Download or read book First Descents written by Richard Bangs and published by Menasha Ridge Press. This book was released on 2009-12-29 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dropping into the unknown on a rubber raft, hurled against rocks and cliff walls, only to round a blind bend, go vertical on a 10-foot standing wave, and flip over backwards into a deafening vat of near-freezing whitewater. Such is life for the brave souls who commit themselves to exploring the world’s untried rivers. First Descents collects the most enthralling tales from the world’s most respected river explorers. Vivid portrayals in the adventurers’ own words and original photographs tell of solitary efforts and major expeditions on rivers both famous and unknown, including the Yangtze River in China, the Colorado River in Arizona, Ethiopa’s Baro River, and the Braldu River in Pakistan. With stories from Royal Robbins, Tao Berman, Yvonne Chouinard, and others, this newly revised and expanded edition of the 1989 classic captures the excitement, fear, and elation of over four decades of river exploration.