UKC

Can anyone recommend any guide other than the FRCC Lake District Rock - Selected Rock Climbs?

I prefer guides with photos overlain with the route lines in a Rockfax style. I'm hopeless at interpreting written directiions. Surprised not to be able to find a Rockfax guide to the area. Or am I missing something?

In reply to BnB:

As far as I know the FRCC is the only one.

In reply to BnB:

Which area of the Lakes are you interested in? The most recent definitive guides produced by the FRCC use photo diagrams.

In reply to GrahamD: There is a Vertical Brain Guide to Limestone ,Slate ,Micro Granite Rhyolite and Sand stone in the Lakes but its nearly 10 years old now.100 Classic Climbs In The Lake District by Stephen reid and Steve Ashton,Crowood Press.Again this is nearly 10 years old but I think thats about it.

In reply to abcdefg:

Yes, I've had a look at the Langdale guide in the Leeds Wall shop. I was after a wider ranging compendium.

In reply to BnB:

It's not just the Langdale guide which uses photodiagrams: so do 'Gable & Pillar', 'Buttermere', 'Eastern Crags' and 'Eden Valley'. That's why I asked if you had a particular area in mind.

There is currently no better overall 'selected' guide than the FRCC one.

In reply to BnB:


All part of the conspiracy to completely overlook the Lakes as an incredibly good climbing destination so that everything gets dirty and neglected even when the weather's great.

But, I'm curious as to why you're asking in October!

In reply to BnB:

How do you manage on multi pitch routes?

Not even Rockfax give you a series of photos showing where you go from each stance!

In reply to PATTISON Bill:

More like 19 years old - http://www.rockfax.com/climbing-guides/old-books/the-lakes/

It finally sold out last year!

For those who don't know the connection, Vertical Brain was an early name for Rockfax guidebooks.

Alan

In reply to Toreador:


And what do you do when the line isn't in the right place!

In reply to Ander:

The same thing you do when the description is misleading, or wrong.

Alan

BnB

The FRCC Lake District Rock - "Selected Rock Climbs in the English Lake District" is excellent and contains very good diagrams - in many case much clearer than photos with overlays.

So if you are missing something or want to know why there aren't rival guides the the answer it is likely this guidebook.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

You will have climbers being told to think for themselves next

In reply to duchessofmalfi:

Are we talking about the same book here? The topos are almost adequate. I tend to allow at least 30mins for interpretation and debate before starting a route.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

I think they're fine and on the whole make sense - you just have to squint at the crag and the defining features that stand out are those that are on the drawing. Obviously there will be a couple of exceptions.

Maybe there should come a point though, after 2, maybe 3 minutes, where you stop procrastinating and start climbing! It all become clear soon enough - you'd certainly find out in less than 30 minutes, anyway...

In reply to Calder: The crags in the Lakes can be quite big. If I ever find the right bit of crag to start climbing in 2 or 3 minutes using those topos, I'll let you know.

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax: Sorry Alan, old age and maths dont go together.

In reply to PATTISON Bill:

If we're getting to the obscure there is also the old Constable guide. In truth, though, the only sensible contemporary guide is the FRCC selected guide.

In reply to PATTISON Bill:

Er, make that nearly 25 years. On the other hand, measured on your time scale, I should be nearly 24 years old now, which I rather like.

In reply to BnB: Thanks everyone. The FRCC guide it is. To the chap who enquired why I want one in winter: it's for my Christmas list.

In reply to Calder:

Plus one from me. Al Phizacklea's crag diagrams in the FRCC compendium are some of the best of the genre - often better for large crags IMO as you don't get as bad foreshortening as you do with photos taken from beneath the crag.

I find it an excellent guidebook.

In reply to Martin Hore:

Agree, I've always found it very user-friendly and have never got lost!

In reply to Steve Ashton:

I have the '100 best climbs' guide for both the the Lakes and Wales and think they are superb guides. It took me while to get used to the topo layout but once I had done so no longer had any excuses for going off route, which I can do with remarkable ease. My Welsh guide in particular is extremely well thumbed and represents huge sentimental value from my early days of getting to know the Welsh lower grade classics. A big thank you.

In reply to Calder:

I usually prefer photo-diagrams but quite like the ones in this book. Don't recall having significant problems locating stuff but it has been a while since I climbed in the Lakes.

In reply to BnB: the constable guide (Birkett, Cram, Eilbeck, Roper) has photos with routes marked. used copies <£3 online..

In reply to malk:


This is a great example of why photo topos doesn't always mean clearer ! to be fair though, this guide is much maligned but is no worse or better than the Paul Williams Snowdonia guide in the the series and way better than the Peak bumper book of random grades.

In reply to BnB:

Al's diagrams were well drawn and were used for the FRCC guides for many years. Prior to them Heaton Cooper did the diagrams. All diagrams to 2000 were black and white - lately with red lines for routes.

When the Selected Guide was being put together Jon Barton of Vertebrate Graphics suggested the idea of colouring the diagrams and he produced examples which looked fantastic - and the coloured diagrams were used for the Selected Guide.

After this guide the FRCC moved on to photodiagrams.

Al has a great eye for the lines on crags (and for new routes) - glad to see BnB has seen sense and accept these - to diagrams are very usable.

The new Selective guide to the Lakes will be with photodiagrams but will not be available for this Christmas.