi Malek
The ﬁrst twin
female to climb
Mt 8848m
Everest & sevensummits andExplorers Grand
Slam 2015
India

Sharon Wood
The 5-th woman
to summit Mt
8848m Everest
1986 the winnerof the Tenzing
Norgay Award as“Professional
Mountaineer ofthe year “CanadaShauna Coxsey
The famous
sport climber atthe World
Bouldering
Championship
UK

Shataeva Elvira
Sergeevna
The ﬁrst leader
Pamir- Women
Expedi on
Russia 1974

Shin Woonseon
The strongest
best woman Ice
climber, one of
the star climberof the world.
South Korea

Svetlana
Sharipova
The best classic
route runner Mt
5642m Elbrus/ 3710-5642/
KazakstanTashi Malek
The ﬁrst twin
woman tosummit
Mt 8848m
Everest , sevensummits,
Explorers grandslam 2015, GWR
tle holder.
India

Tsering Wangmo
The ﬁrst 1st woman
to summit Mt
Everest carrying
Olympic torch
Beijing - 2008
China

Vanessa O’BreinThe fastest
record woman
Explorer Grand
Slam in 295 days2013 , a memberof Explorers
Club, GWR tle
holderBri sh-America

Vera Komarkova
The ﬁrst woman
to summit Mt
8091m
Annapurna 1978
USA

Wanda Rutkeewicz
The famous
woman 3-rd tosummit Mt
Everest 1986,
1-st k2 1991.
Gasherbrum, 1st
Cho Oyu 1974, 1st
PolandWasﬁa Nazreen Watanabe Tamae
Twice Everest
The woman
Social worker and climber fromwriter to summit both sides at age
Mt8848m Everest 63- 2002.
73-2012GWR
and Na onal
tle holder.
Geographic
Adventure of the Japan
year 2015
Bangladesh

Tolokonina
Maria
The World’s
greatest ice
climber,4 mes
World Championin speed & lead.
RussiaVoice of woman. Women in mountaineering

Sanjaa Zaya
zaya46@yahoo.com

YUSUKE SATO“The Excellent Adventure” 2017 in Karakoram
East Face of BEATRICE 5800m – First Free Ascent, 600m 5.13a

Climbing line on the BEATRICE east face “The Excellent Adventure”
1Members: Ryo Masumoto and Yusuke Sato
Climbing period: August 1 ~ 9, 2017

The first bivouac on the wall2

On the way of acclimatization and reconnaissance, we had a close view of east face ofBeatrice from a hill in the vicinity and were allured by one crack straightly lined in thecentre of the wall. Angle being looked up from starting point of climbing was awful andchallenging. It promised a wonderful climb that we had never experienced. We soon
decided this route for our target without hesitation.
The objective of our expedition to the Charakusa Glacier was “Free ascent of big wall”.
We were tempted to accomplish free ascent of steep-angled unknown big rock wall andfinally standing atop of the peak. For the purpose we carried heavy loads of crampons
for climbing snow ridges, double-axes and winter shoes. On Beatrice a snow band
appeared after the 3rd pitch, but after the 4th pitch there was no snow on the wall. We
had to carry much water necessary during climbing. Total weight of the supplies to ferry
was more than 100kg.
An ideal tactic for free ascent would be to extend ropes by on-site or red-point insuccession from lower point. However, more time would have been spent for cleaningand other work in especially difficult pitches for us. In our free ascent of Beatrice thistime, as we aimed summiting, taking into account of time constrain and weather
conditions, we moved forward basically in free ascent but took advantages aid climbing
in certain pitches for reaching summit in time and we tried complete free descent.

3This map is from Tsuneo Miyamori’s“Mountaineering Maps of the Karakoram and Hindu-Kush”.

