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

Here is a fascinating exploration of both the seething big water and perilous terrain from the legendary Shangri-la, and the men who dared challenge the furious rapids that raced through this 140-mile-long canyon. THE FINAL River invites us to view the Himalayas from a completely new perspective — on the historic river therefore remote that just the most hardy and intimate souls try to unlock its mysteries.