Mekong Mick Wrap-Up: Last month, Aussie paddler Mick O’Shea became the first human to paddle the Mekong River from source to sea. It was an incredible expedition, and Mick provided colorful and intense dispatches which TWC posted along the way. He’s now back home in Laos, and I sent him a follow-up Q&A. Here’s what The Man had to say…:

TWC: How did the difficulty of the Mekong descent compare with your expectations?

Mekong Mick: In some respects it was more difficult, more time consuming and more costly than first expected but it was definitely more amazing than I could have dreamed.

TWC: Do you feel lucky to have survived it?

MM: There were definitely a couple of moments. For 99% of the journey I felt very much in control but there were two specific instances when it could have gone either way. There was definitely some luck involved at those times.

TWC: What were the best and worst moments? The funniest?

MM: Best: There were so many, If I had to choose one I guess it would be the sensation of peace that I felt once I reached the South China Sea

Worst: When I nearly drowned in Yunnan and lost all of my gear including boat and photos of the gorges through which I was th only person ever to have passed. Luckily the next day I found the boat and one roll of film that was not waterlogged which possessed some unique shots from within the gorges.

The funniest moment? Besides the time that the huge Tibetan Mastiff dog nearly bit my Johnson off which everyone else found funnier than me there was one instance when I climbed up to a Tibetan village to spend the night. I tried to explain by sign language that I was paddling down the Mekong, the next morning they led me down to the river in the gorges and told me to start swimming toward Yunnan which was 400 kilometers away! They interpreted my kayaking mimes to be swimming and assumed I had just swum off the Tibetan plateau to reach their village! You have to know how cold the water is in those gorges to really appreciate that one.

TWC: Was there any piece of equipment that you didn’t have along that you wished you had brought with you?

MM: A waterproof camera, I trashed two conventional cameras and a pile of unique footage on the expedition when I was spanked by some big rapids in Yunnan.

TWC: What were the greatest physical and mental challenges?

MM: Physical: 9 days unsupported paddling 12 hrs of white water per day to get through Tibet without running out of food.

Mental: Dealing with several people who were inspired only by money and not the expedition itself.

TWC: What’s next?

MM: I’m working hard to produce a photo book and documentary series on the expedition right now which should be released next year. On the adventure front I have identified 39 large Mekong tributaries that I would like to explore over the next few years and I’m developing some paddle tours in the Mekong basin. I have plenty on my plate!

What can I say? Mick is a Wetass through and through, and TWC looks forward to chronicling his next big adventure…



Mick, Modeling: “Sure, the Wetass Chronicles is an okay site. But I can’t believe my Mum is making me wear this stupid t-shirt…”