What's up with the RMNP Guidebook?

Hello fellow Coloradans.

Does anyone know if a new edition or printing of Richard Rossiter's 2015 RMNP guidebook is forthcoming? It's hard to believe Fixed Pin let this go out of print - the only currently available guidebook for alpine climbing in the park is Gillet's "The High Peaks", from 2001! Rossiter's book is far more comprehensive, too. ( a copy on Amazon for $300).

I emailed Fixed Pin a while back but never received a response. Not sure if the company's even active any more. Just curious if anyone has more info they'd like to share. Thanks!

I'll sell you mine for only $250.  just kidding.  I'm also surprised this book is no longer available.  It's the most up to date book for RMNP although I heard Gillet is working on a new version of his book.  I would check moutaineering stores around the front range like Neptunes,bent gate or the mountain shop.  Sometimes they have leftover books that have been on the shelf for a while. good luck

I ran into Gillett's daughter 3 years ago on the summit of longs; she mentioned he was working on a new RMNP guidebook that'd be out "soon". New Rossiter guidebook is far superior to the old Gillett one IMO. Weird that it's out of print.

Gillette is working on a new Estes Park Valley sort of guide,  IE: crags along Hwy 7, 34, & 36, but not a peaks sort of guide.  That one has been a while in the making, and I think he's still hoping to finish it this year.

Fixed Pin is indeed still operating, but I don't know why they didn't get back to you, but Ben does seem to go MIA sometimes.
Could be end of school year stuff - that's rough on teachers.  I texted him to ask & will alert him to this thread.

Until a new one comes out......

AAC library membership and smartphone camera works wonders

Tony B wrote:

Gillette is working on a new Estes Park Valley sort of guide,  IE: crags along Hwy 7, 34, & 36, but not a peaks sort of guide.  That one has been a while in the making, and I think he's still hoping to finish it this year.

Fixed Pin is indeed still operating, but I don't know why they didn't get back to you, but Ben does seem to go MIA sometimes.
Could be end of school year stuff - that's rough on teachers.  I texted him to ask & will alert him to this thread.

Maybe we all email fixed pin. A lot.

This reminded me to bump this thread. Someone knows what’s up. 

No need to blur my name Dan. I’ve seen this thread and just wanted to clarify that I’ve been offered 225 and put the $600 as a starting point to work down from. I’m not looking for that but I wanted to stir interest for other potential offers.

I’ve bought/resold collectibles most of my life. This was the first time I’ve come across something rare in the climbing scene. It’s something I’ve viewed more as a collectors item rather than just a guidebook.

If another owner of the book wants to screen print every page and send them out for cheap or build a pdf then that’s fair to them. Your best bet would be to scour bookstores in the mountains or old climbing shops (which is where I’ve had luck). There are certainly more around but until they start showing up, I don’t know what to tell people other than keep waiting. Nobody is forcing anyone to pay my asking price.

All the best, and good luck with your quest on finding this book.

- Brandon 

Brandon Wampler wrote:

No need to blur my name Dan. I’ve seen this thread and just wanted to clarify that I’ve been offered 225 and put the $600 as a starting point to work down from. I’m not looking for that but I wanted to stir interest for other potential offers.

I’ve bought/resold collectibles most of my life. This was the first time I’ve come across something rare in the climbing scene. It’s something I’ve viewed more as a collectors item rather than just a guidebook.

If another owner of the book wants to screen print every page and send them out for cheap or build a pdf then that’s fair to them. Your best bet would be to scour bookstores in the mountains or old climbing shops (which is where I’ve had luck). There are certainly more around but until they start showing up, I don’t know what to tell people other than keep waiting. Nobody is forcing anyone to pay my asking price.

All the best, and good luck with your quest on finding this book.

- Brandon 

Thanks Brandon, I blurred your name because I wasn’t trying to call anyone out, more highlighting the high demand.

I actually own a copy of this book already (beloved), and am more curious regarding a potential new edition and/or hearing an explanation as to why they won’t reprint it with clear demand.

your book is worth good $$$ and I encourage you to get them. I’ll keep mine because I love climbing in the park.

