Peak District Gritstone

The author is a long time activist in the region with a lot of experience and knowledge not just of climbing but also as a long term contributor to previous guidebooks published by the BMC and the co-author of the beautiful Peak Rock which documents the history of climbing in the Peak District and is also published by Vertebrate. I therefore had high expectations for this guide and have not been disappointed.

All the major gritstone crags are covered and each has a clear description about approach, access and aspect/conditions to guide the regular and visiting climber to the crag and a very useful road map of the area is nestled inside the front cover which shows the distribution of the included crags over the area and the major roads to get to them. As well as notes on the aspect of the crag such as whether its sheltered or fast drying I noticed there is attention to the nemesis of many locals, the dreaded midges which can ruin an otherwise delightful visit to a crag. Many will be grateful of this inclusion.

With the authors breadth of experience its not surprising that the route descriptions appear to have been freshly written rather than copied from previous publications, something which has happened in the past and is evident from the perpetuation of errors. I've not attempted to check any route descriptions anew but know a fair portion of the routes up to E2 and in those I've read found no errors. The grades on a few routes I'm familiar with have changed slightly but often for the better. A nice feature is the use of Font and French sport grades to supplement the UK grades the former being very useful given the short stature of many of the sections of crags and routes found on them. I'd like to say the sports grades on harder routs are useful but they are beyond my capabilities so I can't comment on how useful they are.

Having thumbed through old guide books in the past I liked that the author, with his interest in history of climbing in the area, has included details of the first ascentionist with the route descriptions themselves. Unsurprisingly with a select guide route selection tends towards the quality ones on each buttress and the traditional system in the UK of denoting the quality with stars has been utilised and extended with the very best routes getting four stars as is the case in the Scottish Mountaineering Council's (BMC) guides. This is a nice, subtle way of highlighting the very best routes without recourse to ticklists.

Guide books have come a long way from those I started out using with their meticulously hand drawn crag topos, and eloquent and sometimes cryptic route descriptions. I've always been a fan of such guides and feel the topos, rather than photograph topos are often more informative as the major features of the crag are defined without the changing influence of the light at the time of day the picture was taken or vegetation. That said given the existing competition, and that I am likely in the minority with this preference, the topos in this guide are excellent. The effort has been made to capture each crag in the best light, no small feat given the number of crags and buttresses covered.

Supplementing the excellent topos are a fantastic selection of action photos of people climbing the many featured routes by a selection of local photographers who have also climbed extensively in the area themselves for a long time. These are of exceptional quality and really showcase the beauty of not just the climbs but the Peak District itself.

Essential information for visiting climbers is provided at the start with details of accommodation, food, liquid refreshment, an explanation of the grading systems, gear shops listed and what to do in an emergency all clearly covered. Details of the many indoor options for when the weather prevents play are also provided.

This is an excellent select guide to the climbing in the area. The authors knowledge is showcased superbly by the high quality of production that has become a staple of Vertebrate Publishing and it will replace my much loved copy of On Peak Rock in the van. The only drawback to it is that its a little too big to lug up to the more remote moorland crags but that is always going to be the case with select guides (or even the BMCs definitive Moorland guide).

Disclosure : I received a free copy of the guide to review.