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You can order several of these guidebooks
and many more (mostly US) titles are listed at the Adventurous traveler bookstore. From the
UK you can try The Watershed
for an extensive list of UK and European guidebooks.
The comments were written by paddlers who've actually tried to use the guidebooks unless otherwise stated. As with all such things the views expressed can be subjective.
If anyone has information on any other guidebooks or comments to add on those listed
below, please mail me.
| Region | Southern Norway |
| Title | Elvepaddling |
| Author | Nils Flakstad, Leif Ongstad |
| Publisher | Norges Kayakk og Kanoforbund |
| Edition | 1st (1987) |
| ISBN | 82-90674-00-7 |
| Comment | Excellent although now ageing guidebook. In dual English/Norwegian so prose is often quirky. Minimalist information and so very memorable, exactly what you want. Good hydro info because of the many Norwegian gauges. |
| Region | Nepal |
| Title | White Water Nepal |
| Author | Peter Knowles, Dave Allardice |
| Publisher | Menasha Ridge Press |
| Edition | 1st (1992) |
| ISBN | 0-89732-124-3 |
| Comment | Good guidebook that suffers a little from being designed for both rafters and kayakers. The rafted sections seem to be consistantly overgraded. Lots of informative background to this fascinating country. |
| Region | Costa Rica |
| Title | The Rivers of Costa Rica |
| Author | Michael Mayfield, Rafael Gallo |
| Publisher | Menasha Ridge Press |
| Edition | 1st (1988) |
| ISBN | 0-89732-083-2 |
| Comment | A weak guidebook, it has suffered heavily from grade inflation. Quite raft oriented in places. |
| Region | Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy |
| Title | White Water Europe (book 1, North Alps) |
| Author | Peter Knowles, Bandtock |
| Publisher | Menasha Ridge Press |
| Edition | 1st (1996) |
| ISBN | |
| Comment | Another guide book in the Knowles style. |
| Region | North East England |
| Title | A Canoeist's Guide to the North-East |
| Author | Nick Doll |
| Publisher | Cicerone press |
| Edition | 1st (1991) |
| ISBN | 1 8524 066 8 |
| Comment | Just look at the retro photos ! Nice guidebook which includes some lesser known rivers. |
| Region | France, Italy |
| Title | White Water Europe (book 2, South Alps) |
| Author | Peter Knowles, Bandtock |
| Publisher | Menasha Ridge Press |
| Edition | 1st (1996) |
| ISBN | 0-9519413-2-1 |
| Comment | Another good guidebook in the classic Knowles style. |
| Region | French alps |
| Title | Alpine White Water |
| Author | Terry Storry |
| Publisher | T.Storry, Pound House, Woodeaton, Oxford |
| Edition | 2nd (1989) |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | The original french alps guidebook. A little dated, includes some classic "tall stories". |
| Region | Austria, Bavaria |
| Title | Austria and Bavaria White Water Guide |
| Author | Tony Ford |
| Publisher | White water production |
| Edition | 1988 |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | Covers a wide area but the river descriptions are often terse. OK for recapping if you've been there already. |
| Region | Scotland |
| Title | Scottish White Water |
| Author | - |
| Publisher | British Canoe Union |
| Edition | 1986 |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | Contains most of the standard sections with good river descriptions and maps. |
| Region | New Zealand |
| Title | New Zealand Whitewater |
| Author | Graham Charles |
| Publisher | - |
| Edition | 1st (1996) |
| ISBN | 0-908802-36-6 |
| Comment | A good guidebook with much useful info. Note that the grading is real, not the usual guidebook/raft format. 2nd/3rd gorges on Hollyford have changed already. |
| Region | Alaska |
| Title | Alaska, Fast and Cold |
| Author | A. Embick |
| Publisher | - |
| Edition | - |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | Dubious for some of the grading, provides excellent information on river access etc. |
| Region | Hudson River, Atlantic Coast Eastern US |
| Title | Hudson River Watertrail Guide |
| Author | Ian Giddy |
| Publisher | Hudson River Watertrail Associaton (HRWA), Inc. |
