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Favorite Guidebook?

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

Blue Lines by Don Mellor

Tyson Anderson · · SLC, UT · Joined May 2007 · Points: 126

Squamish Select

LLubchenco · · Carbondale, CO · Joined Oct 2013 · Points: 25

Tensleep for sure. Come up with a unique way to rate climbs and you win in my book. Stars are over-rated, I want to know how many kittens that route deserves!

J. Serpico · · Saratoga County, NY · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 140

Oops, Kirby said blue lines, not Mellor's rock and ice guide. Which I did enjoy, but was far to vague to be considered a good good book.

Wyatt H · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 6

When I read I guidebook I want:
a) to find the crag (map/access issues)
b) to find the climb (picture with lines drawn on it)
c) to know what the anchor is (tree, gear, bolts, etc)
d) to know exactly how to get down
e) to know what I'm getting into (grade and length of each pitch, safety rating)
f) FA info

Humorous or inspirational descriptions, history and fun stories, and other local notes are always nice additions.

The biggest thing for me is finding the climb. I have several guidebooks that I try to use and end up wandering around confused because there is no picture.

Peter Blank · · Grand Junction, Colorado · Joined May 2008 · Points: 720

Cameron Burns desert tower book because it's generally good enough and everything in there is boner worthy. Anything by Michael R. Kelsey because I'll give him ten bucks anytime!

T Howes · · Bend, OR · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 20

I like the layout of the new RRG climbing guides, great color photos and directions. Lies and Propoganda from Ten Sleep is really entertaining as well. I'm a big fan of including historical info, our local Bozeman Area Rock Climbs does a good with this, it also includes a great section on the geology of the area. I think it's nice to include some extras so you have something to read when you're hanging around camp besides route descriptions.

Taylor Spiegelberg · · WY · Joined May 2012 · Points: 1,676

+1 for Squamish Select
+1 for Red Rocks (Handren)

Both of these books have near perfect topos and more beta than anyone actually knows what to do with. PICTURES MAKE OR BREAK A GUIDEBOOK! Good luck!

Marcy - · · Tucson/DMR · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 1,190
Toofast Topos: 50 Multipitch Climbs in Cochise Stronghold by Geir Hundal. Kick @SS, detailed topos, satellite imagery, full color, very cool historical timeline, entertaining history and descriptions, great foreword by Steve Grossman, and available in PDF or print . Well written, beautifully formatted, and great pictures all at an affordable price. I can't wait for the 2nd edition.
Mitch Stubbs · · Boulder · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 0

Absolutely "lies and propaganda from Tensleep Canyon" With a mixture of irreverence and slander tells the story of a hardman hangout. Great pics too

Brett Purchase · · Seattle, Washington · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 10

Squamish Select
Red Rocks - Jerry Harden
Leavenworth Guide

The current exit 38 (north bend, wa) guide is a prime example of a terrible hard to use guide book.

Brett Purchase · · Seattle, Washington · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 10

Squamish Select
Red Rocks - Jerry Harden
Leavenworth Guide

The current exit 38 (north bend, wa) guide is a prime example of a terrible hard to use guide book.

Nick Stayner · · Wymont Kingdom · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 2,315

Unbelievable nobody's mentioned the Climber's Guide to the Teton Range yet. Truly epic amount of research, history, artfully hand drawn topos, aerial photography... Best ever.

Stagg54 Taggart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2006 · Points: 10

Teton Rock Climbs - the digital guide book on DVD by Gams is amazing. It lets you pick and print out custom topos and/overlays and photos.

Basically though any guidebook I buy now I look for color photos. It's so much easier to find the routes with those.

mattm · · TX · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,885
BrettPurchase wrote:Squamish Select Red Rocks - Jerry Harden Leavenworth Guide The current exit 38 (north bend, wa) guide is a prime example of a terrible hard to use guide book.
^ +10

Squamish Select by Marc Bourdon

Red Rocks and North Conway Rock by Jerry HANDREN

Leavenworth Rock by Viktor Kramar

and Adirondack Rock mentioned above are probably the 4 guide books that stand out in my mind as the "Best of the Best". They cover a diverse range and area of climbing (single pitch to LONG multis, numerous crags etc etc) and do it well with a good blend of photos, line topos, maps etc.

Several of the Fixed Pin books have stood out to me but I haven'y had much "boots on the ground" time to confirm what my sense is. I like them though.

Supertopo Guides are usually great if a bit limited in scope. Excellent line Topos.

Wolverine puts out a nice variety of guides, maybe a smidge below the above because they use almost exclusively photo topos (lines on a picture of the cliff). Most of the time that's a-ok and quite useful but sometimes a good line topo makes this a bit more clear.

RockFax and the Kalymnos Guide were very nice for overseas books.

On my "to check out" list is the Dixie Craggers Atlas - new versions out recently...
Brent Kelly · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 157

I know I’m resurrecting an 2000+ day old thread, but...

I really enjoy the Austin Texas area guidebook. Good photos, great development stories, fun and informative route descriptions.... just a lot of local character in a very unique layout.

As for efficiency, the RRG Wolverine guidebooks are hard to beat, and have a special place in my heart for helping us find our way as college gumbies.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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