UKH

Make up a dream climbing coffee table book. I think Andy Nisbet's climbs would be a cool one. Dougie Halls select. Calvin Torrans finest? Piola? Which routes would you have in your one? Routes dont need to be particularly popular (or quite the opposite)or historical but also can. Just some sort of great story attached to it would be great.  

How about an up-to-date edition of The Black Cliff, Crew, Soper and Wilson's tribute to one of the UK's greatest crags: Cloggy?

Originally published in 1971 at about A5 (same height but slightly wider that a Rockfax), it is crying out for a modern version. Papper and printing technologies have improved beyond recognition in the past 50 years thus allowing the best possibe reproduction of photos including the vintage shots of early exploration. A coffee table size (ie, like The White Cliff) with increased text covering events since the 60s, complemented by a greatly expanded photo gallery, would be brilliant. I think that everyone capable of climbing trad VS 4c should do at least one route to sample the crag's special atmosphere. Such a book could spark interest.

I agree, I bought that the other day for a reasonable price on amazon. Great book. Brilliant historical writing and beautiful black and white iconic pictures. So inspiring! Its a 1971 addition too...

"Shit Rock"

All the very worst crags around the UK, brought together at last into a single volume.

Scrappy, short, loose, neglected, overgrown, N-facing, etc.

The Photo Book of Type Two Fun

Pics of sea-cliff belayer soakings, bloodied tape gloves, ropes disappearing in to a stream of spindrift, faces screwed up with the hot-ache gurn, the 1000yd stare after a terrifying pitch or shiver bivi...

Each picture with a paragraph or two to give a little bit of context/story. 

Needn’t necessarily be from epics at the cutting edge... just images and tales from the everyday stuff that is such a great part of climbing whether you’re a pro or a punter. 

Esoteric Rock surely? 😁

Vol 2 of the series (for the boulderer):

"Shit Starts"

Vol 3 of the series (for the indoor climber):

"Plastic not-so-Fantastic"

Milk it for all it's worth.

Or perhaps 'Hard Choss'

In similar vein to some of these posts, how about ‘The Fowler Book of Fear’? 

The book itself would need to be mostly crumpled pages with green, typo-ridden text and blurred images, many of them barely held in place; with just enough pages of quality prose and striking photos between the dross to have made the investment seem worthwhile when ordering it online after a few pints.

Good idea in theory but would it be financially viable Trevor for any publisher. My idea is something of a cross between RCiAiS, the Black Cliff, Trevor Jones' Welsh Rock & Rebuffat's 100 Finest Routes for North Wales. Obviously similar size to HR but perhaps 100 routes could be expanded to 150 or 200? Include any possible recent classic routes (if are there any?). Also a spread of writing from those who have contributed to Welsh climbing history. Would also need to scour CC past journals for selected writing from those no longer around. One hell of a lot of work for somebody. I have an unpublished article on 100 Welsh Classics but if would really need a lot more work to make it complete. There is some cracking writing on some of the UKC forums from the likes of Redhead, Pollitt & McHaffie discussing fear when making first ascents on Cloggy & Gogarth. But definitely a project worth persuing. It would probably require a team coming together. I wonder whether the CC would support such an enterprise?

Interested to hear you take Trevor. You can probably see that I have been giving this a lot of thought lately.

Sean

It's a great book, couldn't believe my luck when I found a copy in a second hand book shop and bought it for £3 !

'Loose rock'?

And the action pics would be crap too - head not visible, arse shots from below and ones with just legs in shot.

Something about the Peak District. Plenty of first rate photographs with a good dose of history mixed with interviews with significant pioneers in the area's history.

Of course, it would need someone who was fairly adept at writing and photography. 

We are overdue for an update to Extreme Rock. Unlike Hard Rock the route selection in the original Extreme Rock has not stood the test of time so it would be better to start afresh.

Routes in E4 to E9 British Isles trad climbing including a selection of the best but with a range to capture the diversity in style, adventure, location etc. 

'Luke Warm Climbs' for winter climbers.

British Sport Climbing,  Bouldering & DWS?

Pseudo Winter climbs, Turf Climbs, Sea Stack Rock, Mountaineering with no axes

I believe my dream book is currently in progress courtesy of Guy Robertson, which is a follow up to The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland, only this time focusing on the Islands. I’m pretty sure this is happening anyhow, it’s either that or I dreamt the whole thing up 😂 

Just look at Horsehoe Quarry in any guide

I was just going to type, Scottish Island rock would be cool 

That's 4 volumes already!

