China

Shortly after I had emerged into the paddling world. I found out about World Class Academy. A school for high school kayakers. At this school, you travel to world class paddling destinations and do classes at the same time. I was lucky enough to attend the academy for a quarter of the school year and travel to Yunnan, China with a strong motivation to paddle three rivers that have major plans to be dammed due to China's need of hydroelectric power. We, the students of the school would be some of the last kayakers to paddle down these amazing rivers.  I was so excited to have that opportunity! I packed up my bags, grabbed my play boat, and it was time for the adventure of a lifetime! 

After a 13 hour drive from Hood River to Los Angelos, I met up with the other world class students.  We all got on a crowded chinese plane and started our journey with a 16 hour flight to Kunming, China. As soon as we arrived we threw all of our kayaking gear, travel bags, and ourselves on a bus to our first destination. A city called Lijang.

First Day in China. Enjoying some beautiful cultural seenery

Shortly after spending a few days in Lijang getting used to the culture and country we were in, we got back on the bus and headed to our first paddling destination. The great bend of the Yangtze River.

                                                   Myself experiencing the power of this river! 

It was absolutely life changing to be spending a 7 day, raft support trip on a huge volume river with rapids comparable to the grand canyon! The canyon was absolutely spectacular. It was awesome to get to paddle a big volume river because all I have back home is mostly steep creeks and waterfalls. 

                                      The english teacher dropping into "Baptism"  A massive big water wave train!

                                                         
                                                              The Almighty Yangtze River

    Once we got off our multi day river trip on the yangtze. We headed to explore a very small village along the river. We arrived at Baoshao Stone City. It was build on a massive hillside along the river. As son as I saw the place, i knew we were on another planet!


                                  Shot of the Village (you can see the Yangtze River in the bottom-left)

     After We Left Baoshao Stone City. we headed to our next river to tackle! The Mekong. This river lies in cultural tibet. The most cultural part of the China trip. We paddled many sections of the river including the mysterious, Blue Moon Gorge. This remains to be the most unique stretch of whitewater I have ever paddled.

         
                                                     The put-in to the Blue Moon Gorge

       We stayed in a small village along the Mekong. We studied school and would go paddling in the afternoons and sometimes the morning. We spent 2 weeks in this beautiful village. I look back and I realize how amazing and precious it is to spend 2 weeks somewhere so different then home. 

           

                                    Myself throwing up a brown claw while surfing a sweet wave on the Mekong!

                             


        This gigantic mountain range overlooks the Mekong River. So lucky to have paddled down in that valley

                                                  Taking my first look at the massive SALWEEN RIVER!!!!!

                             

                                                                 Learning how to do downriver kickflips!  

                               Charging the Salween! This remains to be one of my favorite rapids of all time.
                             A truly huge wave train into a massive, thumping river wide hole!   Boooooooom!

Math class with World Class Academy

                                                       
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