TIBET, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Last summer, Olaf Obsommer and Thilo Wietzke put together a talented multi-generational team of paddlers to explore east Tibet when everyone who knows paddling in Asia knows not to go: July and August, in the height of the monsoon. Aside from expected challenges of complicated logistics, extreme altitudes, and the trials of monsoon season, what could go wrong? Just about everything, it turns out, in this Mission: Impossible.

Words: Thilo Wietzke

It's the dream of every outdoor enthusiast, especially kayakers, to visit the Himalayas at least once in their lifetime. Why? Think of the highest mountain range in the world. Combine this with massive rainfalls in monsoon season, and it stands to reason that at the right time and place, there must be enormous whitewater. Last summer, Olaf Obsommer and I decided to find out just how big. We gathered a team of paddlers, luring them with our dream of exploring the wildest waters in east Tibet at the height of monsoon season. You don't head into the world's highest mountains, at an altitude of 4000 meters, without being ready for adventure. While we knew going in this wasn't a mission where we could measure our success by the number of…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2020

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