4Route Summary (by each pitch)
Pitch 1: A1+, 5.11b 40m – Traversing slab after wet overhang of reverse layer
Pitch 2: 5.10a 60m – Climbing a bit fragile face upwards to right after horizontal
traverse to left
Pitch 3: 5.10b 55m – Wet slab partially hard
Pitch 4: after C1, 5.11a 40m – from snow terrace to corner, small overhang filled withmad
Pitch 5: after C2, 5.12a 20m – from here to Pitch 7 cleaning was necessary fully using
corner laybag and stemming
Pitch 6: after C2, 5.12b 30m – Moving forward along corner by layback in first half andloose jamming in last half
Pitch 7: after C2, 5.12a 50m – Long varied crack, climbed by layback and face-move
Pitch 8: 5.10 15m – Detouring face then wet corner
Pitch 9; 5.12b 30m – Angle getting steeper, starting with hard layback like bouldering,
last mantle also very hard
Pitch 10: after C2, 5.13a 30m – Angle 110°, disconnected crack, mainly face-move, apitch of the crux
Pitch 11: 5.12c 50m – overhung 50m corner crack, very much excited as it was wet whencompleted climbing
Pitch 12: 5.11a 50m – wet corner carefully negotiated to midway
Pitch 13: 5.11c 60m – completely dry crack, jam effective, enjoyable
Pitch 14: 5.9 60m – Comfortable crack climbing
Pitch 15: 5.10a 50m – Comfortable crack continues
Pitch 16: 5.10a 30m – To snow terrace after comfortable crack climbing
Pitch 17: 5.9 55m– Reached ridge (wall climbing finished)
Pitch 18: 5.9 29m – Climbed avoiding unstable ice-snow, slab a bit awful
Pitch 19: 5.10c 45m – Avoided overhung rock peak then traversed unstable side wall
Pitch 20: 70m snow ridge to the summit
There are three routes already opened on the east face of BEATRICE.
The Excellent Adventure (750m, ED+ A3+: grade of the first ascent) was first climbed
by a British team of three members in 1997. It was the line to follow crack stretchingalong the centre of the BEATRICE east face. We made the first free ascent of the sameroute with more than 600m fascinating crack. In free ascent two bolts were used forbelay anchoring.
5The route is divided to the three sections. The beginning is the lower part of 120m tosnow terrace above overhung reverse layer. The steepest in the mid section between
Pitch 5 ~ 11 is the crux of free ascent. Five pitches of some 5.12 continued. We graded5.13a for the most difficult pitch. Six pitches of the upper section were rather gentle
hand crack, which continued to the ridge. Further two pitches climbing on the ridge andsnow ridge led us to the summit.

Beatrice Peak–c5800m Southeast face "The Excellent Adventure" Hajeta
The first routes on this face were put up in 1997 when British climbers Grant
Farquar, Steve Meyers and Mike 'Twid Turner, and simultaneously Glenda Huxter,
Kath Pyke and Louise Thomas, climbed two roughly parallel lines in capsule style;
The Excellent Adventure (British E3 6a and A3+) and Hateja (also British E3 6aand A3+). The three Americans chose a line through the multiple overlaps to theright of the previous routes and in rather inclement weather decided to fix ropes on
the first 360m before committing themselves to the wall. Once established on theroute they then had to face the worst storm of the expedition, which put down
approximately one metre of snow over several days. The trio fixed another 240m
through discontinuous cracks on the headwall before deciding to go for the top.
However, when they discovered the summit to be guarded by a long knife-edge ridgecomposed of poor snow and dangerously loose blocks, Chin, Howe and Workman, in
common with the two British parties before them, decided that the top of the wall
was reward enough. They descended from this high point, christening their route
Wanderlust and offering a grade of VI, 5.10+, A3.
6

Sato climbing Pitch 1

Pitch 6 5.12b 30m
7

Sato leading Pitch 9 5.12b
8

Day–6 Comfortable climb, upper sectDay 6–Delicate climbing continued on the ridge.
9Area Information
Climbing in the Charakusa can roughly be divided into three areas.
The first is the area encompassing Fathi Brakk, Haji Brakk (5,950m), and Farhod
Brakk (ca 5,300m) on the south side of the glacier, and Sulu (ca 5,950m), Beatrice(5,800m), and Naisa Brakk (5,200m) to the north. These provide good acclimatization
ascents, and the last three named—the easiest to approach—can all be climbed in a dayfrom base camp. The Fathi-Farhod group provides longer outings, mainly because it isfarther from camp. The north faces have serious rock routes, but the south sides arealmost hikes. They also provide excellent views of nearly everything on K6 and K7. Just
above base camp stands a 300m "crag" named Iqbal Wall. Due to its proximity,
generally good granite, and low elevation, it is now covered in routes.
The second area forms the meat of the valley, the horseshoe southeast of base camp
ringed by K7, Link Sar, Hassan, K6, K6 West, and Kapura. K7 (6,934m) is a huge
granite massif, reminiscent of Chamonix in that it has big, steep granite towers of
excellent granite, interspersed with gullies and couloirs similar in appearance to theeast face of Mont Blanc du Tacul. There is still plenty of potential for new lines in theK7 massif, particularly pure rock routes, and in my opinion the line still awaiting a first
ascent is the complete southwest ridge, falling directly from the summit.
K6 (7,281m) is perhaps the jewel. Although only slightly higher than K7, it is in adifferent league. The immense north side is a convoluted nightmare of seracs,
unconsolidated snow, and mixed terrain. The northwest face has seen attention, but two
things have prevented parties getting on it. Firstly, the objective danger is high: Thereis a serac at the top that is only visible when making a full reconnaissance. Secondly,
there is a huge crevasse barring access; it was perfectly visible in 2012. The northeast
face, between the main summit and K6 West (7,040m), has seracs, cornices andmushrooms. While it presents futuristic lines, it also provides the most spectacularavalanches, and it would be ill-advised to contemplate anything there.
While overshadowed by its bigger brother K6, Kapura (6,544m) is an elegant peak. The
northeast face is a snow-fluted nightmare, but there have been at least two ascents fromthe west side, though the southwest ridge remains unclimbed.
The third and final area lies farther from the main hub of Charakusa climbing, andcontains three different yet interesting peaks. Drifika (6,447m) is one of the mosteye-catching peaks in the Karakoram, and there are various technically straightforward
options to climb it from this side. However, the approach requires negotiating two
10

