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Amazon Extreme: Three Ordinary Guys, One Rubber Raft and the Most Dangerous River on Earth

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The true story of three enthusiastic (but inexperienced) adventurers who attempt to become the first team to raft the entire length of the Amazon River–all 4,007 miles--and (barely) live to tell about it.

To a trio of twenty-something adrenaline junkies, it sounded like an irresistible tackle the Amazon with nothing more than a rubber raft between them and fate. But when Colin Angus, Ben Kozel, and Scott Borthwick embarked on their fantastic voyage in September 1999, just climbing to the river’s source nearly killed them.

Beginning with the dehydration that nearly did the adventurers in as they hiked the Andes to the river's source, Amazon Extreme is a breathtaking account of the daily challenges, dangers, and triumphs experienced over the course of this five-month expedition. With no money to speak of and inaccurate, fifty-year-old maps to guide them, this intrepid trio manages to persevere through violent rapids, guerilla gunfire, mosquito-infested drinking water, and numerous bouts of sickness. But in spite of several near-death experiences, including one particularly terrifying moment when their raft is toppled in the raging white water, Angus's crew finds a reverence for the compelling beauty that makes this region so renowned. Amidst the hardship are moments of pure pleasure, from graceful dolphins and lush forests to the intriguing, gracious people who’ve made their homes along the riverbank.

An inspiring tale of courage and exploration, this is the story of three guys who truly went off the deep end, and one who came back to write a riveting recollection of it.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

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Colin Angus

9 books19 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Martha☀.
909 reviews53 followers
December 8, 2025
There is something about the brazen adventurousness of youth that pulls me in. With my grey hair and wrinkles, I look in on this unbelievable accomplishment with awe - not just with awe about the day-by-day unfolding of this implausible raft trip but at the originality of the idea. I have followed Angus on many of his self-propelled adventures and read his later books but not this account of one of his earliest adventures.

Completely self-propelled, Angus and two other adventurous friends (Ben Kozel and Scott Borthwick) crossed the width of South America from west to east. At the height of land, they found the tiny spring and pond that marks the beginnings of the mighty Amazon River.

The first 22 days of the trip began on foot with loaded backpacks. They hiked from the coast of Peru up, up, up to 5400 m (18 000 ft) through steep and relentless desert. Once at the continental divide, they found the two sister mountains known to be the source of the Amazon and hiked downwards until the creeks became wide enough to raft in.

Beforehand, they had stashed their raft and supplies in the closest town to the river. After a resupply in Cuzco, they began the 7000 km raft trip down the tributary rivers that lead to the Amazon. The wildness of the Apurimac River is brought to life as Angus gives daily accounts of the successive Class V+ rapids that they negotiate. He describes their multiple brushes with death, the difficulty in navigating these poorly-charted upper reaches and the art of long-lining their raft and supplies through canyon sections that were too violent to raft.

The final section of the account describes how the river calms, widens and flows towards the Atlantic. For 75 days, they rowed their raft through the river that had grown more than a kilometer wide. They were in constant danger from the Shining Path and other pirates, police and native communities, not to mention the bugs.

It was a wild ride! From strenuous to thrilling to complete boredom, these guys accomplished the unimaginable. And .. here is an excellent quote that sums up their trip and my own dabblings in extreme adventure:
You can tell people what the journey was about, write a book, show a million photos, and they will grasp the achievement. But unless they have been there and shared the experience ... then and only then can [they] understand what went on.
Profile Image for Patrick Gibson.
818 reviews79 followers
July 1, 2009
Three adrenaline junkies in their mid-twenties came up with a plan to cross South America from West to East via hiking, extreme white watering, then paddling the Amazon. It seems hard to believe, but in 2001, there were sections of the Amazon in Peru that had not been descended by boat. Even the maps of the area were fifty years old.

On a limited budget, funded by odd jobs, without the use of GPS or even Google Earth, Colin, Ben and Scott (Canada, Australia, and South Africa) met in British Columbia for a few weeks of white water training then flew to Lima. Only a handful of people knew where they were going or what they were attempting. They didn’t have a satellite phone and no plans of checking in with anyone for at least three months (it took five). It was probably one of the most reckless adventures conceivable, and in their own words they were ‘woefully unprepared.’

Each had essentially one reason—the thrill of it. No one wanted to be in the record books. No one sought fame in any way. Scott took a video camera and Colin kept a diary which became the essence of the book.

