Pembroke guide book- which one is best?

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 lizzie789 11 Jul 2022

Hi! 

Off to Pembroke for the first time this summer (well third if you count two other times where it rained and couldn't climb).

Just wondering which guidebook is going to best? Quick search shows there's quite a few published and I only want one. Going August this year. Likely to be climbing around HS (fingers crossed). 

Thanks

Liz

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 Andy Hardy 11 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

North or South?

 remus Global Crag Moderator 11 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

I'd go for this one if you're after a single book that covers everything https://www.climbers-shop.com/publications/climbing-guides/pembroke-rock--w...

 jim jones 11 Jul 2022
In reply to remus:

If you're only buying one, that's the perfect choice. 

OP lizzie789 11 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

OK yeah, no idea re North or South, not been there before so haven't sussed it out yet, was hoping to get the guide book to do that but got a bit confused as there are several. I think there is a slabby area with climbs that you can walk into, which I was hoping to have a look at. 

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OP lizzie789 11 Jul 2022

Just to clarfiy- I like slabby climbs, hence looking for the slabby routes in the low grades, and haven't got an ab rope, so can't ab in.. Will be going with a club where others may have one but depends on what happens. 

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 remus Global Crag Moderator 11 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

> Just to clarfiy- I like slabby climbs, hence looking for the slabby routes in the low grades, and haven't got an ab rope, so can't ab in.. Will be going with a club where others may have one but depends on what happens. 

Pembroke north (around st david) is the perfect spot for slabs and also has the best lower grade climbing in Pembroke, seems likely you'll get the most out of your trip going there.

The crags in the south are really good but come in to their own in the higher grades (hvs/E1) and are generally steeper.

 LakesWinter 12 Jul 2022
In reply to remus:

Also you'll need an ab rope for many venues even in the north around St Davids. I think 40m would cover the abs at all the most popular northern venues, including having a bit spare for rigging off

 Gabe Oliver 12 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

Hey Lizzie, I've got a copy of the Rockfax Pembroke going for free if you want it? It doesn't even scratch the surface for Pembroke but still covers the classic venues. 

Drop me a PM if you want it and I'll post it out to you or you can collect if you're around the Peak/Sheffield area  

Cheers!

 Ramon Marin 12 Jul 2022
In reply to remus:

second that

 Levy_danny 12 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

Get the wired guide, the rockfax is good but doesn't  have as much options at the lower grades. You will need an ab rope   to get the best out your trip though. There are some great slab climbs around Penaly that I recommend. 

In reply to lizzie789:

If you have an iPhone then can I recommend you get Rockfax Digital? The geo-located map for Pembroke is amazingly useful in finding crags and approaches and the topos are mostly new and vastly improved from the 2009 book. It also has many more routes in it.

https://rockfax.com/climbing-guides/about-rockfax-digital/

Alan

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 Rog Wilko 12 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

If you like slabby routes at S/HS you will not want to miss Bow Shaped slab, but only abbing in is a feasible approach.

Nearby is Crystal Slabs, which can be reached without abbing. The routes there are mainly well protected and soft touch VS if you feel like pushing your grade.

One of the best locations for your grade is Saddle Head, and you can get down to access a great bunch of routes below VS (by scramble) at all states of the sea apart from storm. Sea Mist is just made for you.

hope you get the weather this time.

 Chris Murray 12 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

Hi.

As others have said, the wired guide is the best selected guide and covers a wider area than the rockfall. The only lower grade classic not covered in the wired guide (that is in the rockfax) is Myola AFAIK, and you need an abb rope to access it....speaking of...

Try to get hold of at least a 40m abb rope if you want to enjoy the best the area has to offer. While there are scramble approaches to many areas, they are often difficult to find and necky.

 Alun 12 Jul 2022
In reply to Ramon Marin:

Thirded. North Pembroke is lovely for lower grade slabby routes.

South Pembroke has few venues for the sub-HVS party, and those that I've visited (Saddle Head, Crystal Slabs, B-team Buttress) are very so-so - at least compared with the amazing climbing at E1 and above nearby.

Of course, if you want to save petrol and climb wonderful lower grade slabby routes straight off a spectacular sandy beach - in between rock-pooling and going for a dip in the sea - then you shouldn't go as far as Pembrokeshire, and go to Gower instead!

 Rog Wilko 15 Jul 2022
In reply to Alun:

> South Pembroke has few venues for the sub-HVS party, and those that I've visited (Saddle Head, Crystal Slabs, B-team Buttress) are very so-so - at least compared with the amazing climbing at E1 and above nearby.

This doesn’t seem very helpful as the OP isn’t going to be climbing E grades. Speaking as a low grade climber myself I think all of those venues will provide excellent days of climbing for people whose abilities and ambitions are at lower levels than your own. You’re really saying that the OP is missing out on all the decent climbing by not being as good as you. Sounds a bit patronising from my viewpoint.

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 planetmarshall 15 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

One vote for the definitive guides over the selected, even for the occasional visitor. Pembroke can get exceptionally busy and there are a lot of high quality lines (and entire crags) that don't appear in the selected guide, which can be useful if you don't want to join the queue for Manzoku (E1 5b).

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 Offwidth 15 Jul 2022
In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

I've seen and been totally gobsmacked by people moaning about the price of guidebooks yet owning a new IPhone. You sure have a market niche there Alan!

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 Luke90 15 Jul 2022
In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

The Android version of the app really is a second class citizen if you're making a recommendation contingent on owning an iPhone. Shame.

