Product Description
The Colorado Plateau encompasses the high desert country of Colorado, New Maxico, Arizona, and Utah. In this fourth volume of Eric Bjornstadt's extraordinary climbing tour of the region, the author documents climbs on the region's spectacular backcountry towers and cliffs. Painstakingly illustrated and with a guide's eye for the fascinating natural history of the region, this book is a must for every Southwestern climber.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Its not a bad guide
If your looking to climb half of moab then get this book but the author split the moab area into two books the other half is in Desert rock III i think. But other than that nonsense the guide is good.

Top notch guides
Hmm. Surprised no one has reviewed this guide. Continuing in his series of Desert Rock guides, #4 is a gem in it covers many areas overlooked by the first 3. Having known Eric while living in Moab in the late 90's, I know from personal experience how much effort and pride he puts into these books. I would see him on a weekly basis as he dined at Pasta J's (probably still does) regularly. Being a jeep/ruins/gem guide in the area, he was/is familiar with nooks and crannies of the canyons it would take one dozens of years to accumulate-- which is what he has done. He would give us beta on towers, huge crack faces and more that had never been touched. We'd go out and put up first accents. Many were memorable and are in this book and in #3. Some, not so memorable, but always good memories!
Eric strives for the most accurate info he could get. He'd rely on the climbers themselves for route beta, updating the guides meticulously as he went along.
Great work.
You're in for real climbing adventure of your own with this series.
~jr ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Dont buy it
As useful as a bicycle in the middle of the ocean, probably the tires will help you as the photo of the cover of the book in order to have a good idea of how looks a climbing wall. You can get more info from the climbing holds homepages

basic book 26 pages long
very basic book. only 26 pages long. if your looking to build your own home climbing/bouldering wall. I would recommened just doing a search on google or going to the metolius climbing website.

Well, at least I didn't pay for it
This was a free, 4-for-3 book that looked interesting and I thought would be a good way for me to put together a climbing wall for my foster children that wasn't a plastic one you get at the toy stores. Children get bored on those little tiny walls with plastic holds; I am experienced in woodworking and masonry and wanted to put something up in my basement or garage (which the book specifically promises to be geared to). I don't have a 25-foot ceiling like he does and there seems to be no way to scale down the walls (no pun intended). The entire first page basically says, "Don't build your own wall without an architect or a structural engineer." Thanks.

Weak
This book hardly even covers the basics in building a wall.Very few diagrams and even fewer innovative ideas.He doesn't even bother to include many picture of walls in order to get ideas.Even the limited information free on the web surpasses the details in this book.

Pathetic
This book is an awful intro to building indoor rock walls.Outdated and too thin.It reccommends creating your own holds which is a good way to make poor holds.The Metolious website offers at least as much info as this book and it's free.Unfortunately, there is no other book to reccommend that covers building indoor walls.Someone still needs to write it. ... Read more

Product Description
Smith Rock State Park.It was on the impressive crags ofthis Oregon hideaway that American sport climbing came into its own,and to this day, some of the hardest climbs in the States are found onthese walls.Alan Watts, who has played a lead role in thedevelopment of this popular area, details herein the more then 1,000routes of Smith Rock and the surrounding area. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Classic!
Hands down the best guide to Smith Rock. I recommend it for any climber in the area.

Excellent Historical Perspective
Alan Watts did an excellent job in putting together this guide.The topos and maps are high quality, the photos are excellent and it's easy to navigate.But what really sets this guide apart from many others is the quality of the historical perspective and the overall readability of the text.Watts played an important part in the development of sport climbing in the US and thus was a controversial figure for years.His treatment of those tumultious times is worth the cost of the guide.

Going to Smith in 2 days.
One of the best guidebooks out there. The topos and pictures are clear and the descriptions are detailed. The author has probably done all the climbs so he should know. The topos even give specific gear needed at certainplaces on the climb. Where the author's climbing style lays is obvious, heseems to dislike anything with a chimney. Quality of routes are measured bya 4 star system. The author uses R and X rating. This guide has everythingyou could ask for. If you only want one guide to the area, this is it.