From the moment they put their feet in Pacific on a crud littered Peru beach, their adventure became a series of misadventures, blunders, and wrong decisions leading to near death experiences from starvation, dehydration, drowning, bullets, freezing, diarrhea and poisonous insects, reptiles and food. Even getting their feet wet lead to ferocious blisters at the end of their first day.

The idea to hike across the Andes to the headwaters of the Amazon seems like an odd idea but for this foolhardy trio it was a purity of concept, and some of the most harrowing experiences occur in the first few weeks before they even reach the Amazon.

It is not all goof-ups and Indiana Jones escapes. There are moments of sheer beauty, laughable culture clashes (none spoke Spanish or Portuguese) and exhilarating descriptions of the land and waterscapes. Nothing beats the imagery of the Class V and VI rapids of the upper Amazon. I can’t even imagine what a nine foot standing wave would do to my bladder control.

There were times the writing was straightforward—so much so, I thought it might be written for teens but the content is certainly adult. I guess it was the author’s attempt at limiting hyperbole and all those descriptive adjectives I love so much. Devoid of the usual bravado you might expect on this type story, the sheer brutality these guys inflicted on their bodies combined with exploit euphoria is engrossing and entertaining.

I think about how excited I get running a Class IV—I can’t imagine the thrill when faced with roaring water off the scale. I think I will probably never run with the big dogs—but that’s okay.
Profile Image for Brandon Smart.
8 reviews
August 1, 2023
Exciting story, you learn a lot about Peru and its majestic nature. Great adventure story of three guys taking on an extreme journey in the Amazon. Easy read.
Profile Image for Aldair.
10 reviews
September 3, 2022
"You can tell the people what the journey was about, write a book, show a million photos, and they will grasp the achievement. But unless they have been there and shared the experience — hung suspended in a vortex praying for another chance at life, heard the crack of the rifles, staggered hopelessly lost in a desert without water, survived the mind-numbing monotony of the silent primeval jungle for weeks on end — then and only then can you vicerally understand what went on. We shared something with each other and no one else, and that bonded us."

A while ago I had read Colin's Lost in Mongolia, and in there I found this title. As I am a Peruvian tour guide from Cusco a was interested to know what adventures these guys went through and knowing they started near Arequipa mount Mismi then down the Apurimac river, I tought I may be taken to the places I have been before because I know that region of Apurimac river. I used to live in Checca, that is where I am from and there the Apurimac offers the last flat plain to the shores at puente Irubamba, after that the canyon never ends until somewhere in the jungle which I don't know. Colin Appaarently skipped this section because I couln'd find any reference about that, A little dissapointed, I would have liked them to mention that turquoise water pools and saltpipe minings right on the river shore but it is ok. Later they mention the Inca bridge near Quehue, oh that was great but I think they didn't venture to cross it perhaps they thought it was dangerous.

I finished the book and really enjoyed because the way Colin writes takes me along with them or maybe I just have a good imagination but let me say that I enjoyed his adventures up in the Yenesey river in Mongolia too. Know that they are going to skip some really dangerous sections of the river but as soon as there is a doable section they are back in the boat for even more greater experiences. Glad they survived the coat, the wild Apurimac with hundreds of turns and as colin himself describes the "mind numbing silent primeval jungle" . I was 3 years old when these guys were experiencing the Amazon river journeys. My next book is going to be Demon river written by Giddings and I am exited for another river journey through the Apurimac. Buena muchachos, thank you for the book.

Read the book and have an awesome journey with Colin and his friends Benjamin and Scott.
Profile Image for John.
507 reviews16 followers
April 25, 2021
I was attracted to read this book because years ago I'd read Peter Matthiessen's Cloud Forest, a description of a raft trip down the upper reaches of the Amazon. His was down the Urubamba; Colin's and his two dauntless colleagues down the adjacent Apurimac. Though I've forgotten much of Cloud Forest content (and the book is no longer in my library for reference), I do recall that he had white-knuckle experiences with rapids similar to those of Colin and his two colleagues (1999-2000). They started at the Pacific Ocean and headed up and over the Andes to the Amazon's source. Periods of anxiety and sickness plagued them as friendly shepherds attended to them as they trekked the desert. Once on the Apurimac itself peoples along the way were sometimes friendly, others indifferent, many warning about the dangers of going further. Inscrutable rock walls, raging torrents of whitewater, powerful boils and jets, unmerciful dunkings portended. At one point the team ferries a family of five across the river with near disastrous results. Then, once past the rapids, hostile Peruvian “Shining Path” Maoist guerrillas pose a scare. Once on the wide lower Amazon River itself the trip becomes less dramatic. Action and suspense dissipate; spiders, snakes, ants, roaches and leeches infiltrate. They make it to the Atlantic! Team dynamics and lively narrative kept me on edge.
Profile Image for Marie B..
720 reviews11 followers
January 7, 2024
Another fantastic retelling of Collin’s adventures. In this one I looked forward to reading about the Amazon jungle and its critters. There was that, but there was also the unexpected dangers of the local population, the indigenous people that are unexpectedly well armed.
323 reviews10 followers
January 20, 2025
3.5 stars
Another eco-tourism adventure for me after Canadian Adam Shoalts' battles with the north. This one was equally nuts and enjoyable and added to the list of books and movies that fascinate about people doing stuff I will never do (or even desire to do).
31 reviews
December 24, 2025
Exciting start to finish!

