Beyond Rock: Four Parallel Rivers Expedition

One step beyond Rock's Road

Duration: 18 Days

Group size: 5-10

Dates: October 13-30, 2010

American botanist-adventurer Joseph Rock first introduced the famous "Three Parallel Rivers" region to the West in a 1926 National Geographic Magazine article. From his home in Lijiang in northwest Yunnan Province, Rock led a caravan through the Yangtze River valley, across the Baima mountains to the Mekong, and finally over another snow-capped mountain range to the unexplored valley of the Salween River. He marveled: "These three rivers, flowing parallel, north to south...at one point come with 48 miles of each other, as the crow flies, and yet their mouths are separated by thousands of miles." But on the west side of the Salween valley, Rock halted and turned back, daunted by the approaching winter and the prospect of "a perilous trail for three or four days' march over snow-clad passes to the Nmaihka, an eastern branch of the Irrawaddy."

And so the "Three Parallel Rivers" were written into history. Under this name, the region has even been declared a World Heritage Area. But if Rock had continued west, he would surely have written that there are, in fact, four parallel rivers. What he called the Nmaihka, now known in China as the Dulong River, flows parallel to the Salween for 70 kilometers before entering Burma as one of the headwaters of the Irrawaddy River system. It also remains the most mysterious waterway in China, its valley inhabited by that country's most remote people. Rock knew them only as "the Kjutzu, a primitive, harmless jungle people who, the Chinese say, live in trees like monkeys."

Our expedition aims to go beyond Rock. After retracing his route exactly to the point where he turned back above the Salween, we will attempt to continue west over the giant Gaoligong range and all the way to the Dulong River itself. Beginning in the heartland of the Naxi people, we will pass through the country of the Lisu, the unique Tibetan Catholic communities of the Biluo mountain range, the Christian villages of the Nu people of the Salween valley, finally reaching the region of Rock's "Kjutzu", now known as the Dulong, or Drung. This fantastic journey is a first-time exploration and a true adventure.

NB: Continuing along Rock's trail beyond Shuangla toward the Dulong River will depend on local conditions at the time. If we judge it is not safely feasible, we will divert 30 km south to Gongshan County Town, and then follow the ancient Tea & Horse Caravan Trail into the Dulong valley.

HIGHLIGHTS

A challenging, first-time 11 day expedition across some of the greatest river gorges of Asia.
The mysterious, remote culture of the Dulong
The beautiful and unique Tibetan Catholic village and church at Cizhong
Unspoiled villages, diverse peoples and cultures of northwest Yunnan
Extraordinary range of pristine landscapes and environments, from snow-capped peaks to sub-tropical valleys

For enquiries and a full trip dossier, please write to ed@redrocktrek.com