Rock Climbing. Pete Hill

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      An assortment of guidebooks

      A typical guidebook will cover a number of crags in a geographical area, the clue being in the title: ‘Swanage and Portland’ or ‘The Ogwen Valley’, for example. Decide where you want to go, then find a copy of the relevant guidebook in a climbing shop or via the Internet. Inside the book cover there will often be a rough sketch map of the area with the crags marked, along with any relevant towns or other features. The first few pages will contain a general description of the site, access, history and so on. The crags will then be listed, either alphabetically or grouped by location. Each chapter will detail where the crag is, how to get there and where to park, plus a bit about its character and any access issues.

      The routes will be listed in a logical manner, although this section may be a little confusing at first. On a small single-pitch crag the climbs will commonly be described starting from either right or left, or perhaps from an obvious feature such as a huge oak tree in the centre. Anything else noteworthy on the crag will be mentioned, and this can help you get your bearings. For instance, there may be a large corner and a route description telling you to start ‘3 metres to the right’, leaving no doubt as to where the climb is.

      Where crags have a number of buttresses, these will often be described in the sequence in which you approach them from the parking and access point. A time may be given for the walk to each section (although this tends to be very subjective). Obvious features will be mentioned, and the topos will also usually give a clue as how the sections relate to each other.

      Multi-pitch crags should be looked at from a different aspect (literally). With a single-pitch route you can probably get all the information you need by standing at the bottom and looking up it. A crag with a series of long routes on it will, by definition, be high, so stop some distance from it and, using the guidebook and your own observations, pick out relevant features. Chimneys, crack lines, overhangs and similar formations should all be discernible from a distance, and you can then relate these to the description of your chosen route in the book.

      Choice of Route

      You will probably have decided, well before arriving at the venue, which route or routes you intend to do. An ideal route on a single-pitch crag – if one exists – will include the following features:

      Perhaps there aren’t that many routes like this around – but you will be surprised just how many of these criteria can be met at a good venue.

      A lot of guidebook compilers will use a star rating, often ranging from one to three. These are only applied to those routes that, in the opinion of the author, merit special mention. Although this is a good way to highlight climbs that might be worth seeking out, bear in mind that this is the author’s idea of a good route, which may not be the same as yours. Also, a route with no stars is not necessarily a poor climb, and may suit your particular style or aspirations perfectly. Conversely, a three-star route may not impress you in the slightest. Use this system as a guideline; at the end of the day deciding what to climb will be down to you.

      Note

      The first ascensionist names and grades the route. The grade will usually be about right and will be accepted straight away by other climbers. However, sometimes routes have been under- СКАЧАТЬ