Courting the Diamond Sow

A world class group of kayakers descended on the Tsangpo Gorge in Tibet in 1998 to run the river later called “The Everest of whitewater.”

The realization of the expedition was a significant achievement: Sponsors had to be found; permission to visit this remote part of The Peoples Republic was hard to come by; everything had to align with the availability of the team; of the equipment; of the National Geographic film team.

The pressure was on! Never mind the Tsangpo was flowing at three times the team’s expectations.

Wick Walker’s book of the above title describes an inner fear held by every whitewater kayaker, and indeed, by every extreme sport athlete: that at some critical moment judgement can give way; that some rogue decision, superseding years of carefully honed discipline, will lead to disaster.

So it was: Douglas Gordon died.

So it is. Amen.

Next: Alexander at the inner citadel of Multan.