UKC

Gogarthgate......continued...the organic guidebook.

© kebana
The debate over the definitive guidebook to Gogarth, dubbed 'Gogarthgate" continues.

We did get an unofficial and off-the-record message from someone inside the Climbers' Club, (dubbed 'Deep Throat' after the secret source within the FBI who fed the press with details of the Watergate scandal) that the Climbers' Club will no longer publish the definitive guidebook to Gogarth and will hand over the baton to Ground Up publishing.

However, the Gogarth guide seems to have taken on a life of its own and to aid in the compilation of the guidebook an online wikipedia-type website has been set up that is open to all to contribute, view and print out. Have a good look around gogarth.wetpaint.com (soon to be www.gogarth.org.uk). Very impressive it is too with contributions from past and present Gogarth devotees.

Adam Wainwright wrote about the site and the guidebook, "We also need photographs of routes, crags and players, both recent, old and yet to be taken. We are also planning on including as many interesting stories, sound bites, quips and quotes as we can get our hands on. These could be historical, humorous, epic or otherwise so put the word out and if you have anything to add then get writing and get it to us."

Ground Up have been accused of being 'opportunist profiteers', although as many have pointed out, even some within the CC, that what is being discussed is a 'relatively uncommercial definitve guide.'


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26 Feb, 2007
Of note is this 360 degree panorama from the top of the descent to Upper Tier and Main Cliff by Keith Robertson http://www.fachwen.org/qtvr/wales/060121-1431-gogarth.html There is also one of the South Stack area here: http://www.fachwen.org/qtvr/wales/060121-1528-gogarth.html
26 Feb, 2007
The Gogarth Wiki site has really taken off, considering that the site has only been live for a little over one week, the sheer amount of quality information on the site is staggering. There are at present 37 registered users many of which are known and very well respected Gogarth Devotees. Many have been editing thier own first ascents, commenting on the grade list and simply adding ideas. In order to make it as user friendly and helpful as possible we now require people to up date any info on insitu gear, suspect grade of routes or better descriptions, in order to make this page the most up to date information source on Gogarth there has ever been. It has been an inspiring experience watching the site grow and grow, as people add to and up date the information. I don't think I have ever seen such a rapid development of some key information to one area of climbing, and is a testiment to the power of the a few like minded individual, the internet and dare I say it UKC for facilitating a debate and helping to promote the site. Oh and mick the link is wrong there appears to be a /l at the end of the link when clicked. Also we are now online on http://www.gogarth.org.uk Anyway my palms are sweating with the anticipated resurgence in activity this summer.
26 Feb, 2007
Corrected.
26 Feb, 2007
and......the best DWS at Gogarth: Electric Blue featured in the video Snap Shot of My Minds Eye by Mark Reeves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwkFYW1J3zE
27 Feb, 2007
Mick, the panoramas by Keith Robertson are amazing! Really give you the sense of being there. Is this the sort of online resource that could be available for the guide? If so, then fabulous. It seems strange to accuse Ground Up of being "opportunist profiteers". If anyone comes up with a way of turning a profit without an opportunity, then please tell me; and of course you won't want to take advantage of your position and charge me for your services! I for one, love the idea of an online resource or database to crags, with the added opportunity to purchase a hard copy guidebook. It would be good if Ground Up could offer something like this, perhaps taking advantage of what is currently available. A lot of magazines work in a similar way of course, with premium content available to subscribers only. I certainly wouldn't begrudge anyone making a profit from the guidebook production if it was a quality product, and essential information was available online. The current situation just seems to be proof that you get nothing for nothing. Working for no financial gain will work with a small audience perhaps, but now we have a substantial market. Given some of the members of the team willing to endorse this production, I'd say the project is in sensitive hands. Of the last CC guide, I have to say that I found the route descriptions very poor, particularly for South Stack, and often resorted to using my North Wales guide. Dave T.
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