THE Smith Rock Guide book
This is the greatest guide book to Smith Rock State Park ever.It has it all.That is all there is to it.This is the perfect guide to the perfect climbing area. ... Read more

Product Description
In "Climbing Rock and Ice", Jerry Cinnamon offers introductory, how-to advice for beginners as well as technical information for sport climbers, seasoned veterans and programme leaders. The book includes up-to-date information on techniques, knots, equipment, belaying and leading, on anchor systems, steep ice, avalanches and climbing leadership. 25 years ago, rock and ice climbers were considered eccentrics, daredevils or lunatics. Now, climbing is a major growth area in outdoor sports, and the ever-increasing numbers of climbers have moved from fringe to mainstream. A recent survey of outdoor enthusiasts showed that over 4 million people in the US climbed rocks and mountains in 1991. Jerry Cinnamon is one of those "eccentrics" who began climbing in the early 1970s. He soon combined his enthusiasm for the sport and his skills as a teacher, developing courses in mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing that became part of a professional programme in Outdoor Recreation Leadership at Unity College, in Unity, Maine.Cinnamon's students practice the physical skills of climbing on rock and ice, learn to set up belaying and anchoring systems, and hone their ability to analyze new situations critically. Cinnamon breaks down skills into basic steps that match how people learn, and he passes along time-tested pointers gained from 20 years on cliffs and crags. He instructs newcomers as well as experienced climbers. This book contains the information he gives his students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Covers a lot of information, with poor illustrations.
This book covers virtually every aspect of climbing, from rock gear to avalanche detection and rescue. While it's all inclusive, the drawings (there are no photos) are poor, a significant drawback in a book like this.A lot of the things that he writes about snow and ice get very technical,especially when he discusses snowpack, ice formations, etc., which, if youhave the patience to read all the way through, are pretty interesting. I'dbuy John Long's book from the How to Rock Climb series first hands down,but this one is a good book to have nonetheless. ... Read more

Product Description
Revised and updated. This is a short topo guide to the mostpopular of the great routes and crags of Yosemite Valley. The intentis to give an overview of the major routes on El Capitan, Half Domeand the cragging areas of Cookie Area, Glacier Point Apron, and ArchRock. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Rock Climbing Yosemite's Select
A good overview of a lot that the valley has to offer.Not a whole lot of detail on anything in particular though.

keep shopping
This book is not good at all. I lived in the valley for 2 months this summer and have learned to hate it. Despite the previous rating, Don Reid is DEFINITELY no master at getting you to the climb itself. He often has only a sentence or two telling you how to get to hard to locate climbs. Furthermore, the so called stars by the "best climbs" often mark some of the worst cracks....

Disappointing...
I thought this book looked just great. And reading the introduction increased my enthusiasm. The discussion of common causes of disaster is both fascinating and educational.

Unfortunately, the brevity of this book has resulted in a lack of crucial information. The staggering magnitude of the rock faces at Yosemite means that a lot of pages of topos are needed, and this book seems to have over-economized. We set out to climb the North Buttress of Middle Cathedral (DNB), and wandered back and forth for hours trying to identify the route from the scanty description. Nor was this the only disaster: we then wandered up the valley and repeated the sorry experience looking for another route.

Verdict: very pretty, but if you are going to do any climbing, look for a more comprehensive guide instead.

All Guide Books Should Be This Good
The most important function of any climbing guide book (in my opinion) is getting you to your selected route. Great topos are vital, but if you can never find the route...what does it matter. Don Reid is a master at both getting you there and great topo beta. Even if it is your first time in the Valley, the book gives such great directions you would be hard pressed to get lost. And, as always, Don is a master topo "artist". Don't accept any cheap substitutes, this is the book to have. ... Read more

Product Description
Short, steep, and well-protected is the name of the gameon San Luis Valley's high-quality volcanic cliffs. Known for itsexcellent aretes and stemming corners, the Valley is one of the mostpopular sport climbing areas in Colorado. Come ready to pull down onpockets, edges, and huecos, as well as sample some superb crackroutes.

