| MEKONG RIVER SOURCE Since 1999, the job of identifying the geographic source of the Mekong River has become even more confusing than in the hundred years preceding it, when numerous explorers and expeditions attempted to pinpoint the source of this important international river of Asia. In May 2007, the 12-member CERS team led by Wong How Man set off to explore the scientific source of Mekong River. Using satellite imagery to document the journey, the team departed from Zadoi, the end of the road on most maps of southern Qinghai as well as the first major population center of the Mekong watershed, and arrived at the Mount Guozongmucha source at an elevation of 5,174 meters with coordinates of 33˚42’38.8”N 94˚41’45.4”E at 12:45pm on May 13, 2007. |
AT THE SOURCE OF THE MEKONG
Wong How Man
Mekong Source, Zadoi, Qinghai - 13 May 2007
Frozen Bytes - Technology struggling with the coldWe are at our most forward camp, near 5,000 meters. Most of the computers we brought along are not working – they are frozen, literally. Although I have kept mine inside my sleeping bag to keep it warm, the extended battery that usually delivers at least six hours of power is showing only half of that capacity. This is to be expected in such extreme climate. Even my most energetic team members are slowing as they expend calories trying to keep warm. It is in the middle of May, but when I awoke at 6 am, I found an overnight storm had deposited a 10-centimeter carpet of fluffy white snow on our campsite.