Um, hey morally-outraged citizens. Ever heard of "cultural relativism"? Stop whining about how unethical the porters are. This is how the westerners have trained them to behave.I have never once heard of an expedition to the Himalaya that didn't have this same sit-down strike/renegotiation happen in the middle of the trip. And rather than stick to their offended principles, every one of them pays.Sorry, but anyone who gets outraged when it happens to them is just a clueless dips__t. And it's so trite, cliched & predictable that it doesn't even make for compelling viewing anymore.Wonder when Scott's going to deliver his third "first descent of the Tsangpo" expedition? This is the second one I've seen.   See 14 other replies

and my last response was so broken because hulu didn't like the language - what the f   See 14 other replies

Brian S. - NICE response, my thoughts exactly. Actually, everybody else here has been far more gracious than I will be here, and for that I apologize in advance - being an avid mountain biker and outdoor addict...
Theft is theft, across all cultures and ethnic boundaries. These hard as nails explorers were merely doing what they do best, and were robbed point blank because those little creeps knew they could get away with it. I LOVED the doc, and hope those little - get a little karmic justice.
Unfortunately (because I know it's not right) if I was on that expedition I'd be back, to avenge them.
BRAVO   See 14 other replies

As for the porters, if they wanted more $ then they should have negotiated it up front. I agree with the person who said there's no excuse for violence or stealing. I have a first-hand account of that incident from one of the boaters, and believe me it was for real. There's no excuse for that lack of professionalism on the porters' part - if they wanted more $, they should have asked for it to begin with, not stolen it like the thugs they were. I know this doesn't reflect the attitudes of ALL porters in the Himalaya but it certainly doesn't help the reputation of the porters who ARE professionals.Paddling the Tsang-Po is an astouding accomplishment, and the only reason it isn't better known is due to the general public's ignorance of whitewater kayaking. To even beome a competent intermediate whitewater kayaker takes a level of persistence and skill that is much higher than people assume. Using the river's flow and currents make paddling look much, much easier than it is, not to mention getting over that hump of learning to roll and being panicked underwater, upside-down "stuck" in a kayak. If people knew what it took to get as good as the guys who ran the Tsang-Po, and the level of danger they tolerated to make this trip happen, they'd have been in headlines around the world. There's a reason no one has repeated the feat in the last 7 years, and there's a reason no one had done it before - people died on at least two previous attempts by other expeditions, one from America, and the other from Japan if I recall correctly. The naysayers on here don't know what theyr'e talking about.   See 14 other replies

Dan M: I happen to know two of the kayakers on the team and have met all but one of the others. NONE of these guys is rich. "Sponsored" does not equal rich in the whitewater kayak world. Sponsorship for snowboarders, skiiers and surfers can be very lucrative, but I know of only one kayaker who's making any money for himself, and that is due to his relentless self-promotion and prodigious marketing skills (and more power to him, he's highly skilled and a credit to our sport.) How many sponsored kayakers do you know? I know a ton of them very, very well since I worked in the industry. In order to attain and keep that level of skill, you can't hold a regular job, and "sponsorship", especially in the last 5 or 6 years, amounts to free gear. Formerly you might be able to get a few hundred dollars a year in return for showing up in videos and promoting your sponsor's products to other kayakers on the river, but pro kayakers paddle because they love it, they're obsessed with it. It is NOT a paying proposition, no matter how good you are. I don't know Scott Lindgren's financial status, I haven't seen his W2's, but I imagine he isn't doing nearly as well as other people who make independent films with "extreme" outdoor sports themes such as skiing or snowboarding or mountain climbing, let alone those people who make films in Hollywood that have a much broader appeal. For the most part, the public doesn't give two hoots about kayaking. It isn't that accessible, and the companies who make kayaks and paddle gear mostly don't make enough money to give it away to people who will work in return for a PFD or a paddle for the year. I'm a working slob; I like having a house with a washer and dryer to come home to, and the ability to have a dog. But some kayakers make different choices, and they're happier for it. They sure aren't rich white kids. There are some trustafarians out there, but most pro kayakers are poor as dirt.   See 14 other replies