Let's start with some statistics: the UKC Logbook database has 94,400 routes on 8,500 crags across the World. The 5,400 users who have set up their logbooks have recorded nearly 600,000 ascents and only the much older 8a.nu has more recorded ascents. It won't be long until UKC Logbooks becomes the World's largest climbing database since it is growing at a rate of around 30,000 to 40,000 recorded ascents each month.

Ever since it was set up back in 2005 we have been promising a major upgrade and their have been numerous threads on the forums discussing features and improvements that users want. For the last few weeks we have been hard at work realising many of these changes and phase one has been made public today.

• Full integration of the Crags Database and the Routes Database including Google Maps for locating the crags
• A Training and Activity Diary to record your climbing trips and other forms of exercise
• Huge improvements to the crag moderation system so that moderators can now have instant control over the information on the crags they cover
• Much quicker crag information update approval
• Significantly enhanced guidebook database
• Ability to print or export your climbing logbook
• Many more improvements to make it easier to add routes and crags to the system
• Lots of other technical improvements to make the system faster and more efficient

We have a few more improvements to add which are scheduled for later in the year. This includes the ability to record votes on routes when you log an ascent; recording climbs with multiple partners; adding buttress dividers to crag routes lists to help locate routes. These should be done by the end of the year.

Thanks to all those who have contributed to the system both in recording their logbooks, and especially those who are involved with the crag moderating. There are still a number of significant crags awaiting moderation so if you feel you would like to get involved then check this list of popular crags without moderators.