The Last River

The Tragic Race for Shangri-la

By: Todd Balf

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

The Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-la is a breathtaking account of the ill-fated October 1998 expedition of an American whitewater kayaking team who traveled deep into 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, extreme whitewater pioneers, best friends, and trip leaders, the Tsangpo adventure was the culmination of a twenty-five-year quest for glory. Yet the team's magnificent dreams crumbled when their ace paddler was swept over a thunderous eight-foot waterfall, never to be seen again.

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

Critic reviews

"Todd Balf's saga of an assault on the 'Everest of rivers' -- the fabled Tsangpo -- is a rich and troubling story about the dark side of America's infatuation with extreme adventure. It's a must-read for anyone who loved Into Thin Air -- or who might be contemplating that next first descent on a killer river."
--Erik Larson, author of Isaac's Storm

Good adventure in an unexplored Himalayan River

I generally like reading books about mountain climbing in the Himalaya, but found this story about the Tsang-po River, which originates in the Himalaya, a fascinating addition to my knowledge of this region. The only complaint I have is that the narrator mispronounced locations, specifically Lhasa, which he pronounced "Hasa" throughout the book.

Cool Story, but it's the Abridged Version.

I started this with a physical book and found the story a little slow in the first half - so I thought I'd give the Audiobook a try and hammer it out on a long drive.

The story was fun, but as I referred back to the source material I noticed some stuff was missing. Turns out: Audible fails to mention the audiobook is the abridged version.

I guess it was cheaper to produce? Anyway, that was a dissapointment. There are some great scenes omitted from this version, including moments of reflection at a Tibetan monetary after the death of a friend, and a touching Eulogy.

If you can't bring yourself to read the book, this version is fun. But it's definitely not the whole book, so take it with a grain of salt.