| Edition | 4th (1997) |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | c/o HRWA; West 79th Street Boat Basin, Box 46, New York City, NY 10024 . HRWA Watertrail Guide covers the section of the tidal Hudson River from the Atlantic Ocean at New York City to Waterford, NY (140 miles) and the confluence of the Hudson River, Champlain and Erie Canals. Provides launch, camping, supplies, natural environment, history about the Hudson Esturary. Not for sale - available only with membership. |
| Region | Alaska |
| Title | The Alaska river guide |
| Author | Karen Jettmar |
| Publisher | Alaska Northwest Books |
| Edition | 1st (1993) |
| ISBN | 0-88240-430-x |
| Comment | A little basic, best for float trips. |
| Region | Chile |
| Title | Rivers of Chile |
| Author | Lars Holbek |
| Publisher | Online |
| Edition | 2nd |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | Good, crisp river descriptions, a little short on maps. |
| Region | California |
| Title | California Whitewater |
| Author | Jim Cassady, Fryar Calhoun |
| Publisher | North Fork Press |
| Edition | 3rd (1995) |
| ISBN | 0-9613650-2-1 |
| Comment | The raft guide to California |
| Region | California |
| Title | Guide to the Best Whitewater in the State of California |
| Author | Lars Holbek, Chuck Stanley |
| Publisher | Friends of the River Books |
| Edition | 2nd (1998) |
| ISBN | 0-9611524-0-0 |
| Comment | The kayakers guide to California |
| Region | Idaho |
| Title | Idaho, The Whitewater State, A Guidebook |
| Author | Grant Amaral |
| Publisher | Watershed Books, Box 721, Boise, Idaho 83701-0721 |
| Edition | 1990 |
| ISBN | 0-9622344-0-0 |
| Comment | Excellent guidebook, covers entire state, for paddlers of all ability. Good maps, river levels and full river profiles. |
| Region | Colorado |
| Title | The Floater's Guide to Colorado |
| Author | Doug Wheat |
| Publisher | Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc., Billings and Helena, MT |
| Edition | Third Printing - May 1989 |
| ISBN | 0-934318-16-6 |
| Comment | Cheap, old style guide with lots of extra information/history. All the neccessary details, but requires much reading to get the basic information! Haven't paddled with it yet. Also published is: The Floater's Guide to Montana. |
| Region | Colorado |
| Title | Colorado Rivers and Creeks |
| Author | Gordon Banks & Dave Eckardt |
| Publisher | Moenkopi Digital Formations, Boulder, Colorado |
| Edition | 1995 |
| ISBN | 0-9645399-5-0 |
| Comment | Nice looking, full colour, guide - worth buying just for the excellent and plentiful photos. All the neccessary details in an easily accessible format, even includes a restaraunt guide. Haven't paddled with it yet. |
| Region | Alabama, West Virginia |
| Title | Southeastern Whitewater, Fifty of the Best River Trips from Alablama to West Virginia |
| Author | Monte Smith |
| Publisher | Pahsimeroi Press, P.O. Box 190442, Boise, Idaho, ID 83709 |
| Edition | 1995 |
| ISBN | 1-886694-00-1 |
| Comment | This is an extremely thorough guidebook, that covers all of the regions basic runs in far too much detail. The Upper Gauley is classified V+ (a raft grading if ever I heard one) and the write-up makes it sound like the pinacle of all kayaking acheivement. All of the regions harder creek runs aren'tincluded. The author wrote an entire book about a new river rating system called the TRIP scale, included in this guidebook, but far too complicated to use. |
| Region | Kootenays, British Columbia |
| Title | Whitewater Trips and Hotsprings in the Kootenays of British Columbia |
| Author | Betty Pratt Johnson |
| Publisher | Adventure Publishing (Vancouver/Seattle) |
| Edition | 3rd (?) |
| ISBN | - |
| Comment | - |
| Region | British Columbia |
| Title | Canadian Rockies Whitewater I: Southern Rockies |
| Author | Stuart Smith |
| Publisher | Headwaters Press Ltd., P.O. Box 849, Jasper, AB |
| Edition | 1st (1995) |
| ISBN | 0-9699618-0-4 |
| Comment | Haven't used this one yet but looks good. |
| Region | British Columbia |
| Title | Canadian Rockies Whitewater II: Central Rockies |
| Author | Stuart Smith |
| Publisher | Headwaters Press Ltd., P.O. Box 849, Jasper, AB |
| Edition | 1st (1996) |
| ISBN | 0-9699618-1-2 |
| Comment | Haven't used this one yet but looks good. |
Frazer Pearce, F.R.Pearce@durham.ac.uk
5-Apr-98