UKC

Sure, I live near to a couple of crags so I have got the books for them as I go there often, but I was wondering what people do when they visit somewhere just for the day or the afternoon, do you spend £25+ on a book that you will use for 1 or 2 routes?

I am off to Scotland next week, mainly to do a bit of scrambling, walking and photography. I have seen on the 'find crags' tool that there is a multipitch route that I could convince the Mrs to lead a section of that is right on the doorstep to our campsite, but I'm not sure if spending £25 on a book just for one route will be worth it in case we don't have time or the right weather and the fact we are only there for a short period of time.

What do other people do? Buy the book and man up or try and blag it on the day?

On a completely separate note, if anyone has a copy of 'Scottish Rock - South' and wants to scan me a sample page and send it across before I buy it I would be very grateful!

In reply to BStar:

I'd buy the guide. But then I like guidebooks.

Are you really never going to climb in Scotland again? It's a very inspiring book that one...

In reply to BStar: Hand scribbled notes and some child-like drawings have helped (and hindered!) myself in the past.

In reply to BStar:

I'd buy the guidebook as it's a really good one. Failing that it's available on Google books if you just wanted a look at the route description

In reply to BStar:
I'd get the guidebook, I pretty much always intend on going back to these places though. That and it's nice to look at what routes you can do before going up & when your back what you'll do next time.

In reply to BStar: Ebay is your friend

In reply to everyone:

I guess I just have short arms and deep pockets! Having purchased around 4 or 5 crag books recently after relocating to the Bristol area I was starting to wonder if there is another way for the crags you only visit the once.

I would like to say I will climb in Scotland again, and I may do, but with it being an 8 hour drive away I doubt it will be that frequent.

In reply to BStar:

From Bristol it's an 8 hour drive, or a 90 minute flight. Flying up and sharing a hire car isn't much worse than driving in cost terms for a weekend.

I always drive if I'm going for a week or more though.

In reply to BStar:

Can you not get your local library to order it in for you?

Photocopy the pages you want, wouldn't want to risk the library book getting wet if it rained now would you?

In reply to davidbeynon: I should confess

that I'm a terrible guidebook hoarder, and would like nothing more than to have guidebooks for everything

In reply to BStar:


There are sample pages available on-line at:

http://www.pesdapress.com/product_info.php?products_id=25

In reply to BStar: Is there not a visitors or area guide that contains the crag you are interested in?

I have one Lakes guide, one Welsh guide and all of the definitive Peak guides. Guess where my local climbing area is?

In reply to BStar:
Books!; available to borrow at your friendly local Library. who'd a thunk it!

you may need to pre-order if it's not for a local area, or your bigger central library may be better.

In reply to cuppatea:
damnit, hadn't noticed your post.
must have been blinded by the obvious

Some of the scottish rock pages are available through google books as well.

In reply to BStar:

Buy the book and support the work done by the guidebook producers.

In reply to BStar:

Mention the route,
ask for "beta"
print the results.
wcpgw!

In reply to BStar:

>"What do other people do?"

Buy the selected guide (and sometimes the definitive).

You'll always get your money's worth from the selected guides to places like Scotland, the Lakes, the Peak and North Wales. It's a no brainer and will provide years of satisfying bathroom reading.

http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Books-Maps-DVDs/British-Guidebooks/Sc...

In reply to BStar: You can't enough guidebooks. Fact. If you have to justify this to the wife, explain that the grade conversion pages at the front are used as emergency bog roll. Also by having Eastern grit, Stanage definitve, On Peak rock and classic rock, you can cross reference and be sure that the severe you just wobbled up wasn't actually just a mere vdiff

In reply to BStar:

Buy as many guidebooks as possible, then the maximum amount of money will be available to support the bolters

In reply to cuppatea:

I hadn't thought about the Library nor google books, both are really good calls.

I don't want this to start turning into a 'bashing' or 'troll' thread so no talking about funding the bolts!! I was merely wondering what others would do if you wanted to do a single route at the low end of the grade system in an area where you don't usually climb. I guess buying the book is the sensible solution.

Now... while we are on the topic, can anyone recommend any dry tooling guide books?... joke

In reply to BStar:


Eastern grit?

*runs*

In reply to BStar:
I'll scan you the page that includes the areas south of the Central Belt. Here it is:-
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Sorry maybe that was a bit sarcastic! But it really should be called "Highland Rock"

In reply to BStar: I know it's partly a question of money and the "opportunity cost" of spending loads of money on guideboks. However, throughout my long and undistinguished climbing career I've always bought guides when I could afford them (and sometimes when I couldn't.). I find that browsing guidebooks is the best way of inspiring myself to go out climbing. It also helps you to find places which may be off the beaten track (good reason for NOT buying selected guides) rather than just doing all the routes/crags that everyone's heard of. And like anything else, if you don't buy it it won't be there to buy in future. That may be a somewhat circular argument I agree.
However the long term future of guidebooks is uncertain. If everything is downloadable on to your phone why would you carry a book around? But if you look at how many (approximating to nought I'd say) descriptions of routes on UKC would help you find and climb a route without additional help..... I rest my case.

In reply to Rog Wilko:
When I was a poor youth, I bought guidebook instead of getting out to the hills as I couldn't afford to get there