Now in its third edition, Rock Climbing the San Luis Valley describesmore than 300 routes at Penitente Canyon, the Rock Garden, WitchesCanyon, Shaw Springs, Sidewinder Canyon, and La GaritaWall. Completely revised, this guidebook contains updated routeinformation and now details the canyons using photo topos and overviewmaps. Also included is a bouldering section that will guide you tomany of the Valley's stellar problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good information, but...
Although this book contains some extremely helpful information on climbing in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, this homage to Mr. D'Antonio's ego is, at best, painful to read.Mr. D'Antonio's pioneering climbing inthis area undoubtedly opened a premier sport climbing region for thebenefit of hundreds, if not thousands of climbers.Nonetheless, thequalitative descriptions of the climbs oddly coincide with routes that theauthor himself developed.The density of self-congratulatory commentsbecomes choking as one continues to peruse the enclosed information. Climbers visiting the area will buy this book because it contains the bestinformation on the area (it does lack some routes that have been up for awhile, but blatantly ignored by the author, a good example being the routesto the right of Mysterious Redhead in Penitente Canyon), but as the daygoes on, one may find themselves as exhausted by the insipid writing as theclimbing in this gorgeous climbing region. ... Read more

Product Description
Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have long been known assublime tourist areas, but the rock climbing and bouldering along theCalifornia's south-central coast are just beginning to attract theattention they richly deserve. From the sweeping walls of the EchoCliffs to the awesome overhangs at the Owl Tor, from classic problems atPainted Cave to the vast boulderfields atop Pine Mountain, the manyroutes and boulder problems described in this book will appeal to a widerange of tastes and abilities. Written by one of the area's leadingactivists, Rock Climbing Santa Barbara and Ventura provides first-handinformation to more than 50 scenic and uncrowded climbing areas not tobe left off your tick-list. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Climber's Tool and Literature
Steve Edwards' book was my first purchase as an avid rockclimber when I visited Santa Barbara in January 2002 to prepare for my transfer to the area.Even before using the guide to locate the local climbing I enjoyed it immensely for the history and personal flavor given by the author.

There is much more to this book than a climbing guide.It is also a personal pilgrimage.Steve experienced a golden era in Santa Barbara climbing that he describes so vividly yet knows has passed forever.His is the passion of a personal life transition that we all go through and there is both joy and sadness in the writing.His obsessive intensity and endurance for physical training is mirrored by an affection for caffeine, alcohol and nicotine that make him such an interesting character.Steve is also a movie connoisseur from his early days running a video shop in the student quarter (Isla Vista) next to UCSB and he blends this knowledge with climb descriptions for occasional flashes ofbrilliant humor.And I should refrain from commenting on the Reverend Speefknarkle!Steve's defining picture is buffed and honed on "Pieces of You" atop the fantastic Pine Mountain boulderfield.

The book fulfills its primary purpose as a tool for guiding the climber in locating and selecting appealing routes exceptionally well.My copy is already dogeared and marked up with yellow highlights after just one season and it has never led me astray.Only rarely have I disagreed with the grades Steve gives for difficulty and quality but this is to be expected for these subjective ratings.

In summary, this book is a must buy for any climber interested in the Santa Barbara - Ventura region yet it has deeper appeal as literature capturing one man's personal journey through the 90's.How we all wish to turn back the hands of time!

A non-climbers review of a rock climbing guide
I visit the Santa Barbara area often.So I picked up this book and thumbed through and became intrigued enough to buy it.Not for the rock climbing information (although the personality and names given to each trail had me captivated); instead I became curious to know this philosophical guide writer, Steve Edwards. Formerly thinking all rock climbers were a bunch of daredevils, this guide opened my eyes to the depth of committment it takes to be a rock climber, much less, write a guide! And their love of the earth is more honest and real than most armchair environmentalists.Reading this book definitely helped me grow. I hope you will read it and then go hug a rock - and maybe even a rockclimber!

The definitive climbing guide for the Central Coast!
Whether served up with a tray of Bombay Sapphire martinis (shaken, two olives) or a six-pack of ice cold Oly, let this text be your companion to some of the best and most scenic climbing areas in America! Looking forsteep, gargantuan sport routes that make your tendons twitch just lookingat 'em? How about classic sandstone slabs with holds so fragile they maybreak if you merely pass gas? Or maybe you're into divine boulderfields sovast that first ascents are possible until Jesus comes back to spot you?This book has it covered. Steve Edwards has done a first class job ofdirecting you in entertaining fashion to the climbing, history, andlifestyle that Santa Barbara climbing is all about. Read it over coffee andcigarettes not just as a guide, but as fine literature. It's better than'Atlas Shrugged', and shorter too!