One of the most exciting adventure books I have ever read! Lots of interesting information of the area and a fun read! Highly recommend it!
Profile Image for J.J. Garza.
Author 1 book760 followers
September 1, 2014
Creo que ya recordé porqué antes consideraba la literatura de no ficción de aventuras como aquella donde se contaban hazañas emocionantes de la manera más aburrida posible. Dentro de sus pares, esta narración está en niveles claramente reprobatorios. Colin Angus y sus amigos Ben y Scott deciden cruzar Sudamérica de pacífico a atlántico ascendiendo primero los andes y luego siguiendo el Amazonas desde su nacimiento hasta su desembocadura. Cosa que por supuesto no es menor, considerando que la parte neurálgica del recorrido consistió en navegar rápidos clase V y VI con sus consiguientes roces mortales.

El tema es que tal proeza se cuenta de la manera más insípida posible. Su nivel de prosa es similar al de los reporteros de la revista México Desconocido (nuestro equivalente a Outside): ‘hicimos esto, esto, esto y esto. Bajamos esto. Se sintió así. Las cosas eran así’ sin el mínimo intento de hacer no ficción creativa. Nada de querer meter cadencia, evocaciones poéticas, digresiones ágiles. Vaya… ni siquiera una caracterización decente: los tres amigos sólo quieren emprender su viaje por una pulsión ‘malloreana’ (‘Porque está ahí’) y el Sr. Angus y su escritor fantasma a duras penas se esfuerzan por caracterizar a los otros dos miembros de la expedición con las manías personales usadas por lo general por todo escritor de no ficción de exteriores. Al final, el aventurero de sillón trata de preguntarse qué es lo que lleva a estos locos a arrojarse sin más a empresas que, terminen bien o mal siempre acaban siendo un libro. Compárese por ejemplo con The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon, libro que trata del mismo deporte y veremos por qué no queda bien parada pese a que la hazaña es más sorprendente.

Debe haber maneras un poquito más poéticas de narrar esta historia.
886 reviews10 followers
June 11, 2015
Three guys in a rubber raft traveling the length of the Amazon - perfect reading for those of us who are armchair travelers. Beginning the trip at the source of the Amazon wasn't enough for these adventurers; they started out on foot from the Pacific Ocean. For me, some of the best parts of the book were the descriptions of what they went through while crossing the desert on their way to the Amazon. The thrills continue as they launch their raft at the start of the river. But as the trip continues the excitement slowly wanes. By the end of the book and the trip, both the author and this reader were ready for it to be over.
Profile Image for Jose.
54 reviews
April 22, 2016
I always want to read this book, but unfortunately the copies that the books stores have is paper back and especially shining laminated , which I despite but browsing in value village I found a 2001 hard copy which I bought it right away, if this book is not a classic of travel adventure should be right there at the top with one of the best , is a book that you want to be thousands of pages and sit down and read and read . Keep you glue to the pages to see what going to happened next , very entertaining .
Profile Image for Nellie.
70 reviews
June 1, 2010
Although the writing wasn't stellar, it was an interesting and quick read about a 3 guys who rafted the entire length of the Amazon River, with some nail biting parts that compelled me to read on to find out if they would survive or kill themselves. Probably better if you had some experience in rafting as there was alot of discussion about the different rapids and how they managed to get through them.

