Meet the pioneers exploring the final frontier in Western China using just Google Earth and imagination
Adrian Bottomley and Kyle Obermann are embracing the unknown and capitalising on the ease of access to some of the few remote areas left
Humanity has been to both poles, climbed to the peak of Everest, reached the depths of the oceans and even landed a man on the moon. There is little left for us to explore – but China’s West remains an undiscovered region, devoid of precedents.
Among many of the explorers utilising the last opportunity to stamp their names in the history books are Hongkongers Adrian Bottomley and China-based Kyle Obermann.
The pair are forging new routes in Sichuan, Qinghai and Yunnan.
“We have this huge area of pristine wilderness on our doorstep,” Bottomley said. “It’s easier to get to than people think because it is in the modern-day western provinces and not just Tibet.”
But once you are there, the challenge is just beginning.
