Vladimir Gavrilov wrote this fantastic book about the whitewater rivers of the former Soviet Union. He led many expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s throughout his native Russia as well as the Ukraine, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. This book describes the major rivers of these countries and includes stories from his expeditions.
This is a book written with boaters in mind. You’ll find complete logistics, maps, and detailed descriptions of over 40 different Class IV – VI whitewater rivers. You’ll also enjoy the pictures and funny stories from Vlad’s travels through these remote regions.
I joined Vlad on the Kaa Khem River in Siberia in 2011 and was hooked! Stories from this book motivated me to return to the former USSR in 2018 for a month long paddling trip in 2018 through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. We used this book to find the access to the best rivers in these countries.
The former Soviet Union is the last frontier for whitewater boaters. Vlad’s book is the key to successfully exploring this region, which makes up 1/6th of the planet’s surface area.
The book is available at River Hardware.
