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Bouldering guidebooks for areas around greater Manchester

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 dl_wraith 23 Sep 2013
I'm sorry to have to ask this but I'm having some difficulty and could do with a nudge in the right direction.

I've taken to a spot of bouldering here and there and would like to pick up some useful guidebooks for the areas near me. Where I found it reasonably easy to get some relevant books for trad routes near me I'm struggling a little for bouldering guides.

By now the question will be obvious: can anyone recommend any good bouldering guidebooks for places around the greater Manchester area? As I'm new to bouldering (climbing at V2/easy V3 at the moment) guides with details of lower grade routes would be extra helpful.

Cheers ears.
 drolex 23 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith:
For the peak mainly, if you are on the east side of GM
Peak Bouldering http://www.rockfax.com/climbing-guides/books/peak-bouldering/ not yet published...
Peak District Bouldering http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peak-District-Bouldering-Rupert-Davies/dp/190614827...
 Jon Stewart 23 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith:

Don't ignore Yorkshire - Bridestones and Widdop (plus other bits round there) might not be far away. The newer bouldering guides didn't include Bridestones as the rock's soft and it's starting to fall apart, but it is still some of the best bouldering anywhere. Given that, the old Rockfax Yorkshire Bouldering guide (which does describe Bridestones) might be your best bet for those venues.
 Choss 23 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith:

Dont know about guidebooks. But you could do worse than just turn up at Brownstones quarry and just pick what tickles yer fancy.

If you check youtube, someone with the handle GCW666 shows a lot of the problems.

Hope that helps.
 galpinos 23 Sep 2013
In reply to Choss:
> If you check youtube, someone with the handle GCW666 shows a lot of the problems.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/profile.php?id=17300

Doesn't post here anymore, can be found on the other channel.

 Choss 23 Sep 2013
In reply to galpinos:

didn't say he does post on here. Just pointed out his youtube feed a good source for Lancs bouldering info.

Plus i know he's a nice guy.
OP dl_wraith 26 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith: all exceedingly helpful thus far - thank you.

I saw those guides on Amazon and am likely to pick them up.

Probably going to drop by Brownstones and some rocks in Chew Valley this weekend to have a nosey around. Was at Robs Rocks a few weeks ago so I know my way there.

I'm based in Sale and have gone tinkering about in Alderly Edge before now. Most of the puzzles around the edge seem a little beyond me at present.
In reply to dl_wraith:
Try the Cheshire sandstone guide. Pex Hill, Helsby, Harmers Wood and Frodsham are not too far from Greater Manchester if you have a car.
OP dl_wraith 27 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith: Peak District Bouldering ordered from Amazon - will let you know how good that is when it arrives.
The Rockfax Peak bouldering guide is now on pre-order. The new Rockfax guides are really good and easy to work with so I'll buy that even if it overlaps with the book that I've just bought.

In reply to dl_wraith:
> The Rockfax Peak bouldering guide is now on pre-order.

Don't pre-order it from Amazon. They will only get stock about 2 weeks after we have sent our own pre-orders and we will do it at something much cheaper than £29.95

Quickest cheapest way to get the book is to do so via the Rockfax site and we only put the book up for sale there when it is due within a month.

Cheers

Alan
 robin mueller 27 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith:

Watch this space for a Lancs bouldering guide, covering Bowland, the South Lancs Quarries and the little known East Lancs Moors. Hopefully ready before Christmas.

In the meantime, most of the currently available Lancs bouldering topos are listed on http://ukbouldering.com/wiki/index.php/Lancashire - some of the links don't work, but if you ask around someone will be able to send you the revelant pdf. Brownstones has already been mentioned, I'd also recommend Blackstone Edge for good lower grade stuff.

OP dl_wraith 27 Sep 2013
In reply to Alan James - Rockfax: Good tip. Rockfax it is then *cancels pre-order*
OP dl_wraith 27 Sep 2013
In reply to robin mueller: Weather's looking really good this weekend. Might take that advice on Sunday then. Thanks!
OP dl_wraith 28 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith: up wimberry boulders in chew valley right now. Really windy! But ace weather
 snapperdan 29 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith: Over the Moors has some great bouldering and most of it is very accessible from Manchester.

The section on the Chew boulders is far better than its equilvilent in Peak District Bouldering and there are good sections on Tintwistle and West Nab too.


The Kirklees guides are great too especially Standedge, which is a great spot.
OP dl_wraith 30 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith: Ah - I may have to look out for those then.

Found myself at Brownstones yestaerday for the first time. Had the place ENTIRELY to myself the whole day! Took a beginner with me who'd never been on real rock before and found that the highly polished first footholds on the V0 routes were making things....interesting. She managed to get up a couple though after teaching her how to mantle on the low steps around the two-step area.

The topos I used yesterday came from http://brownstones.wikifoundry.com - they served me well and the signal wasn't bad on O2 so I could get to the web easily.

Pond area is unclimbable at the moment (unless you traverse onto it) as the pond is all the way up to the bottom of the wall and the top-outs wre quite overgrown and dirty on a number of routes across the site but it was a highly enjoyable day. Loved the cracks and corners especially and the Dezertion area was a suntrap all afternoon.

Cool stuff.
OP dl_wraith 30 Sep 2013
In reply to robin mueller:
> In the meantime, most of the currently available Lancs bouldering topos are listed on http://ukbouldering.com/wiki/index.php/Lancashire -

Thanks, Robin - I'm pretty sure that your link is how I found the wikifoundry page in the end.
 robin mueller 30 Sep 2013
In reply to dl_wraith:

> Pond area is unclimbable at the moment (unless you traverse onto it) as the pond is all the way up to the bottom of the wall and the top-outs wre quite overgrown and dirty on a number of routes across the site but it was a highly enjoyable day. Loved the cracks and corners especially and the Dezertion area was a suntrap all afternoon.
>
> Cool stuff.

Glad you had fun. The pond level is normal - it only disappears in very dry spells. The water makes the traverse a bit more exciting.

If you liked Brownstones, Cadshaw small quarry has similar easy quarried grit problems, but is a much more minor venue.
OP dl_wraith 01 Oct 2013
In reply to robin mueller:
> The pond level is normal - it only disappears in very dry spells. The water makes the traverse a bit more exciting.
>
> ...Cadshaw small quarry has similar easy quarried grit problems, but is a much more minor venue.

On the pond thing I suppose what I was really saying was, you can't place a mat to protect the landing because of the water.....unless you have a li-lo (new thread: using inflatables as crash mats. Anyone? )

I'm of the mind to try anywhere and everywhere. Until I rack up experience in different venues I'll have no idea what I like and what I don't. One thing is for certain though - bouldering outside seems generally more difficult than bouldering inside. Which is strange because I find it's the other way around when top-roping.
 rooroo 05 Oct 2013
In reply to Choss:
> (In reply to galpinos)
>
> didn't say he does post on here...

> Plus i know he's a nice guy.

christ you don't know him then, he's a right coont...

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