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In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

> If you have an iPhone then can I recommend you get Rockfax Digital? The geo-located map for Pembroke is amazingly useful in finding crags and approaches and the topos are mostly new and vastly improved from the 2009 book. It also has many more routes in it.

> Alan

Does it still not work for Android? 

 Alun 21 Jul 2022
In reply to Rog Wilko:

> You’re really saying that the OP is missing out on all the decent climbing by not being as good as you.

I apologise if it sounded patronising, it was not my intent. But it's unfair of you to quote that line out of context with the rest of my post, which indicates clearly that I think both north Pembroke and Gower have more to offer than south Pembroke at the grades the OP was discussing. I have had many amazing days in both venues; whereas I've always found Saddle Head quite disappointing by comparison. 

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 The Pylon King 21 Jul 2022
In reply to Offwidth:

> I've seen and been totally gobsmacked by people moaning about the price of guidebooks yet owning a new IPhone. You sure have a market niche there Alan!

Technology toy fetishists who have been sucked into the smartphone addiction and will pay anything for their hit. Only 'smart' people appreciate the true value of a book.

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 Rog Wilko 21 Jul 2022
In reply to Alun:

Fair comment. I’ll withdraw the patronising. But I still think you’re under-appreciating what S. Pemboke has to offer in sub E grades. Not in quantity, I admit. But ever since getting my first Pembroke guide many years ago I have felt that it seems like every E-grade route gets stars while hardly any easy routes do, whereas the people for whom those easy routes are the limit of their ambition find them under-rated quality-wise. I agree that there are lots of lovely low grade routes on the Gower, and they are greater as a proportion of the total number of routes there,

Also, notwithstanding the fact that I’ve had many pleasant climbing days in North Pembroke, I think there are quite a lot of the easy routes there which are very forgettable.

 The Pylon King 21 Jul 2022
In reply to Rog Wilko:

Yes agree, there are loads of good and very underated low grade routes in S Pembroke, just ignore the stars or lack of them.

 PaulTanton 22 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

hi Lizzie. 
people may have already said that the reason there are so many Pembroke guidebooks is that most of them are area specific. There is a lot of climbing in the area.

The CC/Wired Pembroke Rock is a selected guide that covers a bit of all areas. Probably because I’m old school, I prefer a proper book. I’d just drop my phone down the crag.

There are good slabby arrears 

Flimston Bay. P132 in the book

Crystal Slabs p139

Penally Area p391

for a start. I don’t know much about Pembs North. 
flimston and crystal slabs look like they have scramble down approaches, but don’t quote me on that. 
very often there will be an ab rope in place. 
penally is a bit more remote, so less frequented.

if you are camping in Bosherston you may find people to tag along with at the campsite. It can be confusing on the first few trips. I still get lost now. 
it’s a wonderful place to climb. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Please wear a helmet….. it makes so much sense down there. 
good luck

In reply to Alan James - Rockfax:

I think the app is great for those little crags that maybe newly developed but not significant enough to either make it into a guide or worth buying a new guidebook for, but an area like Pembroke really deserves a proper book Alan!! Surely as a fellow lover of Pembroke you’d agree?!
 

It’s so nice to put your phone away and not look at it at the crag, having a guide in it lessens the beauty of climbing as an escape from the digital world.

 Michael Hood 22 Jul 2022
In reply to PaulTanton:

Crystal Slabs doesn't need an ab.

 Rog Wilko 22 Jul 2022
In reply to Michael Hood:

> Crystal Slabs doesn't need an ab.

But I think Flimston does.

In reply to lizzie789:

The wired guide is better than the rockfax and the definatives are better than wired.

The CC should be applauded for retaining the usable pocket size for the definatives. 

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 The Pylon King 23 Jul 2022
In reply to Presley Whippet:

> The wired guide is better than the rockfax and the definatives are better than wired.

> The CC should be applauded for retaining the usable pocket size for the definatives. 

Yeah the now common A5 size is unwieldy.

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 Mark Kemball 23 Jul 2022
In reply to Presley Whippet:

> The CC should be applauded for retaining the usable pocket size for the definatives. 

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. A5 is a standard size and printing the pocket sized guides would be significantly more expensive, I'm told.

Back to the original question, I'd definately go for the Wired guide and would also recommend the Penally area for lower grade routes, some of these are not in the "definative" guide as it was written earlier. 

 The Pylon King 23 Jul 2022
In reply to Mark Kemball:

> Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. A5 is a standard size and printing the pocket sized guides would be significantly more expensive, I'm told.

Mariginally more expensive but aesteically infinately better IMHO.

In reply to The Pylon King:

Completely with you there. A5 guides are an attempt at a half way house between a guide book and a coffee table book. They fulfil neither function well.

This is a pet rant of mine, I could go on and on. 

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 The Pylon King 23 Jul 2022
In reply to Presley Whippet:

> Completely with you there. A5 guides are an attempt at a half way house between a guide book and a coffee table book. They fulfil neither function well.

> This is a pet rant of mine, I could go on and on. 

Yeah and I just dont like standardising of things like size. Climbing isnt about standardising.

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 Becky E 24 Jul 2022
In reply to lizzie789:

If you want one book that covers it all, then get the Wired guide.  It's a good guidebook, covers plenty of areas, and you also get the warm fuzzy feeling of supporting the people who did the mammoth task of producing the definitive guides on which it's been based (in this case, the Climbers Club).

Same goes for the Peak.

(DOI: I spent more hours then I care to remember helping proofread the Wired Guide for the Peak)

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