This is not a review
I am the author of this title and didn't know where else to submit corrected info. The book is called: Rock Climbing: Santa Barbara & Ventura

220 pages

The guide features over one thousand routes andboulder problems along California's central coast from the outskirts of LosAngeles to the wine country north of Santa Barbara.

I have a jpg of thecover that I will send to you if you email me at: mannyvarjak@hotmail.com ... Read more

Product Description
Climbers guide to all rock climbing areas in North Carolina. Includes big wall routes and short top roping areas. All season climbing. The only guide to climbing in North Carolina. Contains many photos and topos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Seller!
The seller of this product was extremely helpful and understanding! I needed this guide for a climbing trip a week from when it was purchased. She put it directly in the mail AND emailed me her favorite climbing spots in N.C. I would buy from her again.

Kelley's Climber's Guide to North Carolina
A very well done guidebook.Location information is especially helpful.Kelley made extraordinary efforts to contact climbers of early routes to obtain accurate historical data.We can only hope Kelley will put togethera fourth edition.

Great Book
This book is must have to anyone climbing in North Carolina. Especially if new to the area. It is a very well thought out and produced book, The Photos and topos are very useful,a nd the line drawings are very clear. Itcovers all of the good Climbs I know about in the state.

Must have!
This is the third copy of this guide I have owned. I wore out two copies of the 2nd edition. This latest edition is superb in the descriptions, details and advice offered. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover what you need to know about how to do “trad” climbing, sport climbing, bouldering, solo climbing, scrambling, mountaineering, ice climbing, and indoor walls.Learn about the climbing and protection equipment that you will need to enjoy this sport.

Learn what indoor rock training equipment will get you in shape fast for rock climbing, the different rock climbing techniques like rope systems and belays and the mistakes you must avoid to stay safe and how to climb like a pro using 20 pro rock climbers techniques.

Discover all the common types of calls you can use to communicate clearly with other climbers, what you need to know about all the grade scales and ratings of climbing routes and the most exciting rock climbing destinations for the beginning, experienced and expert rock climber.

Learn the two best things to do when you start experiencing aching joints.
... Read more

Product Description
McConnell's Mill State Park is the most popular climbing areain western Pennsylvania. In this first ever comprehensive guide to theMill, Bob Value describes both classic routes and lesser-knowntreasures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book, highly recommended
Bob Value's guide book for McConnell's Mill offers a great history of the Mills and enough detail for most people to find their way around. Book lacks more pictures of boulders which would allow an easier way to find your place but overall a good book for anyone looking to climb there. ... Read more

Product Description
" with over 300 days of sunshine a year, Northern New Mexico offers mild winters, cool summers, unrivaled sunsets and panoramic vistas. Crank steep bolted cobbles amid the pine forests of El Rito. Sample the splitter cracks and bolted basalt of the Rio Brande Corridor. Mutli pitch trad climbing provides day long adventure on Questa Dome. Many fine bouldering areas serve as destinations or quick fixes. Tres Piedras, Cimarron and Comales Canyons, round out the offerings. Free camping, hot springs, and uncrowded cliffs combine with Southwestern charm to make Taos the ultimate Four Corners climbing destination. ... Read more

Product Description
Rock Climbing Western Oregon is a three Volume guide to the lesser known regions of western Oregon. THE ROGUE is volume #3 and covers the southwestern area, including the coast. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you need to assist your partner past a difficult section of a climb or rappel down a multiple pitch route with an injured climber, you owe it to yourself and your fellow climbers to be prepared. How to Rock Climb: Self-Rescue fully describes and illustrates a variety of techniques that every climber should know for safety and self-reliance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Mumbled solutions....
The book presents a few scenarios (though not enough) for self rescue but ultimately the author produces such complicated and mumbled solutions that understanding the diagrams is work.Most of the solutions could be presented in a simpler way, with less backups, less fuss whitch is usually the way emergency situations require you to act.Also very common devices such as the croll, tibloc and other vertical devices are not at all mentioned.I think this could be better.

