The Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-la Audiobook (Free)

The Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-la is a breathtaking account from the ill-fated Oct 1998 expedition of an American whitewater kayaking team who traveled deep in to the Tsangpo Gorge in Tibet to run the Yarlung Tsangpo, known in paddling circles as the “Everest of rivers.” For Wick Walker and Tom McEwan, intense whitewater pioneers, close friends, and trip market leaders, the Tsangpo experience was the culmination of the twenty-five-year search for glory. Yet the team’s wonderful dreams crumbled when their ace paddler was swept more than a thunderous eight-foot waterfall, to never be seen once again.

This is a fascinating exploration of both seething big drinking water and perilous terrain from the legendary Shangri-la, and the men who dared problem the furious rapids that raced through this 140-mile-long canyon. The Last River invites us to view the Himalayas from a completely brand-new perspective — on a historic river so remote that only the most hardy and passionate souls try to unlock its mysteries.