Decent bouldering guidebook for Los Angeles?

RER wrote:

I find it hard to believe that in any part of LA you would not have cell service. That aside, MP app allows you to download full areas to your phone. 

I know some people that have flip phones, not smart phones, so no mp app for those folks.

RER,

Before I added about 40-ish boulder problems to MP, there were like 3 boulder problems uploaded.  Tons of detail is still unclear without a guide.  Also, yes, you turn a corner down a canyon and don't have cell service even right outside of LA.  Just about every crag in the mountains here don't allow cell service.  Over the years, there have been less and less outdoor boulderers because the majority of the climbs are very bold and not easy to locate.  I really hope that this guide strengthens the bouldering community to make sure these areas aren't forgotten.

The book is on its way! 950+ problems, 300 full color pages. Matt & co. put a lot of effort into this over the past several years. Good luck getting that kind of detail on MP...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXJ0m8TFnaV/

With my eyesight I can't read a damn thing on the MP site without glasses.   I print out an enlarged topo to carry with me.   MP is a good resource but I prefer a book and can fill in by pen as new routes go up and make notes on the pages to keep an area updated.

People still using flip phones...sad. Well MP as a guide is only useful when people contribute, and all the information from a guide eventually makes its to MP. It also allows for GPS tracking to pinpoint exact location of a climb. Which is great because I still get lost even when I am using a guidebook, any of them, specifically the Craig Fry book. And I mean half the this thread turned into old generation bagging on new generation and so on. Print is dead now. It just seems like a way for some climbers to make a name for themselves and some money, which is fine, we all need money. Most of the reasons people seem reluctant to post here (specifically new boulders) is the whole possession of climb thing. "Dat secret spot bro" which is just silly.

RER wrote:

People still using flip phones...sad. Well MP as a guide is only useful when people contribute, and all the information from a guide eventually makes its to MP. It also allows for GPS tracking to pinpoint exact location of a climb. Which is great because I still get lost even when I am using a guidebook, any of them, specifically the Craig Fry book. And I mean half the this thread turned into old generation bagging on new generation and so on. Print is dead now. It just seems like a way for some climbers to make a name for themselves and some money, which is fine, we all need money. Most of the reasons people seem reluctant to post here (specifically new boulders) is the whole possession of climb thing. "Dat secret spot bro" which is just silly.

Some of the points made on this thread are not age specific, they are more related to people who need color pictures and hand holding to find anything, or to those who do not have an outdoor ethic because they only thing they know (and care about) is the gym.  Those issues aren't age specific.  

I like information sharing, but the decision to share or not to is not "silly".  With (more) people comes use, degradation, trash, excessive tick marks, pruning, erosion, as well as some people who have more interest in numbers than regard for the environment.  Deciding whether to invite this upon an area you've discovered and enjoyed with your friends can be tough.  If people were better stewards then sharing wouldn't be as big of a decision for some.  

So there is a bunch of misinformation being thrown out here. There is a Los Angeles County Bouldering guidebook that was just sent to the publishers by the team of authors. It is limited to that of Los Angeles County, no Pine Mtn, Kern, etc.. 

To V0Hero, the conejo mtn area is a total pile of choss. Although it is part of the conejo volcanic complex and technically "the same" rock as malibu creek, the rock quality is far inferior. I climbed there when I lived in the area and have friends who live just down the road, they are wise and avoid the place like the plague. Glad you have had your fun but dont get butthurt when no one is interested in the extremely hot, poison oak and snake infested lay-down starts. 

The secret spots have always been just a little further up/downstream you goons... Those in the know/those with motivation have been avoiding all the gumbies by a few hundred yards for years! 

Sorry Spenchur, I don't really give a shit what you think. 

Davi, WOW! that's so cool!  I don't think a google search on that will be too accurate.  How many of those copies are floating around?  any good?

A couple of notes on Urban Rock - The Stoney Point Guidebook:

1- Originally intended as a TR guidebook - but it does have quite a few boulder problems - I understand it is not current for the "newer" boulder problems.

