UKC

"The new North Wales Climbs from Rockfax is an improvement on the previous edition, with extra routes, great topos, and inspiring action shots" says Tom Ripley. Do you agree with his thoughts on what's in, and what's not...?

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The reviewer sates that "the routes on the left end of Penmaenhead (left of Tunnel Vision), directly above the A55, are some of the worst in Wales. How anyone was motivated enough to clean and bolt them is a mystery to me. These climbs make Horseshoe Quarry look like the Verdon Gorge, and have no place in a select guidebook." Presumably he means Trench Wall. If so why doesn't he say so? Its very odd describing it to the left of Tunnel Vision when Trench Wall is an entirely separate area some distance away down steps and at right angles To Tunnel Vision. Those who have done some of the 34 routes there disagree. Of those ascents logged on UKC  almost none get no stars. Many get 2 and some get 3. How is the reviewers opinion so utterly at odds with the experience of those who have done the climbs?

At the Rockfax company meeting
On their hands - a dead guide book
And oh, the plans they weave
And oh, the sickening greed

Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package!
Re-evaluate the climbs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra route (and a tacky badge)

Hey Rockcat,

Yep - I mean Trench Wall. Sorry I didn’t know it was called that.

It’s a pretty grotty area right next to the A55. It is very noisy - the only time I could imagine it is tranquil would either be in the dead or night, or if Wales were in the knockout stages of a major sporting tournament. The rock is quarried, and there is litter everywhere. It’s the sort of place where I wouldn’t be surprised to find a murder victim.

How these routes get any stars is a mystery to me. 

This is an inappropriate venue to be described in a selective guide to North Wales. It’s a inclusion does a disservice to the quality of the routes in North Wales.

If you don’t believe me go and climb at any other crag in the guidebook, and report back regarding the quality of the one and two star routes. 

Remember, a two star route should be really bloody good. 

Something like Rat Race, or Icarus, or Wen, or Lighthouse Arête. I could go on…

Slight geographical change, but on the same topic of 2 star routes. Last week I climbed Cooks Tour on Pavey Ark. A 2 star route apparently (that's in the FRCC guides, not sure about RF). Yet it is a botanical excursion with plenty of dirty, but mostly just dense vegetation, before some mild redemption in the final pitch. Anyway, it's done now. Gimmer tomorrow

Cover shot on the new NWRF is brilliant  

I can see where this is coming from. The review bemoans the omission of Adar, forwyn, llandulas, and a few similar venues. This tells me the reviewer has done loads of climbing in the area and is operating in the mid extremes. Most of the rockfax audience won't be, and anyone who is can likely justify owning the definitives, so the authors probably made the right call. And you don't need a guidebook for Adar anyway.

It's a really nice looking guide and some areas, particularly the gogarth and range sections are excellent. However having given it a good read through, it's a shame to see some errors and mistakes carried forward from the last guide (grades, route descriptions and topo lines).

I agree with Tom about the Penmaenhead stuff, there are much better crags and areas that have been missed out or have limited coverage. More than half of climbing grades are in the extremes, so I don't think that's a valid reason to exclude them from a select guide (unless it's a grade specific guide).

Overall a pretty sweet guide though, the drone shots in particular are excellent (a first time visitor to tremadog might actually find the start of their route!).

How come you don't know its called Trench Wall when its called Trench Wall in the guidebook you are reviewing? The trench is dismal no doubt about it but the climbing is usually engaging and on solid rock. The traffic noise is quickly forgotten when grappling with the intricacies of the climbs as clearly many people have discovered. Because of the location I would agree that there are better venues in North Wales and it should not have been included.

Rockfax gonna rockfax

Not saying it is, but I doubt many people are going to e.g. craig y forwyn on their first trip to the area with just a selected guidebook, and if they are they're probably there for the line in all the photos. And if it was in the selected guide they'd either have to give it 8 pages or really half-ass it, so I can see why the decision is what it is.

We might be violently agreeing with each other here; I haven't been to the specific wall at penmaenhead but if it is the worst of the crag I'd almost certainly agree it doesn't deserve to go in. We'd all have chosen crags differently according to preference but you have to remember what rockfax is for. It's not for the people who climb there loads and have collected all the low hanging fruit and have a shelf full of relevant guidebooks. The crags I mentioned realistically have a ticket price of E3+ to get the best out of, so the authors had a choice to make.

Yeah, this is what rockfax wins at.

I'd love to hear about these. Please feel free to email me with corrections alan [at] rockfax.com

Alan

In general your assessment is good here. We write guides for people who aren't familiar with the area and sometimes include new stuff that might not be as good as the standard content. It is quite likely that some of these areas will become digital-only in future editions.

I think Rockfax has moved beyond the traditional concept of 'selected guide' these days. Much of our coverage in all areas is laying the basis for more complete coverage on Rockfax Digital. Slate being a good example of that in North Wales where we cover all bases - comprehensive guide, selected guide and digital. This requires areas to sometimes be covered in print and then moved to digital-only in a subsequent edition. 

Alan

I'm pretty busy the next week or two, but I'll get an email over to you Alan.

Alex