ABOUT US
Our vision at Last Descents is simple. We believe that by bringing people to the rivers of western China, and showing them a once in a lifetime experience, that we can create a reason to preserve them. If we persist, some of these rivers will be saved for the enjoyment of generations to come.
History:
We have a long history of river running in China, starting with Travis Winn's father, Pete Winn, who has been pioneering river exploration in China since 1994. You can see his website at www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com, which is one of the best resources on the history of river exploration in China that you will find.
Travis joined his dad on an exploration of the Salween in 2000, and after leading his first trips in 2003, he realized that he belonged in China, teaching Chinese friends how to explore their rivers. That vision didn't start to crystallize until April 2006, when we organized a last descent of the Mekong above what would be the world's highest dam, and brought Chinese scholars, guide trainees, and local government officials along for the ride. Our American guests, who through their participation funded the trip, loved the experience and we realized that there might be a market for a trip that blended adventure, cultural exchange, and conservation.
Just before this trip, Kristen McDonald, a PhD student working on the Salween River, introduced Travis to a Chinese river enthusiast named Na Ming Hui, who had organized and participated in two multi-month river expeditions for a team of Japanese on the Mekong. On a trip together on the Salween, the three of them realized that to develop river recreation in China, they needed a legal identity, and Last Descents River Expeditions was formed.
Since then, they have run a 20th anniversary of the first descent of the Yangtze river celebration with Chinese and Tibetan friends, a Think Tank on the Yangtze for Chinese and Tibetan Conservationists, two first descents on the Salween, and a seven month long school program in the Three Parallel Rivers area of northwest Yunnan Province.
In Spring 2007, Travis and Kristen realized that many of their goals were better met through a non-profit model, and founded China Rivers Project, with the intention of providing additional opportunities for guide training, education, and bringing Chinese leadership to experience their rivers.
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Na Ming Hui: General Manager
Na Ming Hui worked in the Business Registration Bureau and for Save the Children before starting 'Paul's Shop,' Kunming's first western foods store, in 1994. In 1996 and 1998 he participated in two of Yunnan's earlier river expeditions and in 2003 and 2004 he coordinated and participated in two multi-month river expeditions on the Mekong with a team of Japanese explorers. His motivation for founding Last Descents stems from a belief that obtaining rafting permits for rivers in China should be determined by a fair legal system. In summer 2007 he participated in a first descent of the Nujiang in Tibet, rowing much of the time, and in August he co-led a "Think Tank" river trip on the Upper Yangtze. |
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Travis Winn: Operations Manager
Born in Grand Junction, Colorado, Travis Winn grew up on the rivers of the American southwest, eventually working as a river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. Starting at the age of sixteen, he has explored many major rivers in Western China in the provinces of Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Yunnan by both kayak and raft. He reads, writes, and speaks Chinese, and his expeditions have been featured in Men's Journal, Outside Magazine (Chinese edition), and on China Central Television. In recent years, he has focused on engaging Chinese decision makers in learning about their rivers by bringing them to experience them first hand. He enjoys bringing people together through the river experience. |
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Chongdak: Tibet Guide and Logistics Coordinator
Quick to laugh or make a joke, Chongdak is a treat to have on any river trip. He started learning to row working as our guide on an expedition on the Yarlung Tsangpo in 2002, and now he constantly reports on good rivers to run while out on other trips. His two sons are studying kayaking and in 2007 his wife joined the Winn family on a river trip. However, Chongdak is much more than a river runner. A devout Buddhist at heart, he has a great knowledge of Tibet and the people who live there. |
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Kristen McDonald: Guide, China Rivers Project Director
Kristen is a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley in the department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She researches the politics and impacts of dam building in western China and spent a year and a half living among Tibetan, Nu, and Lisu minority communities on the Nu (upper Salween) River in northwest Yunnan. Kristen graduated from Yale University with a BA in Environmental Studies, worked in Hunan, China for two years as an English teacher, and directed the Wild and Scenic Rivers program at American Rivers in Washington, DC for four years before returning to graduate school. Kristen co-organized expeditions on the Nu and Mekong Rivers in 2005, and previously worked as a raft guide in Oregon, her home state. She currently consults on environmental issues in China and is U.S. Director of the China Rivers Project. |
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Pete Winn: Guide, Advisor
Pete Winn first traveled to China in 1985 and has been running exploratory river trips there since 1994. He is the Director of Earth Science Expeditions, non-profit devoted to researching and exploring rivers in western China. He manages www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com, the most comprehensive resource on the history of river running in China. A geologist by training, his original motivation for river running in China was to conduct geological reconnaissance in roadless areas. In the late 1960s and 1970s he was extensively involved in the development of commercial river running in Grand Canyon National Park and served as one of the National Park Service's first river rangers. |
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Adam Elliott: Guide
Adam is on the Board of Directors for Grand Canyon Discovery, one of the Grand Canyon's largest and most progressive rafting companies. He has participated in several major expeditions in China. He graduated from the University of Oregon's architecture program and for his thesis created plans for a School of Sustainable Architecture in Kunming. He grew up running rivers in the American Southwest and has worked as professional river guide in Grand Canyon for eight years.
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