convoluted icefalls. Changmah (5,844m) looks to offer a few fun options to the top, andone assumes it has already seen an ascent. Thanda Parbat (incorrectly marked on maps
as 6,553m; more like ca 6,000m) has obvious and safe lines, and I do not believe it has
been climbed.
This is a fun acclimatization area and gives great views of K7 and its neighbors. Access
is via the straightforward South Charakusa Glacier. Between Kapura and Fathi Brakk
the glacier narrows and forms an icefall. By hugging the northwest side, it is possible toget off the glacier before it becomes too bad. There is an old fixed rope attached to pegs,
marking the slabby exit point. Camping beneath any of the above objectives isadvisable; otherwise it is a huge day from base camp.
Jon Griffith, France

11

LIU TUANXI (Penname: LITTLE DONKY)

The Hengduan Mountains in East of the Himalaya
The Asian Great Rivers and River Rafting/Kayaking
Edited & Supplemented by Tom Nakamura
in collaboration with Sichuan Earth Expeditions, Inc.
Part I: Overview of the Hengduan Mountains“Where in all the world is to be found scenery comparable to that which awaits the explorer andphotographer in north-western Yunnan Province, China and in the fastnesses of Tsawarong, insouth-eastern Tibet? Few have been privileged to climb the towering ranges separating the mightiest
streams of China, in northern Asia. The whole region, so geologists tell us, was once one vast, high plateau
now intersected and eroded by some of the longest rivers in the world. These rivers changed this highplateau not merely into a land of lofty mountains, but of deep valleys with gloomy shadows and forbidding
gorges never trodden by human foot.” J.F. Rock, “Through the Great River Trenches of Asia”, 1926
This accurately describes a stunning beauty of spectacular mountains and rivers.
The region in the borderland between Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan, so-called Deep Gorge Country that was
the an absolutely remote far-flung and isolated area in former times, is situated in the heart of theHengduan Mountains which spread to the east of the Tsangpo Great Bend. The Lohit, the easternmost
tributary of the Brahmaputra, as well as the Irrawaddy, the Salween, the Mekong and the Yangtze rivers
have cut deeply eroded trenches gorges through the mountain ranges. Many peaks are more than 6,000
metres high. Flowing from north to south, in one place these five rivers are squeezed to a span of an areathat in one place is merely 150 kilometres wide before fanning out on their journeys to independent seasfrom the Pacific near Shanghai to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean while at their mouths they are
thousands of miles apart.
After the year 1970, the Chinese Academy of Sciences dispatched a series of scientific expeditions to the
Qinghai-Tibet-Plateau and since 1981 the survey teams have shifted their research activities to theHengduan Mountains Region.
This mountain region was formed 150 million years ago by tectonic movements and up to our days it is
tectonically active at the present time. It lies is situated on the east flank of the juncture where the Indianand the Eurasian plates hit each other and it forms the transition region between the east zones encircling
the Pacific and the west zones of ancient Mediterranean. The geological structure of those mountain chainsis very complicated. Their altitude declines from north-west to south-east. The main part of the territory is
characterized by a number of parallel mountain ranges with deep gorges running from north to south.
Eastern Tibet including Western Sichuan and Northwest Western Yunnan approximately lies between 97° 105° E and 23° - 33° N and can be considered as a unique geographical region. Its total area amounts tonearly 420,000 km2. The Chinese name for this striking region is “Hengduan Shan” which means “traverse1

cutting mountains”. A long time ago already, Chinese geographers had already recorded stated that most of
the mountain regions in Asia extend from west to east, whereas the Hengduan Mountains stretching from
north to south represent an exception.

