Rafting the Headwaters of the Yangtze River

Duration: 3-6 weeks
Offered: June/September
Land costs: 6 week trips from $7,500,  3 week trips from $3,000

The Yangtze river is one of the great rafting goals of the world. We have prepared itineraries on two of the Yangtze's main sources deep in northern Tibet's Qinghai province; the Tuo Tuo and Dam Qu rivers. The former has its beginnings in the fantastic mountain landscape of the 6,621m Geladaindong massif. The latter's more humble beginning is a small bubbling ground spring on the high alpine tundra in an area of vast natural beauty. Both rivers lead into the Tongtian river where the rafting begins to get more challenging. The Tongtian ends in NW Sichuan and becomes the Jinsha river. Our goal is to raft from one of the sources to the town of Derge in NW Sichuan province totaling more than 1000 km of river miles. As we raft through the vast grasslands of Qinghai, we will see a part of Tibet witnessed by none but the Golok nomads who live in black yak wool tents in this wilderness. Throughout the trip we will have the opportunity to take out for the night in camp spots of our choice, and journey to some of the nearby towns and monasteries along the river which have never been open to tourists. After reaching our final river destination near the town of Derge, we begin a tour of this county, long known as a center of Tibetan Buddhist culture. These rafting trips can be customized to take in more culture and less rafting or vice versa.