Myanmar is holding big time. They've only just really opened up in the past 5 or 6 years, and while some areas are still off limits there are bounds of rivers and creeks awaiting descent across Myanmar's plentiful mountains.
Who's been there? Who's paddled there? Anyone know of teams or people getting in there?
Some rivers to consider:
Shweli River (23.456862, 97.076686)ish big long canyon, one dewatered section and one section that is roadless with a handful of rapids. Could start as high as Muse but turns into a lake, better to try and get in below the dam and powerhouse. big falls in the middle?
Myitnge River (23.075533, 97.384176)ish It looks like it has a canyon that could be a real classic, roadless canyon with some rapids but none look that overwhelming. Nam Tu to Hsipaw. The river could also be accessed from much higher up on the Lashio - Muse Road, there looks to be a long run (a few days or more) with what looks like travertine drops for a while. Below Hsipaw is a much bigger river, in a jungle canyon without roads, and look mostly flatter until the Goketeik confluence. Below that more rapids appear, and right before the reservoir swallows it up there is a pair of very large rapids in a mini gorge that looks impressive even from satellite height. (21.960852, 96.886822)
Myitnge Tributaries from Lashio down to Hsipaw is a long remote run (the "Lashio trib") that looks like it has travertine features for miles, multiple channels spread through the jungle. (22.784771, 97.533184)ish. Very intriguing from satellite photos! It joins with another one (the "Zay Ann" trib) that has less whitewater and stretches into the deep hill country that is still off limits. Might be good? Who knows, good luck.
The Gokteik River and it's tributary look like they could be holding some gradient and water. It's a limestone canyon so of course it could be chunky and sievey.... (22.306232, 96.911262)ish
The river below Pyin O Lwin, below the Dar Taw Gyaint falls looks promising. (21.980263, 96.386278) Falls here
There is a river that I do not know the name of north of Lashio, deep in the heart of the Shan State, near the Chinese border and the disputed region known as Kokang thats look very intriguing, it looks very much like travertine and looks like there could be some sizeable drops in there. Maybe a Santo Domingo of SE Asia? (21.980263, 96.386278) Let it be known I tried to travel to this gorge in July 2015 and couldn't even hire a car to get to the trailhead to hike up. So good luck, but let us know if you do!
A little further south, the Zawgyi River flows north out of the mountains and becomes the Paalaung River and looks like a nice mellow gradient through the hills for a long way. This area has a lot of ethnic people so its likely youll meet some rad people on the way, almost all flat but goes through a long roadless area before getting swalled by a lake. (20.957734, 96.418201) There are some abrupt limestone mountains in this area and every time a river cuts through one it generally forms a short but intense gorge, we passed two of these on our drive out and they looked short and furious.
South of the famous Inle Lake, the Balu Chaung River falls over what looks like more travertine. (19.635383, 97.291296) Looks like a nice open valley section before it cascades off the face of the earth into a gorge. I would love to see these cascades sometime in my life! THat soon joins the Nam Pawn River, which has more big water rapids, including multi-channeled travertine rapids. This river goes on for days both above and below the Balu Chaung confluence, with roadside and wild sections aplenty. (19.210032, 97.375758)
Of course the is the mighty Salween as well, which doesn't have any fearsome rapids but does steam through a deep isolated canyon almost the entire way through eastern Myanmar.
Up north, near Myitkyina, the Irrawaddy is formed by the confluence of the N'mai and Mali Rivers, both of which come out of the Himalaya, and are as such, typical Himalayan rivers. The Mali has a road along it and easier access for a while and the rapids aren't as big, but the N'mai goes for days and days through a massive wild area, maybe one of the last truly wild places in the area. Countless rapids, in a wild jungle with mountains. This could be a crown jewel for someone to get after, if it hasn't been done already. Accessing it could be a nightmare and a half, but holy cow, check out this area on Google Earth. The wildness is incredible. (27.834987, 97.759043)
And this is but a tiny tip of the iceberg. If you are looking for a wild adventure, Myanmar is but a few sketchy plane rides away. BAER I'm looking at you buddy
The gorge near Kokang
Baluchaung River
Who's been there? Who's paddled there? Anyone know of teams or people getting in there?