An excellent reference for multlipitch climbers
This book is for the experienced climber who understands the importance of self rescue skills for multipitch trad climbing.
It does not take the place of a professionally-led self-rescue course! If you try to learn the techniques on your own with this book you will be frustrated. This is the reference for after you take such a course.
While it is shows many scenarios, it can be confusing with so many variations. They should have concentrated on the principles so the climbers could think their way out of a specific situation using the basic scenarios.

This a must have for every climber!
I am an aspiring Big Wall climber. I would not be caught dead 2000 feet off the deck without the information contained in this book. Regardless of your goals as a climber, you owe it to yourself and your partner to learnand master the techniques contained in this book. BUY IT!

If you climb you should read this book!
The book covers all aspects of rescue of a fallen climber, from freeing oneself from a harness to ascending or decending the rope to finally hooking up and hauling the victim to safety. I've read numerous books onclimbing and if your looking fora book on self rescue, this is the one!

Awesome book
The American Alpine Institute recommended this book to me after I tooktheir basic mountaineering course.I've read it several times now.Itexplains important topics like escaping from a belay, pulley systems,lowering methods, rappelling with an injuryed partner and self-belayed soloclimbing.The illustrations are excellent. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers one hundred of the best routes in RedRocks from 15-pitch trad climbs to single pitch sport routes. Whilethis guidebook focuses on the most classic multi-pitch routes such asCrimson Chrysalis and Epinepherine, cragging routes are alsoincluded. Includes formerly obscure and unpublished climbs to providemore options for avoiding crowds. As in all SuperTopo books, theauthors personally climbed and documented each route with meticulouscare to create the most detailed and accurate topos ever published. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Better Fish in the Sea
Its a good book if you're trad climbing, it has the majority of the routes in it. If you really want to know all the routes and have a ton of information, there are better guide books out there for Red Rocks.

Great collection of Red Rocks climbs
I've got every Red Rocks guide ever published, which is about 10 books, including a really old one published in Rock and Ice around 1982.This guide is not comprehensive but contains a good selection of classic long routes.One thing I enjoyed was the historical information on each route.For example, Triassic Sands has a section on the history of this climb that can't be found anywhere else.

However, if you just want to get up these routes you may think all this history is unnecessary.Red Rocks is a difficult area for one guide book as there are such a wide variety of climbs, from single pitch sport routes to multi-pitch sport routes to full day trad affairs.This book does seem to emphasize the latter and if you are more into sport climbing you are probably better off buying one of the comprehensive guides.

The photos in this book are superb.The online version, in particular, has some really good shots.I guess they reproduce better on a monitor than on paper.

Very dissapinting Guidebook
This the most useless climbing guide I have ever seen.

There are 3 guidebooks available for Red Rocks. The best one one is the new eddition of Mountaineers guide edited by Roxanne Brock, which is a very comrehensive, and gives good route descriptions pitch by pitch. It is similar to 'Falcon' guide; in fact it is a copy of it with much improved topos and graphics. It is also somewhat better organized then 'Falcon' guide and provides stellar guide for each route; very helpful. I definitely recommend it.

The only good thing about supertopo guide are actually topos but unfortunately the number of routes described in this book is very limited. I can only guess that the author included only routes he has done, otherwise I cannot understandthe reason of producing the guidebook to a fenomenal climbing area including only 10% routes or so.

Second problem with the book is a lack of detailed route descriptions; instead the author decided to suggest strategy of doing the route consisting of a statement such as that the route is very popular and you should start early to be first in line to avoid waiting in the que; I guess this is really difficult to figure out yourself.

Third problem with the book is the lack of directions on how to get to the route. OK after few days and after talking to other climbers, who have climbed there for few days, you can get a good orientation but if you don't have anyone to ask for directions, you cannot work-out from this book.

The book looks impressive if you never climbed in Red Rocks, but if you did, it is absolutely useless, unless you really want to limit yourself to a small number of routes described in the book.

So do yourself a favor and don't waste your money for this particular book; go for Mountaineers guide, it is very good and useful. Besides it is cheaper. I bought this book because it was offered in the electronic form and I could print it out and reap easily pages with topos for the route.