72 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2008
Interesting premise and exciting story, but it kind of drags in places. These guys definitely did a bunch of stuff that probably should have gotten them killed. If you like outdoor adventures, camping, hiking and white water, you'll be interested in this book. You'll also thank yourself that you never tried to do what these guys did.
Profile Image for Melissa.
217 reviews
March 5, 2010
When you combine three adrenaline junkies, one raft, and the world’s most dangerous river what do you get? A five month endurance test full of raging rapids, lack of adequate drinking water and food, and interesting encounters with the locals! Angus includes factoids and historical descriptions of the Amazon's people and landscape in his account of the trip.
Profile Image for Tinae Goodell, Lowe.
664 reviews3 followers
June 19, 2012
Wow!! I love books that are true like this one!! Very interesting story, very gripping!! It makes me almost want to take an adventure like this but yet I would rather read about it, so many things can and do go wrong! If you like true stories about adventures, pick this one up!
Profile Image for Karen.
527 reviews55 followers
June 27, 2010
Interesting journey these guys had. Can't believe they did it. It seemed to end a little abruptly, especially seeing as how their trip had garnered a lot of publicity. I would have liked to read about about their experience afterwards.
Profile Image for Matt.
60 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2011

Classic!

This shows book shows you how far you can get with a 'can do' attitude!
At times their bravado is borderline insanity but this makes for a very entertaining adventure, I found it easy to imagine myself in their shoes.
Profile Image for Greg Jones.
8 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2011
Excellent tale of adventure in South America. Candid retelling of a plan for three friends to make their way from the Pacific to the Atlantic under their own power. Definite read for the adventurer in all of us!
Profile Image for Jean.
135 reviews
July 8, 2009
Well, maybe a 3.75 would be more accurate. Not great writing, but a true adventure! Disappointed in the ending....

Jean
9 reviews19 followers
March 15, 2010
Great story which is better if you have a bit of rafting knowledge. I kinda feel that these guys made a lot of bad decisions that risked the lives of other's as well as themselves.
Profile Image for Connie.
83 reviews
November 17, 2010
I really enjoyed this guy's memoir of river rafting the Amazon River. It made me want to run rivers but also really happy to be in my warm bed each night.
Profile Image for David Traver Adolphus.
83 reviews2 followers
November 17, 2010
With Colin and Julie Angus expecting a baby, I'm going back and re-reading some of his greatest hits. Fantastic.
Profile Image for Timmy Fearn.
26 reviews
December 6, 2012
A raucous tail of high adventure. Simply written to keep one on the edge of the seat and fully engaged.
582 reviews1 follower
October 13, 2015
This book was a very interesting travel/adventure story. Although possibly I've read more descriptive travel books, it is an enjoyable read into this great adventure.
Profile Image for Sue.
393 reviews22 followers
April 23, 2017
I love this sort of survival/adventure tails, and anything having to do with the Amazon is pretty much guaranteed to be a wild ride. In some ways, this book absolutely delivers on that point. Three men, who did not know each other prior to teaming up for this trip, decide to literally hike/raft from Pacific coast of Peru to the Atlantic coast of Brazil, and also be the first to travel from the actual source (as can best be determined) of the Amazon River to where it finally empties into the Atlantic. Just one glance at any map will show just how daunting this challenge was, and WHY it took them nearly six months to accomplish.

What's always amazing to me, though, is just how unprepared (equipment-, knowledge, and money-wise) guys like this are when they set out on such adventures. They nearly die from a variety of causes (dehydration, exposure, illness, criminals, drowning), almost all of it things that they could have easily avoided if they'd only done their homework prior to going and properly equipped themselves. Simple things, like testing their camp stove at home, or getting a proper backwoods camp stove rather than a cheap and inefficient one from Walmart. Or doing the math on how much water each man would require each day while hiking through one of the driest deserts in the world. Or purchasing maps that provided the sort of detail they would actually NEED in order to navigate the mind-mindbogglingly huge Amazon Delta region.

Not to give away the ending, but they do survive the experience, however it was really only due to sheer luck and some extreme examples of generosity from the occasional stranger. It's really more a testament to OTHER peoples' character that these men survived and succeeded in their quest than it is their own.

That being said, this book does do a good job of describing the extremes of nature--the beauty and sheer size of the desert, the mountains, the jungle--plus the flora and fauna they encountered on their trip--all the juicy stuff that makes this sort of tale worth reading.
Profile Image for Chris Devine.
Author 2 books
April 29, 2017
I really liked this book, it takes you into the heart of south america and spits you out in the atlantic.
It's a pretty quick read, but packed with lots of adventure, I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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