It was the ultimate whitewater adventure on the Mount Everest of rivers, and the biggest challenge of their lives....
October 1998 an American ... read full description
October 1998 an American ... read full description
reviews
Jan 12, 2010
Alyson
rated it: 
I honestly thought this book would completely grip me and keep me reading until all hours of the night, but it was a little dry or sterile. The author's "voice" never really surfaced, but I can only assume he was trying to avoid judgment of the controversial attempt at a first descent on the Tsangpo. In turn, a really gripping story was kinda muted. I have read whitewater stories that made me feel like I was right out there on the water...holding my breath during swims, struggling to
More...
Dec 28, 2010
John
rated it: 
A moderately interesting look at the 1998 Tsangpo kayak expedition. A lot of time is spent on setting up the various personalities, but I never felt any sense of connection to any of the participants. What was of most interest to me was the overview of other characters in and around the gorge at the same time - esp. Ian Baker (Frank Kingdon Ward's Riddle of the Tsangpo Gorges: Retracing the Epic Journey of 1924-25 in South-East Tibet
). Also of interest were the author's thoughts about modern 'ex
More...
). Also of interest were the author's thoughts about modern 'ex
More...
Feb 11, 2009
Foy
rated it:
Todd Balf chronicles a team of kayakers as they embark on an incredible journey to paddle the dangerous whitewater of the remote Yarlung Tsangpo River as it carves out one of the deepest gorges through Tibet while flowing away from the Himalayas. Despite record high level waters which made running the river exponentially more difficult and dangerous, the team decides to boat what they can and portage the rest. Early on, team member Doug Gordon inexplicably takes a dangerous line over a waterfall
More...
Jan 13, 2011
Emily
rated it:
The back of the book compared this to "Into Thin Air." I only half agree. It was good read, semi-interesting, and definitely informative (especially if you don't know a lot about whitewater rafting). But I had a hard time wanting to finish it. Maybe that's because the back of the book contained a spoiler that affected the momentum of the book. It's an alright read, if you can't find anything else to read.
Mar 10, 2009
Meredith
rated it: 
This is a tragic, fascinating account of one team's experience exploring a remote and savage river. A really interesting story that makes you think about the dangers and drawbacks of financing adventures. When the National Geographic Society became a for-profit foundation, some say it sacrificed some of the integrity that it accumulated after years as a venerable non-profit institution.
Jun 21, 2009
Savannah
rated it:
Perfectly acceptable specimen of the adventure/disaster genre. As with most, it's heavily based on background of all of the participants with the actual events and disaster taking only a few pages to relate. Still, it's well-researched and competently written. It's not just for whitewater fans; it's about exploration of remote places and extreme endurance athletics than the river work itself.
Jan 14, 2009
John
rated it:
Read it a while back. Don't remember much about it ... it was OK as far as I remember. A group of kayakers wanted to kayak the upper reaches of an unexplored river that originates in the Himalayas. Tragedy strikes on I believe the first day of kayaking.
Dec 28, 2008
Brycep
rated it:
A little slow on the page turning here. The author could have left about half of the setup out comprising of a couple hundred pages and left the adventure section as a long magazine article.
Jan 15, 2011
Sonya
rated it:
A straight-forward rendition of another ill fated adventure. Not as stirring as Into Thin Air or a eloquent as "In Harm's Way"
Feb 10, 2011
Kate
rated it:
I'll stick to inland lakes and class three rafting. This is an incredible adventure story and a lesson on the value of knowing our own limits.
Jul 10, 2011
David
rated it:
An attempt at an "Into Thin Air" for kayakers book. I liked it. Not a Krakauer author, but a nice read.
Aug 26, 2008
Chris
rated it:
A good, but not great read. The book describes a trip to the "last river"--Tsangpo River Gorge in Tibet. Four begin the trip, but one does not come back. And you know this from the first page--so--the book is mostly just waiting to see who dies and how.
The parallels to Into Thin Air are obvious (made worse by the author continually referring to Everest), but it's not nearly as well written or as gripping. Still--it's an interesting read and gives good insight into the More...
The parallels to Into Thin Air are obvious (made worse by the author continually referring to Everest), but it's not nearly as well written or as gripping. Still--it's an interesting read and gives good insight into the More...
Jul 09, 2010
Celia
rated it:
It took me forever to read this book. It was very factual, and utterly boring. I believe the author was trying to give the real story, not the one touted by the media. Sadly, athlete's deaths are often exaggerated to make it sound like they were doing something too risky, when once in a while everything just goes wrong. So I give the author kudos for that. The writing was not engaging or colorful in the least. However, the subject matter was interesting.
Aug 06, 2007
Kris
rated it:
An interesting story about single minded fixation on things. A group of guys attempt the first descent of the Tsangpo River Gorge in Tibet. Although it is extremely dangerous and the conditions upon their arrival were terrible, the politics of expeditions in Tibet were such that it was a now or never.
Not a particularly moving book. You won't be a different person after reading it. It is a good adventure tale though, if you are into that sort of thing.
Not a particularly moving book. You won't be a different person after reading it. It is a good adventure tale though, if you are into that sort of thing.
Dec 17, 2009
Kate
rated it:
A great story, but a slower read. Some parts are excellent, others drag a bit - the end brings up some very interesting points, though, about life and the decisions we all make(in this case by extreme sport atheletes).
Feb 03, 2008
Eyun
rated it:
A tragic true story of the attempted first kayak descent of the Tsangpo river in Tibet.
Mar 03, 2008
Cynthia
rated it:
This is a good book for whitewater paddlers and extreme sports enthusiasts.
Feb 10, 2012
Jan 25, 2012
Jan 19, 2012
Jan 14, 2012
Jan 09, 2012
Jan 02, 2012
Dec 22, 2011