(Green colored part shows the Hengduan Mountains)
These mountain ranges form a considerable communication and mobility barrier between the people livingon the Tibetan Plateau and those living in the Sichuan Basin. This effect was mainly significant before the1950s when travelling was only possible on difficult and tortuous mountain trails, across rope bridges oriron suspension bridges.
Geographically speaking the name “Hengduan Shan” particularly refers to the region that is known as theThree River Gorges Country in the borderland between Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan and that ischaracterized by a distinctive arcuate /bow-shaped structure. Regarding its geomorphology it corresponds tothe parallel ridges which separate the three mighty rivers Salween (Nu Jiang), Mekong (Lancang Jiang) and
the River of Golden Sand (Jinsha Jiang), which is the upper reaches of the Yangtze (Chang Jiang). This
entire geological system with its remarkable structural and morphological characteristics as well as thissystem of rivers may be unique in the world.
2

The region east of the River of Golden Sand with the drainage system of its tributaries Yalong Jiang andDadu He as well as the area stretching further to the east up to the river Min Jiang are usually described
separately as an independent geomorphologic zone that is called the “West Sichuan Highland”. It presents
the same scenic attributes as the Deep Gorge Country but it has a little different geological history andfundamental structure. The significant topographical similarity of the “West Sichuan Highland” forming theeastern edge of the Tibetan Highland and the Three River Gorges Country serves as a basis for the
traditional concept of the Hengduan Mountains as a combination of both regions.
In general most of the mountain chains of the Hengduan Region correspond to the geological structureemphasized by ranges and gorges. With the exception of the regions along the upper reaches of the three3most important rivers, precipitous mountain ranges produce form a pronounced feature relief characterizedby altitude differences between ridge crests and rivers of up to 2,500 m in the north and 3,500 – 5,000 m inthe south. The Kawagebo, e.g., the highest peak of the Meili Xueshan (Snow Mountains) is 6.740 m high,while the river bed of the Salween is situated at 1,800 m and that of the Mekong at 2,000 m.
West Sichuan and the adjacent areas in the south of North-Yunnan show a varied topography. The
plateau-like types of landscapes stretch far to the north where they unite with the real Tibetan Plateau.
Many towering peaks in this region exceed 6,000 m and the most magnificent massif is the Minya Konka(7,556 m) (chin. Chinese name: Gongga Shan).
The Hengduan Mountains are, from a climatic point of view, a transition zone between the lowland tropicaland subtropical climate in the southeast and the highland climate of the actual Tibetan Highland in thenorthwest. The region therefore shows a large number of micro-climates that are nevertheless all influenced
by the rhythm of the south-western Asian monsoon that is characterized by a seasonal alteration of windsystems. Recent studies seem to prove the existence of an own permanent pressure system on the Tibetan
Plateau that is marked by a change of the prevailing wind direction in winter and summer. This is described
as an independent plateau-monsoon-system. It affects the weather and the climate on the plateau itself andit may cause some deviations of the average Asian monsoon conditions in the neighbouring regions including
the Hengduan Mountains. The different local climates complicate a systematic, comprehensive descriptionof the Hengduan Mountains. Nevertheless the well-defined, horizontal temperature zoning associated withother climatic factors make it possible to divide the Hengduan Mountains in seven different climate sections
that range from the tropical zone to the polar zone.

Part II – The River Rafting/Kayaking in the Hengduan Mountains
Paddling can be done with inflatable rafts, or kayaks in the swift water. They are called as Whitewaterrafting or kayaking. The difficulty of paddling is generally divided into six levels. Level 1 is entry one; Level
2-3 is proficient; level 4 is difficult, level 5 is extremely difficult, and level 6 is almost not able to run with thehigh risks and hazards.
From a view point of the perspective of geographical exploration and natural culture, the connection
between humans and Hengduan Mountains cannot escape the topic of water. China's richest river
exploration resources are concentrated in the Hengduan Mountains. The Hengduan's rapids have greatvalue for exploration of rivers.
In China, the event of Yangtze River drift in 1986 was a milestone in history. In the "last great conquest" inthe history of world exploration, the drifting is known to the Chinese people as the tragedy and heroic.
Internationally, from the early 1980s to today, there are many explorers from Europe, America and Japan,
who have come to this area to explore the whitewater kayaking and rafting. Since 2008, for various reasons,foreigners must have each one a separate entry permit to enter the Tibet autonomous region.

