I checked out the new guide today and I am majorly impressed. There aren't many guidebooks that can rise to the level that Ray has done with this one. I especially like all the route photos for obscure trad lines, especially as a climber who almost solely seeks out the obscure lines. Those photos sure would have saved me a lot of time and confusion in the past. I was wondering though why there were a few routes left out. I'm not talking Closed areas like Pocket or Oil Crack, or obscure areas like Rock Bridge and Meyers, but routes at areas in the new book.
I'm going to take a stab at answering my own question - all of them are obscure, no doubt and a few like Sampsel's Dihedral are nearly impossible to find. Also I'm going to say they didn't make the cut because they were toprope routes (Dead Deer, Mantelpiece) or chopped (Trouble, Day Dreams and Nightmares - which can now be done as a TR once climbing Lunatic Fringe). The toprope routes seem like they should have made the cut since other TRs did, but in those cases, it looked like space might have been the real issue. Other routes, like Tower Rock Pinnacle definitly should have been included. Don't take that as criticism Ray, I was just curious and I'm a nerd so I notice stupid shit like that. Excellent job!
missing routes in the new guidebook
I've done some of those you mentioned and maybe they weren't wort mentioning again. They were listed in a previous guide so theres no need to list them for historical reason. I don't know Ray's reasons but that's my guess. Lunatic Fringe is good. I thought Tower Rock Pinnacle sounded good and went looking for it but what I found had no pro. I'm still intrested. Want to show me where it is? I recall getting tired of humping a pack through the Rhodos and not finding what I was looking for.
"Everyone should have a plan for the zombie apocolipse" Courtney
Oh yeah, last weekend we climbed at Torrent after putting up routes and the following day we climbed at Roadside after putting up routes. We're going to try and climb 2 or 3 other routes at the end of each day. Not a bad idea. I just wish I had more time and that it wasn't such an expensive drive...
How's Colorado treating you guys? Are you still climbing often?
How's Colorado treating you guys? Are you still climbing often?
"Those iron spikes you use have shortened the life expectancy of the Totem Pole by 50,000 years."
--A Navaho elder
--A Navaho elder