The Tsangpo Gorge in southeastern Tibet has lured explorers and adventurers since its discovery. Sacred to the Buddhists, the inspiration for Shangri La, the Gorge is as steeped in legend and mystery as any spot on earth. As a river-running challenge, the remote Tsangpo is relentlessly unforgiving, more difficult than any stretch of river ever attempted. Its mysteries have withstood a century's worth of determined efforts to explore its length. The finest expedition paddlers on earth have tried. Several have died. All have failed. Until now. In January 2002, in the heart of the Himalayan winter, a team of seven kayakers launched a meticulously planned assault of the Gorge. The paddlers were river cowboys, superstars in the universe of extreme kayaking who hop from continent to continent ready for the next death-defying pursuit. Accompanying them was author Peter Heller. A world-class kayaker in his own right, Heller has logged countless river miles and several major first descents. He joined the Tsangpo Expedition as a member of the ground support team and official expedition journalist and was also granted the exclusive opportunity to write the book about the descent. Hell or High Water is that book—greatly expanded from his coverage for Outside magazine. Filled with history, white-knuckle drama, and mutiny in one of the world's most storied—and remote—locations, Hell or High Water is as riveting as any of the great epic adventures throughout history. Publication coincides with the release of a documentary about the expedition by National Geographic.
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"there is another side to this, the video expedition. The book is fact and exciting. Well put together. It shows the talent of these boaters, and can be enjoyed by padlers and non paddlers alike." — David (4 out of 5 stars)
"there is another side to this, the video expedition. The book is fact and exciting. Well put together. It shows the talent of these boaters, and can be enjoyed by padlers and non paddlers alike."
“Heller nimbly blends the history of the region into his gripping modern trek, as the crew lives up to the legacy of the great explorers before them. An offhand remark made to the paddlers early in the journey—that their story could be the kayaking equivalent of Into Thin Air—has come true in the best possible way.”
Heller nimbly blends the history of the region into his gripping modern trek.... The kayaking equivalent of Into Thin Air.
" Not a review so much as a tip for those who may need to remember the concept that an object floating down river remains straight until a person is added. "
" Did y'all know that the only real way to live is to be poor and endanger your life? This could have been a great adventure story but the sanctimonious narrator destroys that possibility. "
" I liked reading Heller's accounts of this trip in Outside Magazine well enough, but reading the book was a fairly --dry-- redo; longer, but just not personal or philosophical enough. "
" I know a bunch of guys that were on the expedition, but not the writer. It was funny to read the parts about the expedition leaded, Scott Lindgren. Peter Heller did not like him at all...I wonder why? "
" I really enjoy this story about a crazy trip down the Tsangpo river in Tibet. Peter Heller writes a good descriptive book on the travels in 2002 to the undiscovered river. Well worth reading, "
" this book was kind of boring....it is about kayakers in Tibet's Tsangpo River in the Himalayas; not something I am really interested in. "
" - A mystery about Tibet’s own land. It makes this country seen more real aside from the stories of the Himalayas. Each page was breath taking as the trip unfolded. You also found yourself wondering if they would encounter any unusual events. "
Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Knights, Inc. series. She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a voracious appetite for the written word and turned her passion into a career after a fortuitous move to Chicago. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, traveling, and biking along beautiful Lake Shore Drive.
Peter Heller is the national bestselling author of The River, Celine, The Painter, and The Dog Stars. The Painter was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and won the prestigious Reading the West Book Award, and The Dog Stars has been published in twenty-two languages to date. He is also the author of four nonfiction books, including Kook: What Surfing Taught Me about Love, Life, and Catching the Perfect Wave, which was awarded the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature. He holds an MFA degree from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in poetry and fiction.
Mackenzie Cartwright was born in New York City to two artist parents and traveled the world at a young age. While in Italy, she discovered the joys of pasta and wine and has been a lifelong practitioner of the art of cooking. Other pursuits include devouring romance novels, watching the Food Network, traveling, and photography. Cartwright lives with her husband and their Siberian husky in New York City.
Patrick Lawlor, an award-winning narrator, is also an accomplished stage actor, director, and combat choreographer. He has worked extensively off Broadway and has been an actor and stuntman in both film and television. He has been an Audie Award finalist multiple times and has garnered several AudioFile Earphones Awards, a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and many starred audio reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.
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