Mike Jones (UK)

Mike was one of the world’s top expedition kayakers of his generation, most famous for his 1976. “Canoeing down Everest” descent of the Dudh Kosi. Mike’s expeditions, and especially the Dudh Kosi film introduced many people to the exciting world of white water paddling and inspired many to take up the sport. He was truly inspirational and 45 years after his death he is still famous in the paddling world.

Jones was born in the early 1950s in Yorkshire, England, and began kayaking at age 14., around the same time as his sister, Christine, who is the mother of Olympic canoeist Tim Baillie. He took up slalom canoeing and took part in his first expedition in 1969 at the age of 17 when he was invited to be the youngest member of a small British team making a “first attempt” descent of the Inn Gorges in the Alps. Jones’s subsequent expeditions included the Blue Nile, where local bandits were as much of a threat as the river. Mike Jones turned 21 on this expedition, huddled inside a wet sleeping bag and sleeping with a 45 Colt revolver in his hand.

On his return from the Blue Nile, Jones had the crazy dream to make the first descent of the Dudh Kosi. This river, source close to Mount Everest, falls at approximately 280 feet per mile (53m/km) and the plan was to launch the kayaks and start the descent at a record 17,500 feet (5,300m) above sea level. The expedition posed many problems for Mike as the leader – logistics, finance and sponsorship – indeed most potential sponsors declined any involvement as they felt that this idea was just too crazy and the risk of death was too great!. However Mike Jones surmounted all these problems: the team drove out to Nepal, trekked to the river and made a “first descent” of the river. The film –“Dudh Kosi – Relentless River of Everest”– made by Leo Dickinson, recorded the expedition with some wildly exciting and memorable footage. This was shown to television audiences all over the world. It went on to win many international awards and has become a famous and classic white water film. It is probably true to say that that Mike Jones and this film inspired a whole generation of paddlers, all over the World, to take up white water kayaking. Following the trip, Mike Jones wrote a book entitled “Canoeing Down Everest” and he then went on to tour several countries, showing the film, talking about the trip and inspiring more and more paddlers.

Mike Jones died in 1978 on the Braldu River which flows off K2, the world’s second highest mountain, in Pakistan. All of the team from the Everest team were on the expedition, and Mike sadly died whilst trying to save a companion, for which he was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal (QGM) – a prestigious British Award only given to a few people a year. After his death Dave Manby and friends organized the annual Mike Jones Rally in his memory.