Into the Tsangpo Gorge

Customer Reviews:

Death Defying Adventure (w/ a grudge) .......2007-04-26

I read about this expedition in Outside Magazine when it happened, but did not fully explore the tale until I stumbled across Peter Heller's "Hell or High Water" a year or two later. While the filmmakers brilliantly capture the awesome fury of the river and the incredible intensity of the kayakers' running it for the first time, it lacks the storyline needed to fully understand the history of the Tsangpo and the complexity of the planning and executing such a trip.

That's where Heller's book comes in handy, even if it provides a far more detailed account of the ground party's trek through the gorge than it does about the kayakers plunge down the river. It is well known that Heller's ambitions were cut short by the expedition leader, Lundgren, who foolishly feared that a bestselling book would steal his thunder and thus kept Heller off the river and at an arm's length from the paddlers. While Heller has the maturity to discuss this conflict in his book (and agreed to share 10% of his book royalties w/ the kayakers), Lundgren simply omits Heller from the expedition film completely, a move which struck me -- having read the book -- as both petty and arrogant. By sabotaging Heller's efforts, Lundgren effectively chews off his own foot, minimizing what could have proven to be an incredible PR effort for the expedition and this video (case in point, after reading Krakauer's Into Thin Air, I was compelled to purchase Brashear's film Everest, even though the two are not directly related). Personally, I would never have bought this video had I not read Heller's book.

Tis a shame when egos get in the way of shared success, as was the case in the telling of this tale. This could have been a great film AND and a great book. Instead, each is marginalized by the limited success of the other, thus relegating both to sidelines of adventure tales.

Amazing.......2006-12-17

As an intermediate paddler, this vid caused my jaw to drop. Stunning scenery. Amazing logistics. Incredible paddlers. Fascinating. I watch it over and over again. Puts the Grand Canyon, Alsek, and Stikine to shame.

Humbled...feeling small.......2006-01-20

What an incredible journey. This movie puts all other kayaking accomplishments to shame. I would recommend first reading the book (Hell or High Water by Peter Heller) about this expedition to fill in the gaps the movie could not possibly fill. Another great book to read for background on how remote and dangerous this canyon is...The Heart of the World by Ian Baker. Amazing kayaking, brings a whole new meaning to the words "big water" boating. Take a trip to Tibet and be humbled by the Tsangpo...

Good Video.......2005-09-22

Footage was pretty spectacular. I would recommend reading the book first (Hell or High Water) as it fills in all the gaps in the video. Great story and big whitewater!

AWESOME! A MUST SEE!!.......2005-08-14

THE SCENERY IS ABSOLUTELY BREATH TAKING!! The entire DVD is a "jaw dropper" You wouldn't believe their trek through the gorge. The way the paddlers make their way down the river in their kayaks is unbelievable. When watching this DVD ..NOTE THE WATER LINE!! UNBELIEVABLE!! Recommend highly for anyone interested in this part of the world...JUST BEAUTIFUL!!

Liquid Lifestyles Aerated Whitewater Kayaking

Average customer rating:

Liquid Lifestyles Aerated Whitewater Kayaking

Manufacturer: Scott LIndgren Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Some of the most extreme white water river running and waterfall shooting seen on video. Extreme action from North and South America and beyond. As well as some huge ocean wave kayak surfing. Follow the usual names as they explore more extreme kayaking and huge rock slides accross the globe.

DVD:

DVD

DVD