Favorite Guidebook?

Hi everyone - we're in the process of creating a new guidebook for a local area and we want ideas! What is everyone's favorite guidebook and why?

Thanks!

My favourite guide book is Adirondack Rock by Lawyer and Haas.

Why:

Clear diagrams. Both photos & diagrams of major cliffs to help in finding routes.

By-pitch break down of difficulty including entries like 5.10a (5.8 R, 5.5 X) rather than just 5.10a X -- so you have a better idea of what the risk level is for a climb. I wouldn't go near a 5.10a X climb (since 10a is about my lead limit), but the climb described tells me the 10a climbing is well protected, and the X sections are far easier. That climb I would contemplate doing.

GPS co-ordinates for both cliffs and the start of approaches.

Online updates and corrections.

Good writing about bits of history of the area.

Haycock Mountain Bouldering is the best book for bouldering Iv ever seen. Great pictures of problems that are like mini topos, gps coordinates for locations (which is great since lots of the smaller trails there grow over each year), and walking directions that make sense. Saw that you are from Jersey also, and if you ever went to climb at Haycock Im sure you have gotten lost too unless you have this book! This book is as good as you can get for a bouldering area that isn't swamped with people like Lincoln Woods or P-way further north. I think you can only get it at the Doylestown rock gym or you can order through them.

In terms of books for route climbs, Secrets of the Notch for the climbs up at Cannon is really great. Useful pitch by pitch descriptions, directions that make sense for finding the start of routes, and its small enough to throw in the seconds pack for a day. I also like the 'one star or none' which the author says is to prevent people from doing only 5 start routes or what not, since there are so many good climbs to do out there.

Also, would love to know where you are looking to make a book for (unless its top secret!)

We travel the USA and spend 3 days to a month at any given area. As a result we rely heavily on guide books and MP to help us get climbing without spending 1-2 days scouting. So rather than say which of the 20 guide books we have is the best I will list the things that I like in guide books.

1. Clear directions to the climbing area, GPS coordinates help a lot. Accurate trail descriptions.

2. Over all drawing or sat shot of the climbing area, each section labeled.

3. Picture of climbing routes, large overall shot, then closer shot if appropriate. Love the old style diagrams, they show a lot of dedication to the climbing area. But pictures are easier to correlate against the rock to make sure you have found the route you want.

Please take the pictures from the trails. You often get a much clearer shot by climbing across the creek and halfway up the other side of the hill, great for over view of the routes, but try correlating that shot while walking into the area.

4. On the route description bolt and anchor placements diagramed.

5. If it's trad routes clear description of rap station, if available.

6. Length of climb, do you need a 50m, 60m, 70m, or 80m rope?

7. Source of closure notifications. It's disheartening to travel a couple of days to a climbing area only to have little signs up that the area is closed. Typically it's raptor nesting. Don't mind the closures, just would like to know before I go. Since closures change all the time you can't put that in a book, ergo the source would be nice.

8. Reference section for local climbing organization. Some are stronger than others, some have a lot of information, some have a meeting once a year, maybe. But as a guest to other peoples climbing areas I would like to know whom to contact to provide route damage information and/or supply anchors/bolts for routes that need repair, then leave it up to the locals to use the donated parts for that route or others.

9. History of climbing in the area. Key players, etc. Always a good read.

10. List of local stores that sell guide books and equipment. Even paid advertising pages are good.

11. Cross reference by grade in the Index. Include Trad, TR Sport and number of pitches.

There tends to be an assumption made by guide book writers that the person reading the book already has some knowledge of the area. For a traveling climber this is a little frustrating. References to places that are assumed common knowledge by people that live in the area are of little use.

In the last two years we have climbed in areas from Arcadia NP in Maine to Smith Rock in Oregon. We meet and talk with folks that are climbing. I would estimate that a good 1/3 of the people we meet are traveling climbers as well.

Good for you taking on this project. It's a lot of work, but it is deeply appreciated by those of us that use the books.

Tensleep has the best guidebook ever made

"Black Canyon Rock Climbs" by Robbie Williams just because it instills adventure and makes a great camp read.

Nate K wrote:Tensleep has the best guidebook ever made

I don't think I can top that fun. The authors are hilarious. "Behold the bosch. Redeemer of man!"

pawtuckawayclimbing.us/ is the prettiest and most helpful. It covers thousands of boulder problems with excellent maps and photos. But it does a poor job of ratings

Another vote for Adirondack Rock. The new copy is ridiculously detailed and idiot-proof.

I used to think that Jerry Handran's guidebook to Red Rocks was in a class by itself. But Steve Levin's Eldorado Canyon guidebook is right up there with it.

I really loved Richard Rossiter's topo guides to Eldo and BoCan from the early 80's...that tiny little book managed to cover an unbelievable amount of ground in a small space, all with hand-drawn topos. They were just line drawings, which in theory offered "less" information than a photo, but the lines always told you exactly what you needed to know.

Here's what not to do:

chris_vultaggio wrote:Here's what not to do:

Are you kidding? I get like 4 grades stronger just by putting down the grey dick and picking that thing up. What more could you ask for from a guidebook?

Have the 1st edition Williams NRG guide, really like that, havent checked out the newer ones yet but i'm sure they're good. Southern Nevada bouldering guide is also pretty impressive. As well as the Handren Red Rock guide, as others here have said.

Winter Dance:

wolverinepublishing.com/win…

Great mix of photography, route information, history, and practical information.

The standard that every other guidebook should try to live up to.

"Southern Nevada Bouldering" is more of a coffee table book then it is a guide, but it is extremely useful all the same... Amazing photos, great directions, and clear descriptions... very well done...

also... the new J Tree guide " Joshua Tree Rock Climbs" is fantastic! So much info packed into this guide. each area is superbly done with helpful info on everything from season to sun to funny FA tid bits... also nice sections throughout the guide on Best crack climbs in the park, best 10's, best trad, best aretes, hard spot, hard trad and so on and so on...

I'm not a big fan of the author for various personality reasons. But I must reluctantly say that Rob Robinson's Tennessee Wall guidebook is an incredible publication that will always have a special place in my heart.

Guidebooks need to have two things:

- Really good directions to the base, both driving directions and approach beta. No one wants to get lost on forest roads or thrash around in the underbrush.

-Perfect descent beta. Everyone needs to know what rope you need to get off, or if there's a walkoff.

Everything else is optional.

I love The Red book others are describing. It lists all areas and how to get there with turns denoted to the tenth of a mile as well as accurate height info great pics, points of interest, and after all it is covering The Red so its hard not to love...

Yet another vote for Lawyer/Haas "Adirondack Rock", for all the reasons stated above.

Lies and Propaganda from Ten Sleep Canyon,

Because reasons

I second (er, 3rd) Adirondack Rock. First edition was excellent, not a complaint. the second is even better.

When you consider how large the Adirondacks are, it's an impressive feat to produce such a well designed and well researched book.