4

In terms of whitewater resources, the Hengduan Mountains is also the most abundant exploration resourcesarea on earth. This area, connected to the Himalayas, the Karakoram region, is the earth's peaks' ocean,
where there are the highest mountains on earth. It is the water towering reservoir of the earth, the mostdensity of rivers and streams on earth. It is a magnificent totem on earth.
The rivers in the Hengduan Mountains are divided into the water systems of the Pacific and the Indian
Ocean: Yellow River and the Yangtze River (Jinsha river basin), the Lancang river (upstream part of
Mekong River in China), Nujiang (Chinese section of Salween river), Dulong river (upper Irrawaddy), theYarlung Zangbo river basin (" shura ridge east). The first three belongs to the Pacific, and the latter Indian
Ocean water systems.
Only whole Jinsha Jiang (river runs in the Hengduan Mountains in the six rivers, which is upper part of the
Yangtze River. The Three rivers parallel flow area is very representative geographical patterns, cutting out
the geographical wonders. The Jinsha river, the Lancang river, the Nu river and the Dulong river runparallel at the northwest of Yunnan, crossing many high mountains, and the rivers flow parallel between
them but not meet together.
The Yarlung Zangbo river, the wildest river on earth, has a huge flow and gradient, which is known as K2 ofriver in the world. The Nu river itself is the last river in China that has not been exploited, the best
whitewater river worldwide.
5

The Yellow River symphony

Lake Ngring 4250m, a source of the Yellow River, Qinghai Province
The Yellow River, its upper reaches on the northern edge of the great transversal mountains (the Hengduan
Mountains). Because of too much hydropower development, the swift water and rapids is fairly barren.
The source flow is small and seasonal, the raft is not suitable. The whole Yellow River has been largely
exploited, in which 32 large hydropower stations or water conservancy projects were built.
Maqu and Laja grande valley is currently the best preserved section of the Yellow River whitewater. Rapids
at the maximum level of 4, the length is 240km, no man's area or people are very few, and the evacuationand logistics are difficult. The drifting season is from May to October each year. The wild fox gorge section of
the Qushian/Yangqu, the rapids maximum level 4, the runnable river section is about 40 kilometers. The
drifting season is also from May to October each year.
White river, Black river, as the Yellow River's influents, have small flow, in July-August, seasonal drift canbe done. Runnable section is about 50 kilometers intermittently, and rapids are between 1-3 levels.

The Jinsha river, a ligated river, River of Golden Sand (Upper Yantze)
The Jinsha river is not only a natural river, but also a river of variety of ehnic culture. From Tibetan culture
to the other anthropological culture, which distribution is extremely diverse and rich.
Its main stream is 2,400 kilometers long, with the exception of from the Shigu town to the Benzilan and the
Tiger Leaping gorge after the Rock Drum, which whitewater is preserved and other river sections are6became now calm water by hydropower stations. The upper and middle sections of the Jinsha river are in
the Hengduan Mountains area. The upper section has 13 influents, covering more than 1,200 square
kilometers watershed. The nine major influents of the middle section are more than 100km long totally,
between which, many influents have hydropower stations but not many enough, so then it's still suitable forwhitewater sports.

Map & picture – Yulong Snow Mountaind and Jinsha river / Tiger Leap Gorge
Jinsha river is divided into three parts: from Yushu to the Shigu town upstream, the Shigu town toPanzhihua for middle, Panzhihua to Yibin for downstream located in the Tibet and Sichuan. The upstream
whitewater resource is very rich, but many hydroelectric projects' planning and design have passed, mostare under the construction without water (water reserve between 2018 and 2023), the difficulty is at 4-6
levels, in where most rafters had lost their life for the year 1986 drifting event.
It is about 210 kilometers from the Benzilan to the Shigu town, and is a typical commercial drifting route in
China. It has one rapid of 3 level3, three of 2 level, 20 of 1 level. Convenient transportation and moderate
altitude are appropriate for rafting. The best season is November to May of the following year. A large boat
is also suitable. The middle section, the Tiger leaping gorge, the world's top whitewater canyon, will never
have a dam in the future.
The last whitewater, which has 22 rapids, is distributed in 21 km of river. In the dry period (November to
May of the following year), there is a practicability of drifting, with 3-5 level's rapids. In the rainy season,
7

the whole Tiger leaping gorge is not allowed to drift. It is the most magnificent whitewater in Jinsha riverand even on the earth.

