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NEW REVIEW: Trad CLIMBING + reviewed by Toby Foord-Kelcey

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 UKC Articles 07 Jan 2008
Toby Foord-Kelcey and his friends recently took a Christmas trip deep into Oman armed only with their climbing gear and a copy of Rockfax's latest performance book Trad CLIMBING +. Over the following few days Toby forced his friends, not only read the book, but also have an opinion on its contents. He has summarised all the responses in this extensive review:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=781
In reply to UKC Articles:

Whilst Toby and I have had our differences regarding the desirability of bolting, he's a very competent trad climber in his own right, with experience gained in many countries around the world, despite having a current preference for 'safer' side of the game, given the variable nature of the rock in the UAE where he is currently based.

Whilst it might not go down too well with the people on these isles, he's probably right about the book having a parochial feel to it.

Toby was also right (IMHO) about the chapter on destinations being rushed -- I was asked to contribute a few words on the UAE in the last fortnight before it went to the printers.

I've not received my copy as promised by the production team, so can't comment upon whether anything I wrote actually made it into the book. I'll probably not get one now !
In reply to UKC Articles:

This article is particularly notable for the fact Toby reckons I'm right about something; surely a first. Although I notice he can;t bring himself to mention my name....

jcm
In reply to UKC Articles:
> ... armed only with their climbing gear and a copy of Rockfax's latest performance book Trad CLIMBING +. ...

I think you'll find that they had a lot of information about where they were going, that could not be found in Trad Climbing+. There has been an active climbing scene in the UAE and Oman for several years.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:

Hi Alan

Sorry for not sending you a copy. We didn't end up using any of your text but I am still happy to send you a copy since you put the effort in at that late stage - email me your address directly.

The Destinations chapter is a difficult one. It really is a book on its own to be honest but Destinations isn't what we were writing about so we had to make a compromise. Toby says in his review that it either needs to be more, or not included, and he has a point.

The main reason I wish to include some information is in part to educate climbers to the fact that there is a lot more Trad climbing outside the UK - you'd be surprised how many people think that everything off this island is bolted.

The main reason we couldn't make it bigger is that the amount of space required would expand exponentially if we included just a little bit more information about each place. The information that you sent is a good case in point. It was detailed and informative, but if I had given equal coverage to all the other areas then the chapter would have been 5 times the size which simply wasn't possible.

The book is about performance, it is not a guidebook. The chapter about destinations fits into the format but does probably point towards a bigger book - the same comment was made about the training chapter in Sport Climbing +. We have to draw a line somewhere in order to actually publish the book at the required size.

It should also be pointed out that Adrian and John had very little to do with the last chapter.

Alan
Rockfax
In reply to Alan James - UKC:

Alan
You have mail.

Many thanks

Alan
 UKB Shark 08 Jan 2008
In reply to johncoxmysteriously: This article is particularly notable for the fact Toby reckons I'm right about something; surely a first. Although I notice he can;t bring himself to mention my name....


Notable to you maybe and onlyy half right at best.

Toby - as a detail man I am surprised you confused 'complement' and 'compliment' - sorry it always makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

Great article - a book review is not the most exciting subject matter. It made me laugh that you always find a way to highlight the parochialism of UK climbing/ers.
In reply to Simon Lee:

> Toby - as a detail man I am surprised you confused 'complement' and 'compliment' - sorry it always makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

Ouch .. yes .. I see what you mean.
In reply to Toby Foord-Kelcey:

Corrected
 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 08 Jan 2008
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
>
>
> Toby was also right (IMHO) about the chapter on destinations being rushed -- I was asked to contribute a few words on the UAE in the last fortnight before it went to the printers.
>

I'm interested in how long you would have needed to write your 'few words' to feel that the Destinations chapter was not "rushed"?


Chris
In reply to Chris Craggs:

It only took me a short while to actually put my little bit together(under 300 words), which included links to the guide and to the UAE blogspot. My point was that the request came a matter of days before the cut off date, and there was no opportunity to discuss or review what was actually submitted, as my ideas may not have been what was wanted.

The request gave the impression of being an afterthought to 'fill up' a few blank pages after the main formatting had been done. As Alan said, what I submitted was detailed and informative, but to give equal treatment to the various other areas would have taken up too much space.
In reply to Chris Craggs:

Out of interest, this is what I submitted.

Trad Climbing in the UAE / Oman border region

Since the mid 1970’s over 50 separate cliffs and more than 600 routes have been climbed and documented in the Western Hajar and the Ru’us Al Jibal mountains which lie along the UAE / Oman border. The rock is limestone, and is generally very rough due to lack of water weathering. The rock is rarely as loose as it looks, but the routes encourage a bold approach, ranging from short single pitches, to serious mountaineering routes of over 500 metres. There is something for everyone. Routes range from Moderate to E5. The longer mountaineering routes are graded up to UIAA ED VI+. Most are accessible in less than 2 hours from Dubai, along fast modern highways and good tracks. In the north of the region, Wadi Bih, Wadi Qada’a, Wadi Louab have the greatest concentration of good climbing. Wadi Ghalilah and Wadi Khab a’Shamis are less popular but have great potential. Other good climbing can be found in the south near to Hatta, near to the twin oases cities of Al Ain / Buraimi that straddle the border – though cross border access is becoming more problematical. Wonderwall in particular is a fine venue with 3-4 pitch slab routes.

