Should I buy both new guidebooks?

[shaggy125]

I wasn't sure where to post this and I apologize if it's already been asked but I couldn't find it if it has. I noticed the next guide is going to be split into volume 1 and 2. I own the latest book and am wondering if it's worth buying both of the new guides or if I should just buy the south book and use my old guide for the north since I'm not much of a trad climber and no new bolts are allowed on the forest service property (so for me, there will not be much, if anything new in the north book). I will place my pre-order as soon as I hear from the wise ones on this forum. Thanks.

[tpowell]

In my opinion, you should go buy some trad gear, learn how to place, and then buy the guidebook for the Northern region.

Or you could save oodles of money and stick to be sport, and buy the guidebook for the Southern Region.

[dustonian]

I'd say southern only if you don't really climb trad and are on a tight budge.

[shaggy125]

So I never got around to ordering the book but was wondering if now that they're out and more people have thumbed through them if anyone has anymore insight. How much new stuff is in the Southern book? Is it worth it for me to buy the north book? Any new sport crags? I have trad gear, I know how to place it, but I'll be on a road trip and my partners will just want to clip bolts unless I can talk them into plugging gear (not likely), is the north book worth buying? Thanks.

[milspecmark]

I have both of the new ones and the 3rd edition. If you have the 3rd edition, you do not need the new North book. It is all the same. The southern region book has new climbs in it but not that many. Still worth it in my opinion.

[milspecmark]

I have also stumbled upon a few errors in the south book.

[Artsay]

There aren't many changes in the northern book except for corrections, better directions, and maybe a dozen +/- new trad routes. Oh and some old crags that were removed from the past three editions were put back in since size was no longer a limiting factor. Also some write-ups are in there that aren't in the southern book. Since the days of development are seemingly over in the northern region, the split up into two books was an obvious evolution and has a lot of advantages like keeping the cost down as well as a smaller book. There are well over 100 new routes in the southern book, though, and both books have the new format additions like denoting kid friendly crags and some other stuff. Probably a ton of errors, just the nature of the beast, so feel free to send them to me or Ray.

To a friend I would probably recommend buying both and then only buying the southern book from here on out. That way you would have the current set in its totality and then just supplement when you feel like enough new routes have been added that justify the purchase.

[KD]

you should buy both - really. Both are great and you wont ever need the other one because you have it. Buy both.

[HotTabascoSauce]

I have only climbed in PMRP and Muir valley thus far, but I've been there 3 of the last 5 weekends and I'm going again this weekend. I finally have all my own gear (yay!) and I'm wondering if I should look for the old guide book or just get the southern part of the new book?

I have trad gear but don't know how to use it, so I currently only climb sport. I am going to try to find somewhere/someone to teach me how to place and stuff by the end of this summer. By next year I will hopefully be climbing trad.

[crazyhair]

I am going to try to find somewhere/someone to teach me how to place and stuff by the end of this summer.

http://www.redriveroutdoors.com
Their guide Dan (Wolf on here) could teach a blind & deaf grandma how to lead trad like a pro. If there's hope for me, there's hope for you.