Live from Skardu, far Northern Pakistan. After landing at 3am, we loaded up and left Islambad around 6am. The first day we drove fourteen hours, making it safely through one of the sketchier consertative muslim sections. We stayed in a nice motel for $5 per double room, and then awoke again at six for an eleven hour drive to end up in Skardu.

Our plans to get on the river had been thwarted by local logistical problems, the largest being a "Permit" that doesn't really exist, but hopefully we will get it tomorrow after out meeting with the local Govener.

The scenery is breathtaking. Everything is on such a massive scale, I supposed I expected it but it is still breathtaking and has us all constantly in awe.

Culturally it's simply amazing. Despite all the negative vibe in US news, the people here are very friendly and helpful. People come up to us every day and initiate converstations, practicing their english and extending good will to us.

I didn't bring a computer on this trip, so no photo updates until I return. Internet is scarce to say the least, but occasionaly updates will pop up when we are in larger towns.

Hopefully we will embark on the Indus River tomorrow. We'll be heading into the Rondu Gorge. If you have read Kayak Session or the Addidas Sickline site you've probably heard about it. We were expecting a Crucible-esqe must run style challenge, but it is amazingly roadside. There are some gigantic rapids in it too! We have less water than the German team, with an estimate of 10,000cfs in the river. We'll see what we run when we get in there, it looks big!