China! - The Great Bend of the Yangtze

After 2 days of traveling and layovers arriving in China was much like the old adage of having a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Much to my surprise, all of our kayaks and bags arrived on time, as well. Great success!

Our arrival city was Kunming and it was a short 45 minute drive to our destination of Lijang. It is amazing how 12 hours in an airplane can place you into another world. The third world experience before my eyes on the drive to Lijang was well beyond my expectations. The vehicles the farmers drive all have the exact same little two stroke engine and frame. The engine is also used for just about anything that requires power, so when you pass an engine shop, you see the same parts and same gaskets all made for this one engine.

Just as fast as we passed through the farmlands, we landed in Lijang which is currently a tourist city that has preserved its historic and cultural roots. On one side of the city (the old town) the streets are very small and made of stone, the shops and restaurants are rustic and rich with Naxi art. A small stream guides the streets through the old town. On the other side of the city you see the modern emerging world with designer stores, supermarkets, banks, stoplights etc. Spending 2 nights here was plenty as we were all very anxious to begin our 10 day river trip on the Great Bend.

First stop on the road to the Yangtze was the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The Gorge's name evolved from an old legend that a tiger was seen jumping from one side of the Gorge to a rock in the middle of the river and then up to the other side of the Gorge. After seeing the place of this occurance, I find it pretty hard to believe, but the legend seems very real in the eyes of the local guides.

After entering the Gorge via mini-van, we arrived at our hostel which was tucked into the walls of the Gorge like a baby kangaroo. Eating dinner that evening gave a feeling similar to what you would expect from a bivvy ledge on El Capitan. Looking across the table all I could see were the walls of the Gorge. The next morning we made the arduous trek down into the Gorge following the roar below. Along the way we passed through terraces galore, farms and the "oh so common" Chinese barterer. We paid an initial admission to the Gorge, but as we ascended through the tiny villages we were halted by a man in a suit worthy of a Salvation Army sale rack. These suits are the remaining signs of the former Chinese leader Moa Tse-Tung who required all citizens to wear suits. This man requested an additional fee to hike into the Gorge because his family maintains the path. We negotiated a fair price and were on our way.

Weaving through the mine shaft size pathways cut into the limestone walls, we arrived at the river's edge. The power of this section of river is nearly indescribable in words or photos. It rumbles through my body, evoking chills of adrenaline, excitement, fear and serenity all in one. I can only hope to return one day to share this majestic place with others. After spending time absorbing the moment, I prepared myself for the stout hike out of the Gorge. It was possible to return the way we came, but that would be exhausting. The other option was to go vertical up the "sky ladder" which was a homemade ladder system that seemed just about strong enough to hold a newborn and had enough gaps in proteciton that an elephant would find its way through! Spending one more evening in the Gorge, we were on our way to the Yangtze. I am going to give my account of the Yangtze, but I really hope you will get the chance to read what some of the students wrote about their trip for the Journalism class. It talks a lot about the current state of affairs on the Great Bend, as well as documentation of some local dialogues on the damming of the River. www.wckaeast2west.blogspot.com

As culturally rich as the trip has been to date, I was eager to get a taste of the Chinese whitewater. The Great Bend is known for its stunning scenery, remoteness, history and huge rapids. I was not let down. We put on he River at a current mining site that was opened in the last few months. Travis Winn of Last Descents suggested it was a mine now, but it is probably the making of a future dam. The workers were extremely curious and by the time we were ready to put on the River, we had a stadium full of Chinese fans observing our launch. Paddling away from shore, we drifted past the mine site as all the machine workers and laborers aborted work to wave us farewell. Apparently, a river trip with Americans is the equivalent to me or you meeting Barack Obama. Paddling around the first bend, the Gorge began to narrow and tower above our head - exiting us from common terrain to that of a new surreal landscape.

Dropping into the first big rapid was a rush to remember. The power of the water between the walls is much more real while passing through in a tiny Tupperware container, more commonly known as a free-stlye kayak. The day on the water passed with no casualties, just loads of big water fun. Pulling into our campsite was quite exciting, as well. I did not expect such an enormous gathering of sand, but based on the size of the Gorge and it's few outlets for wind, it made sense. I quickly found the perfect spot to sleep perched on a rock overlooking the beach and over our crew members. The picture describes it better.

The next morning I had the urge to hike to the highest peak around which was 2500 feet from the River. Reaching the summit, with a view of the river valley below and the towering snow- capped peaks in the distance, I felt this was the ideal place for my Nana to begin her journey through China, as well. I had carried some of her ashes here to release in a special place.

The next 7 days were filled with great rapids, evening jam sessions by the sandy fireplaces, cultural and industrial learning experiences, and just pure undistracted peace of mind. Obama inauguration, the Chinese New Year, and other major occurances happened while I was tucked away on one of the world's most enchanted valleys. It makes you wonder if all that jazz is really that important? Kind of reminds me of the old question, "If a tree falls in the woods miles away from any person, does it still make a sound?"

I have been blessed win this opportunity and every minute of this experience is shedding a new light on my perspective of life and my own existence. I think eveyone could use an opportunity like this to just step away from everything familiar and go back to being a kid again. Remember how fun that was?