Mekong River (Lancang)
Also known as: Lancang Jiang, Mekong, Za Qu
Among the world deepest gorges; Meili/Kawagarbo snow peaks; Yanjing salt terraces; Khampa villages; UNESCO Three Parallel Rivers (Yunnan side)
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Snowmelt plus summer monsoon; large volume, ~25-40 ft/mile sections. Confirm.
Snowmelt plus monsoon; ~5,000-10,000 cfs on documented reach. Confirm.
Winter/spring low water (2004 spring, 2008 March)
Cold glacial/snowmelt; exact temp -
Monsoon high water; rockslide/rock-avalanche activity
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Class IV-V big-volume; named V rapids Twisted Sister, Green Snake
Expedition kayak / raft - advisory
Advisory - not a commercial run
Expert expedition teams only; hard permits; unsuitable for general groups. Confirm.
The run
Unscoutable/unportageable gorges; rockslides can dam the river and create new rapids without warning. Confirm.
Committing box canyons; live rockslide zones; few portages but serious; self-rescue only
Upper Mekong / Lancang gorge near Deqin
Extremely remote and solitary; some Deqin-side tourist rafting marketed
Access & shuttle
Advisory/permit-restricted - straddles the Yunnan-Tibet border; permits historically very hard, Tibet side can close overnight (blocked 2008); risk of detainment. Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Overland access on poor mountain roads; historic take-out zone Yanjing to the Yunnan border
Multi-day overland shuttle from Shangri-La (Zhongdian) airport via Deqin
Wild camping; yak-caravan support historically; no huts
Full expedition kit, drysuit; effectively no connectivity or helicopter evac
Shangri-La/Deqin hubs; historic organizers SSEA, Epicocity/Rivers in Demand, Last Descents
Hazards & exits
Lancang dam cascade (Xiaowan, Nuozhadu, Manwan, etc.) plus an upper cascade near Deqin (Wunonglong, Lidi, Tuoba, Huangdeng, Dahuaqiao, Miaowei, Gushui) built or under construction - progressively flooding the paddled gorge. Confirm.
Effectively none - helicopter evacuation impossible; self-rescue only
Self-supported expert expedition; a sponsoring body historically required
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.