UKC

Purely hypothetical this one but lets say a guidebook retails in the shops for 20 quid.
Would you be prepared to pay £22.50 if there was a sticker on the front saying "buy this book and one old bolt gets replaced!"

I would buy it - no probs. But I'm interested to know how much a 10% price hike would put people off.

Cheers

E

In reply to Enty:
Yes. I would, but would also expect to see bright metal on some of the climbs! it'd only take a few bad belays/bolts to make me question the scheme though if it wasn't high profile enough.

Solid hardware probably comes before knowing the grade and name of a climb IMO.

K

In reply to Enty:

Yes.

There's a guidebook to the crags in the Arve Valley, called surprisingly 'Vallée de l'Arve' - it's the flat part of the valley down from Chamonix. A magnificent tome of 300 pages and 1550 routes (3000 pitches). It's in its fourth or fifth edition now. The guy who wrote it takes nothing from it - ALL profits go straight to FIXE in Barcelona. In return Gilles distributes bolts, belays etc to all the people active in new routing in the area for free. That's how it should work. Not money for some sub-standard bunch of pages with crap scribbled sketches, going into the coffers of the FFM............

In reply to Enty: In south wales you can print off the wiki page for free

http://www.southwalesmountaineering.org.uk/g_book/index.php/South_Wales_Mou...

and make a contribution to the bolt fund.

http://www.southwalesboltfund.co.uk

or join the club which regularly provides for re-equiping www.southwalesmountaineering.org

In reply to jon:

Hmm, Yes I'd be happy to pay a bit more if some cash was going to bolt replenishment/new routes BUT I think guide book writers should get paid as well and remunerated further from the guides sales.....IMO guide quality is better when authors/small teams are paid. In the UK you just have to look at the Rockfax and Ground Up guides. In my view they continue to set the standard for all guides.

In reply to Rich Kirby:

Are you sure about that? Have you seen the latest BMC, CC, SMC and F&RCC guides? All are excellent. Sure, rockfax gave them a much needed kick up the backside and should be credited with revolutionising British guidebooks, but the volunteer guidebooks in the UK at the moment are excellent.

As for the OP - yes, I would happily pay an extra small margin (maybe 1-5%) if it was going to local bolt/crag care funds.

In reply to Enty:
It depends.
I'd pay extra for a copy of Yorkshire Limestone with a sticker sating "buy this book and one retro bolt gets removed".

In reply to Rich Kirby:

I couldn't agree more, but in fact in the case of the Vallée de l'Arve, Gilles Brunot has chosen to do this! Because he's a (very) good egg.

In reply to Monk:

Mmm, yes. The above guides are much improved and about time but they have been slow to respond. Surely the thing to do is to surpass your competition and despite being much improved I wouldn't say the BMC for example, have surpassed GU's benchmark NW Rock? NW rock came out 4 years or so ago and I'd predict with the next raft of GU guides(Gogarth Sth, Slate) we will see the anti upped once more. I believe the recent SW Fax is the best they've done. Aren't BMC guide book writers/authors payed now? I guess it depends on what u want from a guide........some guides intentionally leave certain info/beta out maintaining the 'spirit of adventure/exploration - or perhaps its left out 'cos it doesn't occur to the Author that its important for some routes. For me I like/want all the info necessary to have a good day out at crag (particularly if I'm driving a long way to get there)......... e.g. how tidal, when in sun/shade/ seepage issues/clear approach details/in situ pro condition at time of write etc etc.........fast food guides, Yes. If I want adventure and mystery there's still plenty of that around if you know where to go.

Whatever, its not everyones cup of tea I know & I guess its not the meat of this thread

In reply to Enty: I hope you're reading this Jack! '2% for the crags' a la Patagonia?

In reply to Rich Kirby:

See, I would disagree. I think that the new BMC guides do surpass the Rockfax and NWR. They are chock full of history, comedy, quirks and interesting mini articles. They are things of beauty. (and they are still voluntary, with the exception of the BMC mastermind).

It probably doesn't help that I've never been a massive fan of North Wales Rock and don't really think that it lived up to the hype. It's a very competent guidebook, and better than the contemporaneous definitives but doesn't blow my mind. I would agree that it gave the CC a kick, and they have again surpassed the professionals. I am also expecting the new guides to up the ante even further.

Then again, the North Wales bouldering guide was a thing of beauty when it came out, but now looks dated in its use of diagrams rather than photo topos. However, this book certainly has an important place in the progression of guidebook history.