“ Unfortunately , much higher river levels were evidence of global warming , with unseasonably high temperatures continuing to melt the snow and glaciers high in the Himalayas .”
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“ Unfortunately , much higher river levels were evidence of global warming , with unseasonably high temperatures continuing to melt the snow and glaciers high in the Himalayas .”
aplomb , adding a couple of swims and a hectic rescue – but his grin at the end said it all . Risk versus reward was well balanced .
RICHARD AMBROS
Richard Ambros attempted the river in a pack raft . On this occasion , the one-person vessel , a relatively new craft weighing less than 4kg , had a slow leak . This meant that as the craft deflated , and with the raft buckling , forward speed was compromised so much that Richard threw in the towel at the end of day three to not put too much pressure on the safety kayakers .
PHOTOGRAPHER SAM SMITH
After Padum , there was a change of gear . The river beckoned . The Zanskar River flows through one of the world ’ s most spectacular canyons . “ I ’ ve run the Grand Canyon and been to Yosemite , and this knocks spots off both ,” stated trip photographer Sam Smith . Also amongst the team was Jonathan Khan .
JONATHAN KHAN
I had met Jonathan 38 years previously when he was a youth attending Westminster Boating Base on the Thames in London and taught him to kayak right outside the Houses of Parliament . Much to the entire team ’ s amazement , he completed the river with
CHOTAK AND DEVI
Two safety kayakers supported the group , not counting myself , who at 63 I ’ m still super proficient in a kayak . The youngest was Devi , a petite girl from Arunachal Pradesh in NE , India . The team were delighted to have all age groups covered . There was me , the older man of the river , Chotak at 38 , the river leader and business owner , and Devi , the new kid on the block , full of youthful enthusiasm , much as I had been 40 years ago – with a lifetime of paddling ahead .
It was great to witness this mantle for river running passed on to a younger generation and across the sexes . My energy , enthusiasm , sense of curiosity and enquiry would lead me all over the planet , and I could see that Devi was at the start of her journey .
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