New 2024 Yosemite Valley Guidebook

Yo Gang! Always grateful for the stoke the MP community brings.....hey I'm about out of my popular Rock Climbing Yosemite Valley book and am looking for partners and ideas for the next edition.

I'm stoked to get written descriptions of all the climbs in the book in some form, as I know that is something that has been missed.

I know of a few new routes but please post up any others here!

My books have been a cherished community service project, and could not have happened without mucho, mucho support from climbers of all types (Arm chairs with tons of cash always welcome!). I've always been more of a bigwall climber, so any input is appreciated especially from the newest climbers please!

Thanks in advance for your ideas and support - here's to making the next greatest Yosemite guidebook!

PLEASE CONTACT ME AT erik@yosemitebigwall.com

Woot! Erik

yosemitebigwall.com

Fine, take my money... :)

What about the idea of putting some obscurities and routes that have fallen out of favor in there? Lots of great routes that aren't on MP or in modern guidebooks that are listed in older guidebooks, many of which were even given stars by the authors. Would love to have them given modern grades so I know what I'd actually be getting into, as half of them seem to be "5.9."

Lots of cool routes on lower and higher cathedral spires that I want to do that are in the Reid guide for example that aren't in yours. Dunno, are they actually not that good? They look pretty dope!

Is it possible to have a smaller book with just the classic routes?  A book that could be carrier in a pack.  I'm thinking easy to moderate routes directed towards weekend warriors.  

Ricky Harline wrote:

What about the idea of putting some obscurities and routes that have fallen out of favor in there? Lots of great routes that aren't on MP or in modern guidebooks that are listed in older guidebooks, many of which were even given stars by the authors. Would love to have them given modern grades so I know what I'd actually be getting into, as half of them seem to be "5.9."

Lots of cool routes on lower and higher cathedral spires that I want to do that are in the Reid guide for example that aren't in yours. Dunno, are they actually not that good? They look pretty dope!

I agree with this, the roper guide too. There’s some easier graded adventures that I don’t think anyone remembers in out of print/reference only guidebooks. 

Here's what I would like to see with future guidebooks for any area:

• Accurate information - Not worth buying if it's not accurate. Guesses and wishful thinking have no place in a guidebook that people pay for.
• More routes, not just the popular stuff - I'm getting sick of all these "select" books that cost $50 and still take up as much space as a phone book. If it's select it should be small and cheap.
• Less space used on magazine style photos - put 'em on a website, make a photo book, etc... but I don't want to carry all that to the crag. I get more stoked on a variety of routes to choose from than I do another photo of the same old routes.
• More space used on high-quality topos (much preferred for multipitch routes) and/or photo overlays (with good lighting that shows detail)

Ricky and others have you done my new routes - forget old hard to find routes there are new lines right next to the road! Git Sum!

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/122671855/two-new-routes-near-swan-slab-in-yosemite-valley?page=3#ForumMessage-124331165

Def agree with the smaller book - def gonna look into getting into the 6x9 game!

Keep the ideas coming and if anyone wants in on the project - there are tons of ways to get your  name on the cover!

I think honorable obscure routes to mention are the south ridge of lower and middle brother. Good spring/winter time routes. 

Erik Sloan wrote:

Ricky and others have you done my new routes - forget old hard to find routes there are new lines right next to the road! Git Sum!

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/122671855/two-new-routes-near-swan-slab-in-yosemite-valley?page=3#ForumMessage-124331165

Def agree with the smaller book - def gonna look into getting into the 6x9 game!

Keep the ideas coming and if anyone wants in on the project - there are tons of ways to get your  name on the cover!

¿Por qué no los dos?

If I can ever convince somebody to climb Hawkman's Escape on Lower Brother, I'll send you a topo and description.

Those sound sweet Ryan - I"ll check em out!

What kind of help are you looking for with the book/s?

Any kind of help is appreciated - we will need a designer primarily, but having resources to gather more content, create photo overlays, integrate new features like written descriptions, take new photos, proofread, etc would be great......I can underscore enough how much pitching in helps!

One idea I had was what if we made a fundraiser for a 'Yosemite Guidebook 2.0' that was open source pdf, print on demand loaded, and free on an app like Open Beta? Could that work?

i would like to see a guidebook modeled after handren’s incredible red rocks guidebook.  chock full of routes, concise pitch by pitch descriptions, excellent topos, and no bullshit.

anybody else?? am i taking crazy pills??

Todd Handren's guide is the best guidebook ever, no doubt......he even figured out the lupo paper cover, genius! .....one of the issues with topos with lots of pitches is they look really small on the smaller pages - that is how the 7 x 10 format for Yosemite came about.....but yes, more portable would be good!

Todd Ulz wrote:

i would like to see a guidebook modeled after handren’s incredible red rocks guidebook.  chock full of routes, concise pitch by pitch descriptions, excellent topos, and no bullshit.

anybody else?? am i taking crazy pills??

Found his pitch descriptions too concise frequently and often found myself reading MP comments to have any idea of where the fuck to go, especially with routes that seem to have had variations cleaned up and become popular since the publication of the book. 

Is there any coordination with Hartouni and Gable on this guidebook? If I recall, they had a wealth of information compiled years ago, and I advocate for the publication of comprehensive guidebooks. 

Oh man Adam P please reach out to those fellas - we are all interested to hear what folks have been doing on our public lands! Free the Topos!

Ricky - written descriptions are a rabbit hole, for sure - that's why I'm thinking of a upc code on the topo that links to an Open Beta page (that you could have downloaded), so the rabbitting can go on, and on, and on

I’d love to help somehow, Erik!
im probably just good for some cash and dad jokes if you need them in there.

Cheers 

Em.... you had us ALL at " cash and dad jokes"  : -))