UKH

A new selective guidebook from Pete O'Donovan, with over 4000 routes on the finest gritstone crags in the Peak District.

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In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Looks good. But I'm slightly baffled by the concept. Of all the places in the country that lack good guidebooks -- both definitive and selective -- Peak grit would not strike me as being top of the list. In fact, I'd probably put it bottom of the list

In reply to Coel Hellier:

It's got Francis Rossi from Status Quo on the front cover though...

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Can't wait to get my copy - shame there's not gonna be a picture of me in flight off yet another Stanage classic eh Pete ?

In reply to Coel Hellier:


Well, the cynic in me would suggest it's not about the places than need guidebooks, so much as the places that can sell guidebooks.

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear: It'll be interesting to see how well this topo idea sells, as we're used to words about and context for the route, even first ascent details all of which make for a much more readable book. This looks rather functional which won't work for me, but there might be a market for this approach. The photos look good in that small sample, so hopefully the dearth of words will be compensated for by a glut of the usually high quality POD shots.

In reply to Frank the Husky: As you say, the sample pages look great and I've just pre-ordered my copy despite already having a full complement of Grit guides.

I would say where from, but posting that information publically would seem to be against UKC guidelines

In reply to The Ex-Engineer: I don't think saying where you bought a guidebook is aganst any guidelines. As this is a promotional post which says where you can get the book your reticence is misplaced. Why are you buying it if you have all the books anyway - won't it be redundant?

In reply to Frank the Husky:

I did post and it was deleted.


I'm just a sucker for shiny new guidebooks!

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

I guess they are taking the cherry picking to a whole new level and giving Crockfax a run for their money.

In reply to Frank the Husky:
The topo style guide is great for people who want to try and onsight routes. Guidebook writers in the UK don't seem to understand what onsighting actually means and frequently give far too much information in the text such as the location of the crux moves etc. This means one can fail before even leaving the ground. Topo guides are the norm in Europe where onsight ascents are more valued and understood.

The other strength of the guide must surely be that it covers all areas. You just need to buy one guide. That's got to be a pretty attractive proposition for many people with the cost of guidebooks these days.

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear: Bought it (Even though I have all the definitive and rockfax guides to the area. I am a guidebook whore!) The photos are worth the money in themselves. The topo format is very European, even American, but works well at its job.
It is a very functional guidebook for the whole Peak Grit area and will surely be popular with those who do not live close by and do not want to spend a lot of money buying separate guides to each Peak Area.
People who want more history, or route beta have the option of buying other guides/books, but this is a great book for newer visitors to the Peak who do not know the crags well.
Good one Pete!

In reply to stp:


Surely you mean "Topo guides are the norm in Europe where the majority of routes follow lines of bolts rather than natural features"? This has nothing to do with how "valued" onsight ascents are, and everything to do with "needing" to give more info for necessarily more complex trad lines. I suspect Mr Pod would have trouble selling a topo style guide to Red Walls or Main Cliff!

In reply to johncook: My copy has just arrived and I'm suitably impressed. As you say, the photos are great and the topos are generally superb.

I am not completely certain I'll get used to the topo style (old dogs...) and I have to admit I have now got quite used to some sort of colour/grade system in guidebooks. That said, POD has produced a vastly impressive tomb covering almost the entirety of Peak Gritstone in a single volume. The sheer number of routes he has crammed in, without skimping on space for photographs, is incredible. At the £17.31 it cost me, it works out at a bargain £0.003 per route!

It could give Rockfax a run for their money but only time will tell whether the topo format is a hit or a miss with the key segment of newer climbers who are buying their first guides to the Grit.

In reply to The Ex-Engineer:




How did he get away with that!

In reply to Cog:

King Tut agreed.

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

At last a replacement for my Paul Nunn Peak District guide. I do hope that it has a dry tooling section!

In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:
I can see a clear place for this. It covers the vast majority of the best crag sections on all of Peak grit at a bargain price per route. For those that haven't seen it, its like a visually lush Rockfax guidebook with a pragmatic Stanage Topo Guide approach and added P grades (most of which actually look right). Its all most experienced climbers will need as a Peak grit route and crag highball select, alongside a bouldering guide and optional definitives for where they climb most.

Am I going mad or did someone above really say topo guides are more common in Europe because they value onsighting more (the reality is they are compact, cheap and mainly cover bolted routes). Spilt me tea!