Some rivers to consider:
Shweli River (23.456862, 97.076686)ish big long canyon, one dewatered section and one section that is roadless with a handful of rapids. Could start as high as Muse but turns into a lake, better to try and get in below the dam and powerhouse. big falls in the middle?
Myitnge River (23.075533, 97.384176)ish It looks like it has a canyon that could be a real classic, roadless canyon with some rapids but none look that overwhelming. Nam Tu to Hsipaw. The river could also be accessed from much higher up on the Lashio - Muse Road, there looks to be a long run (a few days or more) with what looks like travertine drops for a while. Below Hsipaw is a much bigger river, in a jungle canyon without roads, and look mostly flatter until the Goketeik confluence. Below that more rapids appear, and right before the reservoir swallows it up there is a pair of very large rapids in a mini gorge that looks impressive even from satellite height. (21.960852, 96.886822)
Myitnge Tributaries from Lashio down to Hsipaw is a long remote run (the "Lashio trib") that looks like it has travertine features for miles, multiple channels spread through the jungle. (22.784771, 97.533184)ish. Very intriguing from satellite photos! It joins with another one (the "Zay Ann" trib) that has less whitewater and stretches into the deep hill country that is still off limits. Might be good? Who knows, good luck.
The Gokteik River and it's tributary look like they could be holding some gradient and water. It's a limestone canyon so of course it could be chunky and sievey.... (22.306232, 96.911262)ish
The river below Pyin O Lwin, below the Dar Taw Gyaint falls looks promising. (21.980263, 96.386278) Falls here
There is a river that I do not know the name of north of Lashio, deep in the heart of the Shan State, near the Chinese border and the disputed region known as Kokang thats look very intriguing, it looks very much like travertine and looks like there could be some sizeable drops in there. Maybe a Santo Domingo of SE Asia? (21.980263, 96.386278) Let it be known I tried to travel to this gorge in July 2015 and couldn't even hire a car to get to the trailhead to hike up. So good luck, but let us know if you do!
A little further south, the Zawgyi River flows north out of the mountains and becomes the Paalaung River and looks like a nice mellow gradient through the hills for a long way. This area has a lot of ethnic people so its likely youll meet some rad people on the way, almost all flat but goes through a long roadless area before getting swalled by a lake. (20.957734, 96.418201) There are some abrupt limestone mountains in this area and every time a river cuts through one it generally forms a short but intense gorge, we passed two of these on our drive out and they looked short and furious.
South of the famous Inle Lake, the Balu Chaung River falls over what looks like more travertine. (19.635383, 97.291296) Looks like a nice open valley section before it cascades off the face of the earth into a gorge. I would love to see these cascades sometime in my life! THat soon joins the Nam Pawn River, which has more big water rapids, including multi-channeled travertine rapids. This river goes on for days both above and below the Balu Chaung confluence, with roadside and wild sections aplenty. (19.210032, 97.375758)
Of course the is the mighty Salween as well, which doesn't have any fearsome rapids but does steam through a deep isolated canyon almost the entire way through eastern Myanmar.
Up north, near Myitkyina, the Irrawaddy is formed by the confluence of the N'mai and Mali Rivers, both of which come out of the Himalaya, and are as such, typical Himalayan rivers. The Mali has a road along it and easier access for a while and the rapids aren't as big, but the N'mai goes for days and days through a massive wild area, maybe one of the last truly wild places in the area. Countless rapids, in a wild jungle with mountains. This could be a crown jewel for someone to get after, if it hasn't been done already. Accessing it could be a nightmare and a half, but holy cow, check out this area on Google Earth. The wildness is incredible. (27.834987, 97.759043)
And this is but a tiny tip of the iceberg. If you are looking for a wild adventure, Myanmar is but a few sketchy plane rides away. BAER I'm looking at you buddy
The gorge near Kokang
Baluchaung River