UKC

NEW REVIEW: The Climbers Club Guide to Lundy, by Martin Kocsis

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 UKC Gear 05 Aug 2008
Martin Kocsis takes a look at the new Climbers Club guide to Lundy written by Paul Harrison. He finds it to be, amongst other things, written with love, photographed with clarity and... owned with intent!

Read More: http://new.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=1169
 Matt Vigg 05 Aug 2008
In reply to UKC Gear:

I had a flick through this guide the other day, it's very very good, great photos and topos. It's also really thick, significantly thicker than e.g. the last North Devon and Cornwall guide, made me think (again) I really must organise a trip over there...
 John2 05 Aug 2008
In reply to UKC Gear: I agree, a brilliant guide. Was it just the copy I looked at, or is the back cover photo printed out of focus?
 stuartf 05 Aug 2008
In reply to UKC Gear:

It looks amazing - I might have to get a copy despite already having the previous one!

I'm surprised they've put Road Runner in as an E3 though, given that most people only do the first pitch anyway. Would it not have been more sensible to put it at VS and say it's E3 if you do the top pitch free? As it is then "VS climbers" flicking through the guide might miss a great route. Maybe they're trying to reduce the number of people abseiling off and leaving piles of tat at the top I suppose...
 Matt Vigg 05 Aug 2008
In reply to John2:

Didn't notice that, maybe a dodgy copy?
 Al Evans 05 Aug 2008
In reply to stuartf:
> (In reply to UKC Gear)
I'm surprised they've put Road Runner in as an E3 though, given that most people only do the first pitch anyway. Would it not have been more sensible to put it at VS and say it's E3 if you do the top pitch free?

Absolutely, its arguably the best VS in LCB, plus last time I talked to Paul he was doubtful that it had ever had on on sight free lead of the top pitch at the supposed E3 6b, so what has happened? A shame to lose a classic VS for a bit of scrubbing around on a boulder problem at the top.
Al
 dpmUK 05 Aug 2008
In reply to UKC Gear:

Should it not be stated that the reviewer is now the secretary of the CC's guidebook committee? After all it is a possible conflict of interest - I'd be surprised if he said it was awful.

That said having seen it it does look very good and so there's probably nothing wrong with the review itself.
 John2 05 Aug 2008
In reply to dpmUK: I think you mean that he is a member (not the secretary) of the BMC guidebook committe.
Anita Grey 05 Aug 2008
In reply to dpmUK: If you read the review carefully, he makes some very good points about problems in previous CC guides, and refers to the "loss" of Gogarth to Ground Up Publishing being "a knee in the crotch" to the CC. Sounds like he is engaging in a bit of straight talking.

I'm sure that if he thought it was awful he would say so. I don't think he is the sort to worry about expressing an opinion that might upset a few people, if he can back up what he says with facts.

So yes, there's "probably nothing wrong with the review itself"

x
 steve taylor 05 Aug 2008
In reply to John2:

Nope - he's the new secretary of the PSC
 Jack Geldard 05 Aug 2008
In reply to dpmUK: That's a fair point, thanks for pointing that out. However this is a fair and even-handed review that I have looked at and talked with Martin about.

Martin has a lot of relevant experience in the guidebook field, is an experienced Lundy climber and can string a few words together in a review without making a dull prosaic list. He was an obvious choice for this review.

I also have a review copy of the guide and agree with all of Martin's points. I shall also be writing a review on how the guide performed 'in action' when I get chance to go to Lundy with said guide in hand.

UKClimbing.com gear reviews are honest. We have negative reviews as well as positive reviews. Everyone has prejudices to some degree (some obvious, some much more subtle or even sub-concious) - the task of a reviewer is to leave those behind and concentrate on the product you are reviewing.

Martin has done that here and he has done it well.

Thanks Martin and thanks dpmUK.

Jack
 John2 05 Aug 2008
In reply to steve taylor: OK, then the web site's not up to date. Still shows Gwyn Evans.
 dpmUK 05 Aug 2008
In reply to UKC Gear:

I should of made it more clear that I thought it was a fair review and that I'm also quite sure that Martin wouldn't let his position influence what he wrote. I wasn't having a go at anyone merely pointing out there was a possible conflict of interest and it's normally better to be open about these things.
 Alex Thompson 07 Aug 2008
In reply to UKC Gear:
Looks a decent guide from the previews; one small niggle is that it has the usual CC guidebook problem that the routes aren't numbered in the text, so you have to refer to the box in the topo page then the line.
Probably that's just me being awkward...
 Coel Hellier 07 Aug 2008
In reply to Alex Thompson:

> Probably that's just me being awkward...

Nope, you're sensible, it's them being awkward.

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