And go climbing in Red Rocks, it is really a stellar climbing area.
... Read more

Product Description
The complete introduction to rock climbing, from first steps to learning ropework and safety. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Get the Complete Guide to Rock Climbing Instead
The complete Guide to Rock Climbing (Malcolm Creasey) contains everything in this guide (identical pages) and more, and for the small additional price is worth getting instead.

One of the best beginners' guides to rock climbing!
What a gem! I was surprised nobody had yet rated this fine book. After taking introductory lessons and going on my first climb, I went to the nearest bookstore to examine all the intro books to rock climbing. After searching through about ten of them, I pulled two from the pack and bought them: "The Beginner's Guide to Rock Climbing" and "Rock Climbing: A Trailside Guide."

Half the book is filled with expertly-taken color photos to illustrate in detail the many techniques (e.g. movement on rock, specific types of holds, ropework, belaying, etc.) you will need to quickly ascend the learning curve.

Most important in my decision to buy this book was the fairly large section dedicated to technique (the very experienced instructor couldn't overemphasize technique, technique, technique). While most books only explained technique in words and/or accompanied it with black and white pictures, this book does it with detailed close-ups in full color. The book gives you plenty to learn from: creative handholds, unusual positions, chimneying, jamming, etc. In addition, anyone who has climbed will appreciate the section on how to conserve energy using different techniques outlined in the book. It may literally be a life-saver when going on longer climbs.

In your research, you may also come across Malcolm Creasey's other intro books. A good 70-80% of those other books are made up of the exact same sections from this book! It is no surprise given how instructive and valuable these core sections are.

If you're looking for one of the best introductory texts on rock climbing, look no further, because you get it all from this very comprehensive guide at a relatively rock-bottom price! ... Read more

Product Description
Sport climbers often project a route that tests their physical limits in hopes of an eventual completion. Succeeding requires a solid understanding of great belaying and other lead-climbing techniques that aren't found in other climbing disciplines--but are detailed here in this accessible new guide.

Targeting all abilities, Sport Climbing teaches climbers how to rehearse moves and train for specific routes, how to get through the pump, how to fight until the end of a pitch, how to stay composed when tired, and how to best use their bodies to climb efficiently and expertly. Whether inspiring new climbers to learn the nuances of scaling vertical terrain, or delving into a deeper, more conceptual understanding of how to go about projecting a route, Andrew Bisharat brings confidence and a level of practicality to the sport. He reveals how the skills specific to redpointing transfer over to all climbing disciplines, making this a must-have book for any climber. Featuring anecdotes from famous climbers such as Tommy Caldwell, Katie Brown, Boone Speed, Josh Wharton, and Alex Honnold, the author brings a modern voice to a complex sport. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very useful, informative, and well-written!
Bisharat's book is introduced by one of the best climbers in the field, and for good reason.It's a book that is valuable to both the novice and experienced climber.Bisharat makes the sport accessible to new climbers, especially in the area of gear, which can seem overwhelming to those who come in with little background knowledge.His clear explanations are well-supported by the pictures.Some of the later chapters are especially relevant to more experienced climbers, and get anyone, regardless of expertise, psyched to climb.Bisharat's book is every bit as well-written as his pieces for Rock and Ice, and it is definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection.

Excellent Book
Sport Climbing: From Top Rope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success unfolds in a logical progression, from a detailed history of sport climbing, through movement and gear, and then on to more advanced techniques. I could go on and on about the many things I liked, but instead I'll share a few of the snippets that really stood out to me.

Technique

The chapter devoted to technique covered the basics, but also offered a few gems that I had never really thought of before, at least on a conscious level. One, "balance first, move second" talks about putting yourself in balance before reaching that next hold. Seems pretty basic, but as a tall climber, it's usually easier to focus on just reaching the next hold instead of worrying about balance.