In Oman itself there are even greater mountaineering possibilities in the Musandam Peninsula to the north, and in the Al Hamra towers area of central Oman, with major routes on Jebel Misht and Jebel Kawr.

A comprehensive and up to date guide (UAE – A Climbers Guide) is available in the UK on CD Rom in .pdf format from Alan Stark – alstark@blueyonder.co.uk, and in the UAE from Pete Aldwinckle pete@globalclimbing.com

Recently there has been a significant development of sport climbing in the region – details on the blog - http://uaeclimbing.blogspot.com/

 Glyn Jones 08 Jan 2008
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
> (In reply to Chris Craggs)
> A comprehensive and up to date guide (UAE – A Climbers Guide) is available in the UK on CD Rom in .pdf format from Alan Stark – alstark@blueyonder.co.uk, and in the UAE from Pete Aldwinckle pete@globalclimbing.com

Cost?
>
> Recently there has been a significant development of sport climbing in the region – details on the blog - http://uaeclimbing.blogspot.com/

Cheers

Glyn

 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 08 Jan 2008
In reply to Lord of Starkness:

Yes I understand that, a great pity that the stuff didn't make the cut, sounds like an intruiging area.

I was just interested in the idea that working to deadlines suggests that the section was rushed - I had a hand in that chapter and didn't feel unduly pressured to meet the deadline. I know the chapter was planned from the beginning and wasn't a late add-on.

Chris
TimS 08 Jan 2008
In reply to UKC Articles: Well written interesting review. The only error I noticed was "The accident-of-the-month analyses that Rock and Ice Magazine used to run were excellent in that regard." R&I still run these, and very interesting they are too.
In reply to Glyn Jones:
> (In reply to Lord of Starkness)
> [...]
>
> Cost?
>
£15 incl postage -- it's equivalent to 350pp A5, and has over 100 colour photodiagrams and maps. Supplied in a DVD type case that sits nicely on your bookshelf along with other guidebooks

Gratuitous plug over!
In reply to TimS:
> The only error I noticed was "The accident-of-the-month analyses that Rock and Ice Magazine used to run were excellent in that regard." R&I still run these, and very interesting they are too.

I wondered about that. I had an idea that they'd changed the format since the ownership change but I don't have a R&I subscription any more and so couldn't check easily.

If anyone is more broadly interested in climbing in 'proper' Oman (rather than the areas near to the UAE) not very much has changed since this summary from March 2007: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=231127

One major development has been a lot of new DWS at Bandar Jissah near to Muscat, documented very well at omanclimbing.com : http://www.omanclimbing.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=31

Also new sport routes have just been added by Austrian climbers up to F8b+ and the Slovenian Pavle Kozjek may be trying a new major trad line on Jebel Misht this month.
TimS 08 Jan 2008
In reply to Toby Foord-Kelcey: Available on their website if you're not bothered about subscribing, although it's the only climbing magazine I think is worth reading http://www.rockandice.com/magazine.php?type=accidents
In reply to Toby Foord-Kelcey:

The Omani rock you used to illustrate your review appears infintely more trustworthy than a lot of the stuff I climbed on in the Emirates! Makes me even more jealous that I never got the chance to visit Oman. ;0(
 Morgan Woods 28 Jan 2008
In reply to UKC Articles:

great, well thought out review which i have only just spotted....and this bit:

"I have sometimes been surprised how people, who have come into climbing via courses, will fuss over issues where incremental safety gains are slight – obsessive equalisation of belay anchors, for instance – yet make poor gear placements when on lead."

nail on the head.
In reply to Morgan Woods:

Indeed. One would perhaps substitute the word 'never' for 'sometimes', or possibly 'observed' for 'been surprised' but a good observation nonetheless.

jcm
 Morgan Woods 28 Jan 2008
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

he also could have added the course led mentality of "escaping the system"...something i am yet to do after 20+ years.
In reply to Morgan Woods:

Quite so. Perish the thought of making an attempt upon, let us say, Ordinary Route on the Idwal Slabs, before learning how to do that.

jcm
 Morgan Woods 28 Jan 2008
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

ahhh....it does warm the heart to denigrate the wall bred punters*






* he says packing bag for the westway this afternoon ;o
In reply to UKC Articles:

I enjoyed leafing through my copy.

When I were nobbut a lad, the climbing 'bible' was Blackshaw's 'Mountaineering'.

IMVHO Trad Climbing+ is a worthy successor, as it's bang up to date with the latest on technique and equipment. No aspirant adventure (I hate the abbreviation 'Trad') climber should be without a copy.

When will the 'Alpinism +' and 'Winter Climbing+' be on the shelves to complete the set?
In reply to Morgan Woods:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=124919&v=1#x1723069

Previous rant of mine on this topic.

jcm

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