Vol 5:  'I Can't be Arsed' Climbs' - for the armchair climber.

The old Cheddar Gorge Climbs has this covered if you need advice on dodgy book binding. It's like a competition to see which I can lose more of in a day - holds or pages.

Sounds like Peak Rock 

Crock of Rock - The life and climbs of Si O’Connor, Rich Simpson, etc

For 'Bumbly Rock' there'll have to be lots and lots of clanking hexes, red socks also making sure not to stint oneself of rope.

Perfect for the toilet , never buy laxatives again.

Or Peak something, anyway. 

Something covering the wide variety of British, Irish and overseas sea cliffs.

Something like the Batoux but covering all European alpine, big ice and big wall venues, so all of the Alps, Pyrenees, Tatras, Norway and any other interesting areas. In two volumes - one ice and mixed, the other rock.

Something covering the best / most impressive (not necessarily the most popular) from the Greater Ranges. 

That’s Classic Rock init?

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=2096

I’m not sure about DWS but Sport and Bouldering could do with a Greatest Hits book.

Sandbags around the world: A book of routes that are outrageously hard for the grade

Past Rock or Historic Rock: A book of routes that no longer exist

A series of rock books using the various sub-genres of rock music, e.g. Punk Rock, Glam Rock, Progressive Rock, Death Rock, Alternative Rock etc.

I believe that there is something very much down this vein in progress.

I think you will find that is actually my logbook.

Vol 4 of the series (for the cellar dweller)

”hard wood, a pictorial guide to wooden holds”

or for the truely hardcore.

“Dry Humping with Bear Grylls”, one mans mission to fondle all the greatest climbs starting holds, briefly, before declaring they are a bit tired, have bad skin or it’s a bit too humid today.

A major sea cliffs book would be amazing!

My Rock

Just  pics of me doing routes I've done with inflated grades.

Never mind sandbags, a selection of the best soft touches would be a top seller. 

Do pray tell.

For those short of space (or without an actual coffee table):

East Anglian Rock

100 Greatest Fenland Highballs

Guy is doing a great sea cliffs books. So it will include cliffs on the islands but the criteria is 'great' so all over Scotland.. 

I think classic rock was nearly called soft rock (although I don't know where I heard that so maybe not true)

wasn't there a book on British sea cliff climbing from John Cleare back in the 60s or 70s ?

Yes. That was its title, more or less.

Thanks for the clarification Peter, sounds exciting - can’t wait.

just looked on Google - Sea Cliff Climbing in Britain by Robin Collomb & John Cleare in 1973

picture on the cover was someone jumaring up the Old Man of Hoy, maybe taken during the BBC broadcast

 Some posters seem to be reinventing the wheel and may be unaware of previous publications:

Peak Rock 2013 (Kelly, Hoey, Barker) - unsurpassable 

Welsh Rock (Milburn/Jones) 1986. Excellent history, could be updated I suppose

Cumbrian Rock (Milburn/Jones) 1988 Excellent history, could be updated I suppose

Fear and Fascination (Geoffrey Odds) 1994. "The 100 best rock climbs in England and Wales" Moderately OK.

100 best limestone climbs in Britain (Chris Crags)1991. Still a respectable tick list.

The Black Cliff remains the one book I would rescue in the event of a house fire. 

also SMC books on Ben Nevis & the Cairngorms

Yes, updating the Black Cliff would include all the Fawcett, Redhead, Moffatt & Dawes climbing. Some epic tales but recounting subsequent ascents of the Indian Face too. Then with digital imagery today it really could be a terrific project!

No I mean, that is Peak Rock - an amazing book.

I realise that now.

I was referring to something not confined to pure rock climbing in the Peak but also encompassing the area's history from the early tribes up through the industrial revolution  to the present day.

Adventure Climbs (of the British Isles)

The best major multi-pitch adventures from Diff to high Es. All routes that are generally over 100metres in length and have at least THREE substantial pitches of climbing.

It's one of my long, long, long term projects (aka I've thought about it a bit over the years but probably won't ever get around to doing it). 

"The Routes of Pete Whillance".

It would be a great big thick book, but apart from the name of each route at the top of the page, there would be scant other details and certainly no photos.

Well you have some time now...

Pembroke Rock coffee table book. Could call it the Endless cliff or something!

Agree a cloggy version of the white cliff would mega too