2- I've often been asked why I didn't include photos of the boulders with lines drawn on them. I have the technology and capability (I built the book myself using the Adobe DTP suite). I took photos, drew lines on them and other beta, printed a proof and all I could see was graffiti - just couldn't do it, so I left the line diagrams in.

I'm hoping that Urban Rock will still be valid for the TRs and more popular easy/moderate problems. It's been in print since 1994.

Personally, I think Urban Rock is a fantastic guide book. Sure, it needs an update but its consice and clear and easy to navigate. I like Oceans 11 (Banks), Bishop Bouldering (Young) and Slater's new(ish) book on the Central Coast for the same reasons.

Mike, I couldn't even guess how many copies of Dave Katz's book have survived. It's from 1990 and features Stony, the Purps, Malibu and other areas in or adjacent to the Santa Monicas. I can send you a photo of the table of contents if you like.

V0Hero wrote:

Sorry Spenchur, I don't really give a shit what you think. 

As you should. Again, all I'm sayin' is dont get butthurt (too late) when no one wants your hand drawn topos...

I heard the dude writing it is a total kook who patrols the lands with mythical beast that is hell bent on knocking over your beers! Consider yourselves warned!

So much anger...  As one of the authors maybe I can clear some things up while trying to not get personal...

Is a Los Angeles bouldering guidebook coming?  Yes.

Has it been in the work for a while?  Yes.

Did it take longer than it should have?  Sure.  Don't know what to say other than it took what it took.          

When will it be available?  Still waiting on the exact timeline, but it's been submitted to the publisher already.  Probably get physical books in October if I had to guess.  Once we know actual delivery timelines we'll make sure that everyone knows.    

What areas are covered in the in the guide?  Guidebook is Los Angeles County only.  Areas that went into the guide are Temporals/Sandbox, Miniholland, Doomsday, Malibu Creek State Park, Tunnels, Martian's Landing, Stoney Point, Purple Stones, Cobblestones, Tick Rock, and Horse Flats.  Other areas in LA were either left out because they're either still being developed somewhere, have access issues, or we just didn't think they were worth putting in.  We drew the line at some point so that we could actually get a guide out.  New stuff is going up constantly.  As was said above it's over 950 problems and 300+ pages just in LA county in the areas mentioned above.    

Having put in a lot of work to write the guide I have a much bigger appreciation for anyone who has written a guide and understand the amount of work that goes into one.  Sorry if the timeline didn't meet your needs.  We started out to make a guidebook that was better than what LA has seen and hopefully we accomplished that.  It's definitely taken longer to get it done that we thought.  No one is more relieved that the guidebook work is done than us.  If you have questions reach out...   

- Matt  

Thanks for all the hard work Matt.  Don't apologize for the timeline.  So.. Temporals? in a guide? I'm assuming it's all kosher with Devlin and crew to add it then.  I helped dig out Earthworm Jim btw thinking he was crazy for thinking anything could be under there...

Scientia Collective wrote:

So much anger...  As one of the authors maybe I can clear some things up while trying to not get personal...

   

Having put in a lot of work to write the guide I have a much bigger appreciation for anyone who has written a guide and understand the amount of work that goes into one.  Sorry if the timeline didn't meet your needs.  We started out to make a guidebook that was better than what LA has seen and hopefully we accomplished that.  It's definitely taken longer to get it done that we thought.  No one is more relieved that the guidebook work is done than us.  If you have questions reach out...   

- Matt  

Matt .... thanks for clearing up the questions. GB writting IS hard work, a thankless task but rewarding in the end. Thanks for putting this together. 

^^^^

That's for the update and hard work and really looking forward to it, even if it means more folks at places like the Purple Stones.  I first heard about the guide at a screening this year, and then Levy confirmed he was working on it as well.  

I hope that people will appreciate your guide for the information it provides and the work you put into it.  As you can see from all the criticism leveled at the old Fry guide, climbers can be a tough crowd nowadays.  My guess is they would have been really unhappy with the old Steve Roper guides to the Valley, with its one paragraph description of El Cap routes.