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He Prays to the genius of the place and to Earth, the first of the gods, and to the Nymphs and as yet unknown rivers. —The Aeneid, Virgil, poet, 70-19 BCE |
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Mountaineers have a long history and a rich canon of literature. The great mountain ranges — the Rockies, the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps — are the most awe-inspiring landscapes on our planet, and explorers have been seeking their summits for roughly two-hundred years.
For most of that time, however, the torrents that tear into the mountains, carving the mighty peaks and gorges, have remained relatively unknown. The skills and equipment to engage with these forces of nature as they mold the earth only emerged post-World War II, and what I call expedition whitewater developed exponentially during the second half of the twentieth century. |
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I was very fortunate to have paddled during those exciting decades of whitewater sport and exploration, and the rivers have molded my life just as they have the mountains. This book is not a memoir, however. I have not run the gorges featured in it. But I have experienced similar situations, felt similar emotions, endured similar heat and cold. I’m able to talk and share with my fellow explorers in a language perhaps not available to other writers, and to avoid the campfire legend and hype that have grown up around some of these adventures, which do not need embellishment.
In Torrents As Yet Unknown, I’ve focused on expeditions into mountain gorges that are transcendent for their natural grandeur, their inhuman power, and, for many, their divine auras:
These are stories of men who sought to experience these powerful places, what they found between the canyon walls and within themselves. Researching and writing Torrents has been a heck of a journey, and I hope that reading it will be too. Enjoy! |