Belaying

"Aside from knowing how to safely operate the belay devices, giving a soft catch is the most important, and least understood, aspect of great belaying." Preach on brother. I remember a day at the Minimum Crag in Maple Canyon where we watched this climber repeatedly taking bone-jarring whippers on one of the classic steep routes there. His belayer kept him so tight, what should have been casual lobs into space instead were candidates for a broken ankle each time he pitched. It was almost unbearable to watch, when all the belayer had to do was jump at the right moment and give a soft catch. Everyone who ever belays anyone should read this section and put the advice into practice.

Strategy

Many climbers want to be better at onsighting, but they simply try to just onsight harder routes. Bisharat states that in order to boost your onsight level, try to redpoint four routes that are four letter grades harder.So if you want to comfortably onsight 11a, redpoint four 12as. After all that work in the harder grades, when you go to onsight 11a, it will feel significantly easier. And the reverse is true for redpointing, he states you should be working on routes four letter grades harder than your hardest onsight. So if you can onsight 12a, you should be working on redpointing 13a.

There's a lot more packed in the pages of SCFTPTPTFCS, and Andrew has created an invaluable resource for the climbing community. Those new to the sport, or sport climbing in general, will undoubtedly gain much from the knowledge within, and my guess is the veteran bolt clipper will find some gems as well.

Sport Climbing by Andrew Bisharat
Sport Climbing by Andrew Bisharat is quite simply the best modern compendium on this most popular form of rock climbing. The book is well-written, with an entertaining history section and concise advice on all relevant aspects of the discipline. If you're looking for a book that lays out techniques that will help you climb better, and more safely, then you will not find a better manual than this.

Gear heads and nigglers will undoubtedly focus on Bisharat's omission of in depth analysis. Thankfully, you will not find the words "triaxial loading" or "gate lash" in this book. Nor will you encounter tedious discussions of anchoring systems. And rightfully so. These subjects have no place in a how-to book on Sport Climbing, and including them would dilute the title and make it far less user-friendly. Such emphasis on technical jargon might impress fellow climbers, but it will not improve your climbing, which is, after all the thesis of this book.

Most helpful are Bisharat's first-hand strategies for redpointing and onsighting. Affirmations like "Let your expectations float to the surface and evaporate,"seem at first simplistic, but prove particularly useful when actually applied to the real world setting of the crag. The best climbers in the world (Lynn Hill, for example) cite these affirmations as key to their success.

If you're new to the sport, or an old horse looking for sure-fire time-tested methods to climb better, more safely and have more fun, then pick up Sport Climbing by Andrew Bisharat. It's far and away the best book yet published on the subject.

GearFlogger.net reviews Sport Climbing by Andrew Bisharat
Readers of Rock and Ice magazine are familiar with Andrew Bisharat's spleen-of-consciousness writing. He takes a first try at the long form in his book Sport Climbing: From Top Rope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success. The result is a bit of a mixed bag: some good advice, somewhat disorganized, ultimately unsure of its audience and with some glaring omissions.

The first chapter of SC is great, covering the history of SC, how it differes from bouldering and traditional climbing, and even gets straight to the heart of the matter: climbing is about falling, failure and fear, no matter what level you're operating at. There are a number of nice psychological nuggets like this throughout the book, even if the author does let his yoga fetish go a bit too far, e.g. "Let any expectations float to the surface and evaporate in the sun." I don't know about you, but when I'm pumped out at a scary bolt it's all I can do to keep my expectations from squirting out my butt onto my belayer's head. The detailed strategy recommendations for onsighting and redpointing are likewise worthwhile.

The chapter on gear is decent, with helpful tips on when to retire different pieces, but gives incomplete advice like "wire gates are... less likely to come unclipped," and "don't clip your belay carabiner through the tie-in points" without explaining the why and why not (triaxial loading and gate lash respectively). On the other hand, great detail is given to SC-specific techniques like regaining your high point, stick clipping and cleaning a route. Even here, however, there is no mention of simply having the person following the route clean the draws, or walking to the top and setting an anchor, which even for SC can be useful.

The biggest shortcoming of the book is its superficial treatment of safety. The author lists wearing a helmet as the first safety rule on page 101, but it's barely covered in the gear section and worse, there's not a single photograph or illustration of a helmet being worn anywhere in the book. Talk about too cool for school. There's also no discussion of anchors, fall factors, multi-pitch climbing techniques or how to escape a belay. The advice to quickdraw yourself to a bolt and climb above it also deserves more discussion: the author notes that a static fall can hurt, but neglects to mention the high probability of total gear failure, especially with a high-tensile dogbone.