Beautiful Mianzimu 6054m east face at dawn, Meili Snow Mountains

Kayaking near Benzilan, Jinsha river
8

Tiger leaping gorge

Freestyle kayaking in Tiger leaping gorge (Photo: LIUKANGMKING)9

Yalong river is the 1st grade influent of Jinsha river. The upriver is Zagna , Lagoa rapids, etc., suitable forkayaking exploration. From the Stone canal to Dege county and Ganzi county, rapids are mostly three levels'difficulty, moderate flow, and supplies on the shore can be done by car. It is the best choice for middle river
rafting in China at present, and the flow rate is between 200-500 cubic meters. The river of Yalong river canbe drifted well: Fresh water river, Niqu river, Liqi river, Jiulong river,Llitang river and so on, through the
Tibetan area, are all very beautiful.
Another Jinsha river influent is the Dadu river, upstream for the plateau wetland. To Luding is the lower
section of the upper reaches, the dangerous rapids, in 80% of which, hydropower stations have been built.

Base for dam construction, Dadu river, north of Luding, SichuanAmong them, there are three complete whitewater sections, which can be used for kayaking and rafting.
From Luding to the town of Moxi is about 35 kilometers. The overall difficulty level of the two sections is 3-4,
suitable drifting season from June to November, six or seven influents of the Dadu river like Somo river, thesmall Jinchuan river. There are small hydropower projects along them, which are not suitable for rafting,and can be explored by various kayaking/canoeing.

10Qingyi river, each year from June to November, the each section of the river is suitable for exploration ofsmall boat drifting, difficulty from 1 to 5. The disadvantage is that the hydropower station is densely built.
The Minjiang river, a influent of the Jinsha river, 90 percent of which is became calm water with power
exploitation , only a small amount of whitewater left, which is at level 2 to 4. The running season is between
September and October, and the rainy season has quite great risks. Influents like the mixed valley brain
river, black river and so on, for the difficulty level 2-4 is stream type, more suitable for kayak.
The Baotang river, the hot music river, and other forty secondary and three smaller grade influents of
Jinsha river, mostly in Sichuan and Tibet, is a very good whitewater river. The middle and small influents of
Jinsha river, such as the Shuiluo river and Longchuan river are mainly in Yunnan and Sichuan, areexploited for hydropower development or agricultural land, and the river section is polluted.
The Jinsha river basin covers about 60% of the rivers in the Hengduan Mountains. Hundreds of such Jinsha
river primary, secondary and tertiary influents have many hydropower stations of human engineering
construction, but there still remains its world-class whitewater resources advantage. This is a controversial
paradox of nature reservation and development. .

The forgotten river, Lancang river (Mekong River)

Headwaters of Source of Mekong River, Qinghai Province
11The Lancang river is the eighth longest river in the world, of which 4,800 kilometers of the river are 2,200
kilometers in China. In particular, its water flow is abundant, downstream to the Mekong river、the Lancang
river in the great Hengduan area, concentrates its best drifting whitewater resources. In the source area, its
tributaries are numerous, such as Zahara and the Garna-songdo region, which have nearly 400 tributaries.
The source area is wetland type, the drifting is not suitable.

Editor’s notes:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The First Descent of the Source of the Mekong River
Descending 560km by a kayak and rafting boat in Tibet-Qinghai Plateau August to October 1999
The Exploration Club of Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA) led by Masayuki Kitamura
andThe Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)The Japan-Sino Joint Expedition succeeded in the first descent of the source of the Mekong River from theheadwater to Qamdo in the fall of 1999. It should be also noted that the American party of Earth Science
Expedition led by Mr. Pete Winn navigated the same course upto Zadoi starting only one day later.

12

Trekking forward to the source of Lancang river (Mekong River)Photo. Masayuki Kitamura

Upper Lancang river between the headwaters and Changdu Photo: Masayuku Kitamura
13

Changdu (Qamdo) city, monastery and Lancang river (Mekong River)

Lancang river (Mekong River) near Changdu (Qamdo)
14Middle Lancang river, Yunnan Photo: Masayuki Kitamura

Raging rapids of Lancang river Photo: Masauyuki Kitamura
15

The Lancang river is just a stream of about 200 kilometers long before the Changdu. It's difficult foraccessibility and drifting. From Changdu of Tibet to Deqin, Weixi of Yunnan, Lancang river passes throughbetween the mountains, deep canyons, swift water and rapids, as one of the narrow trenches flowing down
north to south in the Hengduan Mountains.
The construction of eight hydropower stations is expected to be completed by around 2025. It has a badaccessibility in the dry hot valley. Water current is mostly turbid throughout four seasons mostly turbid, but
the landscape is overwhelmingly magnificent, fascinating and breathtaking.

Lancang river at Yangjing, Tibet, near Deqin of Yunnan Province
The rapids after Weioxi of the Lancang river have been disappeared as a result of many hydropower stations.
The best whitewater of the Lancang river is in Yunnan Province, and it is a perfect 120-kilometers long ofwhitewater with many 3-6 level's rapids from the Meili Snow Mountain west of Deqin to Yangmen .
Angqu is the largest branch of Lancang river in Changdu to the Lancang river. It is 500 kilometers long, theriver good for adventure. It is very difficult and remote. The Yangbi river is another tributary, and the dam
has already flooded rapids.

