UKC

Before I buy one, just wondered which is the better Peak bouldering guide. The Rockfax or that one by Rupert Davies? 

Rockfax has more stuff in the 5+6s at some crags. The other guide is better if you are climbing at higher grades I think. I think Rockfax might be missing a couple of the smaller limestone venues from memory. They are both good though.

If you do pick up the Vertebrate one do be careful with it, as it is landscape the spine is shorter and a bit more fragile.

I think it depends on what grade you climb/boulder. Here's my experience...

If (like me) you operate at "punter" grades, then the Rupert Davies one is uninspiring and not much use - to be fair, it's probably not aimed at that clientele (i.e. people like "me"). I never managed to get into bouldering (although I've been soloing gritstone micro-routes for decades) until the Rockfax guide came out and inspired me because of its low grade coverage and especially because of it's low-grade green circuits which are an achievable challenge (rather than being out of sight).

As per usual rockfax has more problems in but the vertebrate one is a nicer book to generally browse. As others have said rockfax has more coverage in the lower grades but vertebrate more detail on harder classics. I have used both and there both excellent guides. 

(I now have the rockfax app and the vertebrate book which is covers all the bases!)

As someone said the spine on the vertebrate one is a bit fragile and mine is now comprised mainly of glue and gaffer tape, but the same can be said for most of my guidebooks!

This might seem like a small thing but the layout of each crag in the vertebrate guide is quite confusing. It puts climbs from left to right but sections of the crag appear from right to left and it ended up taking me twice as long to find anything compared to the rockfax one

Were I to write a review of it this would be my major grip too: it is a really, really frustrating guidebook to use/navigate. There's some lovely, inspiring photography, but as far as finding problems and navigating between them is concerned, there is - in my eyes - no contest whatsoever.

I'm sure that if Vertebrate were to ever do a 3rd Edition it would - much like their new Lakes Bouldering Guide - be amazing, but in the meanwhile I'd go with the Rockfax guide each and every time.

If you think I'm biased, I'll leave you with this: don't buy the Rockfax Lake District Bouldering Guide - buy the Vertebrate one.

Balance has been restored

Won't a remark like that get you sacked from the shadow cabinet - oops, wrong thread 😁

Thanks everyone. Guess I’ll get both then 😁