Canyoneering: The San Rafeal Swell

Don't pay a ridiculous collectors price. A corrected, new and better edition is in the works, and the profit will go the the author/publisher.

Keep in mind that this book describes the San Rafael Swell. This is a remote, undeveloped part of the world. If you use a guidebook, such as Steve's, that doesn't include all the GPS points and topo maps, then maybe you'll realize that you are going to need more than a guide book to do this stuff safely. And that, my friends, is the genioius of Steve's book. It will get you started, but you need to invest some time with maps etc before the trip to do it safely. Route descriptions for this part of the world should be in units of time rather than units of length. Not all 5 mile roads in the San Rafael are created equal. We've hiked 5 or 6 routes in Steve's book. With proper pre-trip planning, we've always been safe and never seriously lost (we've just experienced temporary navigational inconveniences, so far!) Mike.

Steve's book gives plenty of information to find these hikes with lots of detail about the highlights and routes. Being an experienced mountaineer but a novice canyoneer, I did find selecting hikes a little difficult without a rating system. I would recommend using the Falcon Guide to the same area in conjunction and as a cross reference to avoid getting in over your head. If you can only buy one, get this one, as the 2nd half of the book contains a rich overview of the history and geology of the area which will highly enhance your visit.

The San Rafael Swell is a huge geological blister located in east central Utah. It is crossed by several creeks and has numerous beautiful canyons, cliffs, mesas, slot canyons, and grottoes. It is also marked by spectacular cliffs of white Navajo sandstone, particularly on the east and southeast borders. There are a few big arches in the Swell and a host of gargoyle rocks. It's a place that, were it anywhere else, would be a National Park or Monument. However, in the scenic wonderland that is southeast Utah, it's just another unexplored place for the most part. Up to this book, the bulk of the Swell's publicity has come from occasional uranium strikes.Author Allen has turned out a masterpiece. The book extensively covers all the things previously discussed, and a lot more, too. Especially interesting is the history of the region. The maps and hikes/tours are clearly described, although I would have preferred measuring in terms of distance rather than time. Quite obvious is Allen's enthusiasm for the place, an enthusiasm brought out in the text. The pictures are good, but I would have preferred some of them in color, given the fantastic breadth of colorful formations in this region. I used the book last May in a brief Jeep tour of the Swell, and found it to be very accurate. I recommend the book highly to anyone who wants to see/explore this magnificent region.

A great guide to a vast number of adventures in the San Rafael Swell, what really makes this a quinta-stellar masterpiece is Steve Allen's enormous enthusiasm for the wild places. A variety of hikes are covered and Steve has an amazing attention to detail. Anyone who's looking for information on hiking in the Swell will find this the best book. While most of the hikes are of the hard core variety, there are enough easy hikes to keep the less vigorous busy for a few years.