16

Map of Deep Gorge Country – Dolong river, Nu river and Lancang river17

Nu river, the whitewater paradise (Upper Salween River)

Upper Nu river (Upper Salween) near Biru, Tibet Autonomous Region

Upper Nu river and new road at Mali near a historical Jiayu bridge18

Before the Jiayu bridge in Tibet, it is upstream of the Nu river, which is called the Naqu river. It is gentle
and open, and the flow rate is slow. From Jiayu bridge to Lushui County in Yunnan Province, the middle
reaches of the Nu river can be divided into two parts. The first one is a thousand kilometers long, the waterflow is large, the dry and hot valley, and the access is difficult. The drifting difficulty is relatively high, no
one in the past has finished drifting on it. The latter part has abundant whitewater resources.

Upper Nu river downstream of Jiayu bridge
Nu river, jade color water, rapids as a tiger, has his best whitewater in Yunnan. Between the Gaoligong and
the Biluo snow mountains, there are more than 600 kilometers long, the valley is deep, the cliffs rise, thewater is roaring at the bottom of the gorge.
This is the grand canyon of Nu river. Its whitewater resources, for kayaking and rafting are also world-topclass, comparable to the Grand Canyon of Colorado river and, even more spectacular.

19

Nu river and rope bridge near Fugong
In particular, 360 kilometers long in Yunnan is the world's best whitewater rafting/kayaking field. There isno hydropower construction till now. There were plans for 5-12 cascade hydropower stations before 2004, but
the projects were finally not implemented due to pressure of different forces.
20

The most famous rapids are the tiger leaping rapids and the stone moon rapids, all are at level 5 difficulty.

21

Above three (3) photos: Kayaking through raging whitewater rapids in Nu river22

Above three pictures taken by Travis Winn, American rafter – Nu river crux of whitewater stream
23

The Nu river tiger leaping is came from the Lisu dialect, the pronunciation of "la doloro" or "la martenpei",
for the tiger leaping gorge. The river has a general width of about 60 meters, which is narrowed to about 30
meters at the tiger leaping rapids, and even 10 meters at its narrowest point.
Almost all the rapids in the Nu river match to rafting/kayaking along the Nu river of grand canyon as awhole. Roads en route make provision and rescue/evacuation easy. It is a paradise of whitewater forworld-class whitewater runners. There is a choice between level 1 and level 6 of the difficulty. The best
season is November to May of the following year. June - October is the rainy season, the water flow is large
and the flow speed is extremely fast, not suitable for drifting. Hydropower stations have been built in the Nu
river's influents in Yunnan province. The Yuqu river in Tibet is a branch of the upper left bank of the Nu
river, a five-star drifting river.
The Dulong river, adjacent to the Nu river, is the Chinese section of the Irrawaddy River. It is 80 km in
China and 1,947 square kilometers of the river basin. Its water quality is extremely good. The visibility ismore than 6-7 meters, very clear, people describe it as "glass water", but it is difficult to drift, 6 star
whitewater but difficulty level 3-6. It is not suitable for rafting, with low water flow, high flow rate andnarrow flow channel. The river is only suitable for small rivers and streams' kayaking. It is a paradise in
future.

Source of Dolong river (Upper Irrawaddy River) in southeast Tibet. Left peak is Rulong Xueshan 5525m.
24

Map of Dolong (Drung) river (Upper Irrawaddy River)25

Upper Dolong river (Upper Irrawaddy River) near Ridong

Yarlung Zangbo, the most difficult whitewater in the world! Not one!
This is the K2 in the whitewater world, the most difficult and exciting whitewater world! I don't know when
the true whitewater age of Yarlung zangbo will come!
In an early time, there were American and Japanese masters rafting/kayaking expedition members
suddenly swallowed by giant water holes and never returned to the surface. The Yarlung Zangbo river has
the world's biggest rate of gradient/water flow of rivers. This is a miracle of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau andeven a miracle of the earth!
The Yarlung Zangbo river, which runs from west to east across the south Tibet, becomes the Brahmaputra
River. After Milin, it cuts across the easternmost rim of the Great Himalaya at the north of Meituo,
bypassing the formidable peak of the Namcha Barwa 7782m to the south, forming the world's biggest grandcanyon, so-called the Yarlung Zangbo Great Bend.
The Yarlung Zangbo river gorge is the largest water vapor channel on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The
canyon is 500km long and 5,382 meters deep at the deepest point. The river surface of the north side of thecanyon is 2,880 meters above sea level, and the southern tip is 115 meters above sea level, with an averageannual water flow of 4,500 cubic meters per second. In the past, there were three of the world's top kayaking
team (Japanese in 1997, National Geographic in 1998, OUTSIDE in 2002 who ran over this section, drifting
distance was about 80-100 km, for four or five 30 to 60 meters high super great falls.
26

