UKC

Ive been trad climbing for about a year now and have recently been bouldering indoors.
Its done my technique the world of good and I want to get outdoors. However the couple of guidebooks I have contain no bouldering. I live in Sheffield and have heard the BMC bouldering book for the area used to be better than the Rockfax one, is this still the case?

Any recommendations as to which bouldering guide is best for around Sheffield?

Cheers

In reply to TClimb:

The BMC definitive guides are the best, containing all the bouldering and all the trad. Lovely books with lots of character.

But for practical purposes, for bouldering only, I would have thought the Rockfax Peak Bouldering guide is now the best bet - loads of problems, easy to use, all in one guidebook. Plus there's a big picture of me in it.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Well I have hard you are a stunner. I already have Eastern Grit and an old Stanage BMC book (although the one with the drawings and few photos and its not a lot of use). Since I have Eastern Grit already maybe Ill go Rockfax bouldering guide. I assume thatll have much more than just Stanage

I heard though that the BMC has more of the easier boludering problems in? Is this true? Is so I could be tempted as Im starting slow...!

In reply to TClimb:

I couldn't comment on the BMC guide but I'd struggle to imagine it being significantly better than the Rockfax one. I flipped through one a couple of weeks ago and liked it so much I asked my wife to get me one for my birthday! It's now the default toilet reading!
All the problems are very clearly marked and given symbols to denote whether they're sit starts, hard on the arms, reachy etc. The drawings of each boulders location also seems to be very accurate, I'd never been to The Pinnacle boulders at Froggat and recognised them from the books descriptions and drawings straight away.

In reply to TClimb:

I've just read the reply you've made to another post, I'm only bouldering in the 5's outside and there looks to be plenty to go at that sort of grade in the Rockfax guide. They've even worked out circuits in a Font. style.

In reply to Removed Usergilesf:


Different beasts. The BMC produce the definitive guides with all the routes, all the boulders, all the history, little features along the way, etc. A series of volumes covering everything in the Peak - a must-have collection for the local or obsessive/nerd. Rockfax on the other hand produce very user-friendly, practical guides. For the Peak. Over and over again.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

I think I prefer the ethos and feel of the BMC ones, but for pure bouldering in many locations (beyond Stanage) it seems the Rockfax wins, as I dont want to have to buy several books at the minute. Saying that it feels like the "corporate" choice...whilst the BMC feels the "right" thing to do!

In reply to TClimb:


You've nailed it there!

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Looks like Im going to be a corporate scumbag then and buy the BMC ones when my lad grows up and Im rich....!

Cheers guys