We did our first river trip in Xinjian in 2017 and immediately saw the potential for going into unexplored terrain. Some of the most enigmatic waterways on earth, the rivers descending from the Kunlun combine 6000m ascents, glacier & desert travel, packrafting and navigating one of the worlds remotest regions.
Arguably the least explored range anywhere, the Kunlun mountains are the watershed between the vast deserts of Turkestan and the high plateau of Tibet's Qiang tang with peaks reaching 7000m. Draining of the northern slopes into the Taklamakan desert are several rivers that start as glacial melt and descend gradually, drawing the only line of green through otherwise sand desert, with most rivers simply disappearing into the sands never to reach the sea.
Itinerary
Unlike the north side of k2, there is no single set itinerary for Tibet, but after years of experimentation we have a functional template we base most trips off. This is a basic schedule for a trip to a 6000m alpine peak, possibly a first ascent.
Day 1 & 2 - Arrive Hotan, last minute supplies
Days 3 to 5 - Transit to step-off town, via overnights at progressively higher altitudes en-route
Days 6 & 7 - Approach & acclimation
Day 8 - Climbing days to ~6000m
Days 9 to 13 - Return to river
Days 13 to 19 - River days
Day 20 - Return to road head
Days 21 - Hotan to Chengdu, final night in Xinjian
Day 22 - Finalize trip