Yarlung Zangbo Great Bend27

Namcha Barwa 7782m east face seen from Seti La 4500 on Sichuan-Tibet highway
28New dam constructed in Yarlung Zangbo west of Milin

Raging rapids in lower Yigong Zangbo that no one has challenged yet to raft down29

Whitewater rapids of Upper Yigong Zangbo between Lhari and Niwu
30

Parlung Zangbo between Guxiang and Bomi

Parlung Zango near Bomi
31

Parlung Zangbo near Songzong

Parlung Zangbo on is the largest tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra). Starting from difficultylevel 3 to 6, the exploration river for the 6 stars resources is closely along the Sichuan-Tibet highway. Itsvarious tributaries, such as the Aron and Bode, also have abundant whitewater resources.
The scenery is excellent. In the past no one has yet completely carried out the technical drift of raft/kayak all
the way. It is the best whitewater section, before and after Bomi, and it is the best season of the year from
October to April. Before the confluence of Yigong Zangbo, the difficulty is slightly lower, but the gradient ishigh. After the confluence, the difficulty is even higher.

Upper Yigong Zanbo stream between Lhari and Niwu
China's two best whitewater rivers are the Nu river and the Parlung Zangbo river, the best whitewater inthe world. The latter is the highest level for explorers. The Yigong Zangbo is the largest tributary of the
Parlung Zangbo and is a 5-star whitewater river. This is the last virgin river of the human river expedition!
This is a paradise river and an objective in the future.
Two pictures in the following page 33 are those of a Japanese expedition to have searched for unknown
glacier lakes in the Botoi Zangbo, one of the principal tributaries of the Parlug Zangbo north of Bomi town.
32

33

The last green peacock, the last Chinese Amazon

The Hengduan Mountains in Yunnan Province has a diverse culture, multiple ecosystems. Like the red river
dry hot valley monsoon rain forest, for China's most perfect habitat, for the green peacock more concentrated
zone. Xishuangbanna in south Yunnan also has a tropical rainforest distribution. The small black river istruly beautiful and rich in vegetation, much like a miniature of Amazon River.
Only 500 of the green peacocks are the most colorful animals on the planet, not one of them. But, the green
peacocks are the "most familiar strangers" in China for lack of caring, budget and policy support being
compared with the giant panda and Tibetan antelope. Today, it is more precious and endangered than thegiant panda (about 2,000 species of wild population). The exploitation of hydropower from human mines,
encroaching on the habitat of the green peacock, is an injury to it. Without the green peacock, the rain forest
would have no soul. Unless the rain forest is preserved, the green peacocks would have no home and only go
extinct.
In the small black river, China's local government dominates the construction of hydropower stations. This
causes huge damage to its ecological environment.
The rivers of the Hengduan Mountains are the best in the world covering the snowy mountains to the34tropical rainforest rivers. In China, the rivers of the Hengduan Mountains face an embarrassing situation:
the best and most suitable whitewater resources in China, many of which have been built into DAMS. Alongwith it, there is a destruction of multiple ecosystems.
In 2017, the Chinese whitewater explorers support scientists, environmental protection actors, to drift into
the green peacock together perched river valley on the little black river (a Chinese tributary of the MekongRiver) to survey science and environment data, and to make litigation to the Chinese court, and finally shut
down the mine, hydro- electricity construction project. China is a country of huge and violent flooding. The
fighting for river protection in the Hengduan Mountains is extremely challenging, and it should not beignored.
In Yunnan area of the Hengduan Mountains changes are taking place, which. Have an influence on the fateof the green peacock, the fate of the small black river, the fate of the people of Yunnan, and also seemingly on
the fate of the Chinese people.
The following pictures were taken when we, including Zhang Jiyue of the Sichuan Earth Expedition Inc.,
rafted on the upper Honghe river for the green peafowl (peacock, Pavo muticus) project on December 2017.
We assisted the scientists to raft on the river for scientific investigation.

The scientists group enjoying rafting in Yunnan

35

Enjoy climbing in deep gorge of Lancan river, Yunnan

Balagezong gorge, a tributary of Jinsha river, Yunnan (Rafting for tourists)36

Lake of Reddomain, Minya Konka massif, west Sichuan3738