Favorite Guidebooks

Post by **ynp1** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:17 pm

So what is the best guide book you have every read? Old, new, whatever...

My personal favorite is Peter Croft's The Good, the Great and the Avesome. It has good maps, pictures and stories about the climbs. It also doesn't give you a pitch by pitch beta, which keeps a lot of the adventure to the climb.

Some of my other favorites: Supertopo's Yosemite Big Walls, the new Devil's Tower, and The Black Canyon

I am looking forward to checking out the new New River Guide, RRG and HP40[/u]

Post by **hamsco** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:51 pm

John Bronaugh's 2nd edition still makes me laugh. I will put his prose up against any others.

Post by **SCIN** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:28 pm

I definitely agree with Hamsco. I loved John's words.

Post by **Josephine** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:08 pm

i was so disappointed when i started traveling. Ray's guide has great directions. other guides (especially the one i had for red rocks) just didn't get me where i wanted to go! I still think we have the best guide book

Post by **One-Fall** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:42 pm

Call me out for being a kiss up, but Ray's is hands down the best one i have seen.

Post by **Crankmas** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:19 pm

the topo's at the ranger office in Zion are pretty kewl

Post by **GWG** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:16 pm

Extremeangles Press has a guidebook for the Gunks that has all sorts of details that go way beyond other guidebooks of the area. Purest have stated that using that guidebook is like having someone hold your hand up the route.

It's my understanding that they are currently developing a similar style for the gorge.

Post by **corduroy** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:09 pm

i thumbed through the newest New River Gorge guide from Wolverine publishing and really liked it. Wolverine seems to be way ahead the competition. They did a great job of mixing in new and old photos. The one with Porter sporting long hair, big rimmed glasses, and torn tights made me laugh.

i used the Rumbling Bald Bouldering Guide By Chris Dorrity last week. I think he does a good job, and the color photos with lines drawn on are nice.

i agree, those Extreme Angles Publishing books are a good read.

Post by **kneebar** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:10 pm

Ray for sure, but I really like most of the full color guides. Gets you fired up to go if it is a road trip. The New Arkansas guide that Cole put out (in color) is pretty sweet! When the color Indian creek guide came out it really started the crowds so I guess it is a bit bitter/sweet.

Post by **mike_anderson** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:48 pm

The Spearfish canyon guidebook is hilarious, and the Smith Rock guidebook is a tremendous work of art and historical record.

The RRG guidebook is one of the most impressive I've seen for the way it accurately describes so many unique cliffs that are just plain hard to find. All the stars make it kinda heavy though