PSA - Ascent in Fort Collins has many copies for sale (or did a couple of months ago) for about $40. I was heartbroken when my copy was stolen/lost and absolutely thrilled when I found it here randomly one afternoon. I’d give them a call before forking over $600. 

Sean Fallon wrote:

PSA - Ascent in Fort Collins has (or had) many copies for sale (or did a couple of months ago) for about $40. I was heartbroken when my copy was stolen/lost and absolutely thrilled when I found it here randomly one afternoon. I’d give them a call before forking over $600. 

One sold on eBay about 6 weeks ago for around $300 which is where my evaluation came from. Looking for around that but started my value high looking for offers. It’s just business. I’ve got trading cards worth hundreds of dollars, but again.. the value is based on how much the buyers wants to spend, not how much the paper is worth 

yay! capitalism and collectors have found climbing! God is great.

Daniel was likely trying not to help these types by blurring the name rather than not call them out. Brandon is now low-key advertising in this thread.

Ascent doesn’t have any.

HMU if you want a copy for $269 ;)

this thread has apparently driven enough traffic to the amazon page that whatever pricing algorithm the seller is using thinks this book is suddenly worth almost 2 grand (?!?!)

Daniel Kay wrote:

Thanks Brandon, I blurred your name because I wasn’t trying to call anyone out, more highlighting the high demand.

I actually own a copy of this book already (beloved), and am more curious regarding a potential new edition and/or hearing an explanation as to why they won’t reprint it with clear demand.

your book is worth good $$$ and I encourage you to get them. I’ll keep mine because I love climbing in the park.

A few points, knowing a bit about the publishing business:
1) In this case the last author is not going to be updating the title. Richard is not active in climbing (or publishing) any more.
2) The defacto editor of the prior edition of the book won't be updating it either.
3) "Clear Demand" for a reprint of the 1st edition may not be what you think either. You need a demand of thousands, not hundreds to do a reprint.
4) Think about what you are asking the publisher for in terms of a printing if they are not even organized enough to answer Emails. 

Tony B wrote:

A few points, knowing a bit about the publishing business:
1) In this case the last author is not going to be updating the title. Richard is not active in climbing (or publishing) any more.
2) The defacto editor of the prior edition of the book won't be either.
3) "Clear Demand" for a reprint of the 1st edition may not be what you think either. You need a demand of thousands, not hundreds to to a reprint.
4) Think about what you are asking the publisher for in terms of a printing if they are not even organized enough to answer Emails. 

Very helpful Tony, thanks! This is the type of response I was looking for. Shame Rossiter isn’t interested any more but I’m sure the book was an enormous amount of work. 

this thread has apparently driven enough traffic to the amazon page that whatever pricing algorithm the seller is using thinks this book is suddenly worth almost 2 grand bahaha

This is wild, Brandon’s copy has become a bargain!! 

I found one at Ascent Studio in Fort Collins about a month ago. They are still out there!

Daniel Kay wrote:

Very helpful Tony, thanks! This is the type of response I was looking for. Shame Rossiter isn’t interested any more but I’m sure the book was an enormous amount of work. 

This is wild, Brandon’s copy has become a bargain!! 

It's not just that he isn't interested...  
Remember, Rossiter started climbing in 1964.
When I moved here in 1995 his original 'Boulder Climbs North' book was already out of print and a treasured find for those who could get hands on it.
Boulder Climbs South was just selling out the last copies at Neptunes and the Boulder Mountaineer. That was almost 30 years ago.
Richard hung on and stayed active in the community, doing a lot for the local non-profits and access organizations.
He was still developing routes, building trails and writing books at an age at which I hope I'm still climbing at all, but I don't really expect that to work out for me.
Age is a thing that eventually catches up with you... and it is very real at some point or another.
Anyway, hopefully nobody thinks "he just lost interest."

Here's a nice article from 2014, now a decade ago for those of you who can get past the paywall or have paid:
https://www.dailycamera.com/ci_28409266/one-more-battle-richard-rossiters-latest-life/

amazon scamazon still want $1,762 for a used copy

maybe we can change that

click this amazon link and then click add to cart