This book is the first I've read that dilutes the otherwise stellar quality of the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series, and fails to make the GearFlogger Backcountry Bookshelf. Hopefully they'll go back to the drawing board with a more focused, balanced and comprehensive second edition. ... Read more

Product Description
They all thought I was crazy when I said I was going to learn to Rock climb…

But when they saw the pictures of my first ascent there skepticism was turned to amazement .

If you’re a complete beginner and you want to learn how to rock climb…if you posses some basic skills but want to advance further…if you want to discover the “inside tricks” of rock climbing pros… then this website was written just for you.

There’s No Simple Guide!

That’s when I realized I’d have to figure all this out on my own. I decided I was going to do some major studying.

I called up some friends who had more experience than me and they gave me some beginners tips.

I got every magazine, book, and even started reading a lot of websites. Here’s what I found out…

It Can Be Hard, Or Even Dangerous, IF You Don’t Know What You’re Doing!

But rewarding, fun, and it will get you in top shape (something that I really needed)

Here are some good reasons why you can get started right away:

• It’s a relatively inexpensive sport
• It will get you in top shape
• The more you know the more fun it will be
• You can practice as much as you want – you don’t have to be on a cliff
• If you make any mistakes it’s not going to be deadly- you can start the basics at lower heights


After I did all this research it was like my climbing improved ten-fold. I’m even proud to say I cleared my first Grade IV at Yosemite last week!

What I realized was that I had compiled enough information to create a straight-to-the-point simple guide to help other people learn to climb… so they wouldn’t have to go through the painful research and trial and error I had to go through.

The Complete Guide To Rock Climbing

I put together an ebook with all my information, it’s called Rock Climbing From A to Z, and here’s just a taste of what you’ll discover inside…

• Rock Climbing 101: Everything you need to know about the differences and how to do “trad” climbing… sport climbing… bouldering… solo climbing… scrambling… mountaineering… ice climbing… and indoor walls (pages 6-18)
• Climbing Equipment – Don’t let the salesperson load you up with junk you don’t need, here’s all the gear you need plain and simple (pages 19-24)
• You complete guide to protection equipment – pros – (pages 24-26)
• Exactly what indoor rock training equipment will get you in shape for rock climbing fast (page 26)
• Your complete guide to rock climbing techniques – rope systems… belays… and the mistakes you absolutely MUST avoid to stay safe! (pages 31-40)
• How to climb like a pro – over 20 techniques pro rock climbers know that get them up the rock faster and with less effort (how many are you using now?) (pages 44-48)
• Don’t sound like a rookie out on the rocks- here’s all the common types of calls so you can communicate clearly with other climbers (pages 48-49)
• What you need to know about all the grade scales and ratings of climbing routes (pages 51-58)
• The two best things to do when you start experiencing aching joints (almost all climbers go through this at some point or another) (pages 61-62)
• The most exciting and fulfilling rock climbing destinations for the beginning… experienced… and expert rock climber (pages 67-72)
• Plus much, MUCH MORE!
... Read more

Product Description
This title discusses the skills, techniques, equipment, and physical training necessary safe and enjoyable rock climbing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Delightful reading, makes me want to get out on the rock.
I normally find "how to" books dull.Not this time.I feel like I've been climbing with someone form the old school.It's not often you can gain true experience from reading a book.

Fun to read book with great information!
This book will give you the basics of what you need to know to begin rock climbing, or to help you move on from top roping to lead climbing.But, unlike the other "how to" books out there on rock climbing, it iswritten in a breezy, entertaining style that will hold your interest like agood novel. You won't feel like you're reading a "how to" book atall.It even makes you laugh!I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Product Description
Maps, topos, and photos combined with writtendescriptions of over 500 routes, gear lists, and first ascentinformation, makes this book the most complete guide ever published tothese areas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Desert Rock III
Finally, a virtual bible of guidebooks for this infinate land of valleys and cliffs. Eric does a great job with this series. So much info for one book. Countless hours and hours went into these books. This series is one of a Kind! ... Read more