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This is an ambitious book, Science is a method of understanding the world by accruing evidence and fitting it around hypotheses. The evidence and in turn the hypotheses change over time and so no such book can ever be considered definitive, it will only ever be a snapshot of the current state of knowledge.

That said this is a well researched, structured and written book, it covers the basics of human physiology well through the early chapters and cites existing evidence on which the theories are based. One exception I noticed was in Chapter 5 on muscle chains where it is mentioned that there are competing models but not grounds for the one the author chose to adopt to explain training were really given. Moving on the training exercises are well described and illustrated with clear photos.

Part 2: Optimisation of Training contains only one chapter (8 What can I optimise in my training sessions?) it is well written and I like the structure taking the reader through a typical training session and the emphasis and rationale for improving "Range of Motion" over stretching for its own sake as a warm up. Many of the exercises are for experienced climbers, not however those with many years behind them, but for those with experience of training for climbing so there is quite a high starting point for readers to be able to take full advantage of this book.

There are many non-climbing exercises described in this chapter and the benefits of each to climbing activity are well demonstrated (most of it seems geared towards building and maintaining good core strength which is key to climbing well). There are detailed descriptions of finger-board routines based on the work of Eva Lopez who undertook research on the area for her PhD. If anything I feel chapter 8 could have perhaps been split into smaller chapters and broken up as Part II: Optimisation of Training covers just under half of the book.

Part 3: Planning your Training is really useful showing how to structure the previous sections exercises into planned routines to achieve specific goals and covers common themes such as macro, meso and microcycles. It rounds out the book nicely and it would have been incomplete without this key chapter.

One of the slight criticisms which I've alluded to in the opening paragraph is that whilst the evidence presented is based on scientific research, and the studies are well referenced for those with the inclination to go and read primary research material, anyone with a scientific and/or statistical background will realise very quickly that the studies cited are mostly very small in sample size and have often focused on people who are already performing at a high level. To which end the generalisability of the findings to the general population may be questioned as often effect sizes seen in early studies are extreme and diminish or disappear in replication studies. This is something that isn't acknowledged or really mentioned in the book.

However, this is a challenge for researchers in the area though and not the author who has done an excellent job at translating the current state of knowledge into a very useful a coherent document. It won't be for everyone as it is very detailed, and mostly geared towards experienced climbers, but combined with some of the other training publications that are out there (in particular those from the Vertebrate Publishing stable such as The Climbing Bible, Beastmaking, Crack Climbing and Mastermind) this book will round out the library of anyone who is keen to invest their time in training to improve their climbing.

The Isle of Skye is one of many gems in the crown of wild and beautiful areas of Scotland to visit for the avid hill walker and this guide showcases a good spread of lower coastal walks for when the inevitable happens and the weather closes in on the stunning hills of the Cullin.

The layout is consistent with other guides in the series with clear descriptions of the route accompanied by Ordnance Survey maps with the route highlighted. This is a really useful feature as it means the bulkier OS maps can, if sticking to the route, be left in the car in favour of the more manageable guide, although it is worth heeding the authors of advice of carrying the appropriate map in case you go off route.

Each route also has a a page introducing its character and what to expect on the walk and a brief summary detailing the rough length (estimated from maps), ascent, starting grid reference and an indication of the navigational skills required on the route, particularly important on the complex Cullin hills where compasses are often redundant.

The authors supplement the text with beautiful pictures highlighting the areas in the best of conditions, which you won't always be lucky enough to experience due to the weather that rolls in and lands on these mountains.

The introduction covers the essentials of visiting in a considerate manner, including the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, use of Bothies and a reminder to always park considerately, something which should be borne in mind as the island is increasingly popular.

The authors love and passion for the area combines with the tried and tested winning formula of Vertebrate's successful
walking guides to provide another invaluable addition to the walkers library.

This is a book of love from the author who's passion for the gritstone that runs through the Pennine hills is expertly showcased through his expert eye and skill as a photographer. From the classic gritstone crags that lie to the west of Sheffield through Yorkshire to the northern Pennines and a smattering of problems from Lancashire inluding quarried grit and secluded venues hidden away in the woods as well as the bleak but beautiful moorland venues. Dave has covered everything with a detailed eye. Each double page showcases a single problem at a crag, although larger venues such as
Stanage and Thorn Crag get a couple of "blocs" highlighted by virtue of the volume and quality. This isn't just a photography book though as the text that accompanies each problem gives insight to the character of the venues, sometimes the history of classic problems and regularly highlights other problems in the area that are worth seeking out so take the time to read this rather than just thumbing through the inspiring pictures. There is a good spread of grades covered which attests to the authors appreciation of quality over grades.

The format and layout brought to mind the classic [b:Stone Crusade: A Historical Guide to Bouldering in America|1828641|Stone Crusade A Historical Guide to Boulderin in America|John Sherman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387735272l/1828641.SX50.jpg|1828445] by John Sherman but in miniature because after all the UK is considerably smaller than the US, but no less in stature as Dave has produced an equally evocative record of the bouldering on offer in one specific region of the UK.

If you've sampled the delights of grit this book will bring a warm glow and if you haven't yet had the opportunity it will inspire you to make the pilgrimage. Recommend grabbing a copy before they disappear from the shelves.

Summary

I'll confess I do not have the authors original Climbing Bible book so was unsure what to expect from this but found it really useful. It is well written and structured, after the intro describing the motivation for writing the book follows a brief section on warming up and then three solid chapters on Technique, Strength & Power and Children & Youths. In summary it is an excellent reference for those looking to improve the structure of their climbing training. There are plenty of illustrative pictures as well as a decent smattering of inspiring pictures from climbing outdoors, all put together in the high standards one would expect from Vertebrate Publishing.

More thoughts...
Its refreshing to read a book on training for climbing that includes technique which is often neglected in favour of the easier to quantify aspect of finger strength. Having good proprioception/kinasthesia is fundamental to climbing but is so often neglected in favour of getting strong as fast as possible. The authors break down technique into distinct areas focusing on footwork, grip positions, balance, tension and direction of force, dynamics, tricks and combination
exercises. Each component is demonstrated graphically with multiple detailed pictures to illustrate what is meant by the text, which is important and works well because climbing is a visceral activity in which one has to engage in order to understand and learn. The other book on training where I have seen comparable illustrations are the hand-drawn pictures that accompany another brilliant book on climbing technique from Vertebrate, Pete Whittaker's [b:Crack Climbing - Mastering the skills & techniques|50791747|Crack Climbing - Mastering the skills & techniques|Pete Whittaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580549168l/50791747.SX50.jpg|68734161] which I also highly recommend.

The Strength and Power section compliments the technique section well, following the same procedure of breaking down exercises in detail and explaining the purpose for doing so as well as giving advice on how to progress through the levels of each exercises. For example how to gradually build up finger boarding strength or progress through the stages of developing the core strength to perform front-levers (whether I'll ever achieve this is another matter!).


Each technique or power strength tip has detailed text but is often accompanied by a small caption box which summarises the point of the exercise and this works well to help reinforce and refresh the memory of why you are doing it if the book is used as the authors intend it to be, taken to the wall and thumbed through and used as you are actually climbing, something I have had limited opportunity to do so far because of the pandemic but which I hope to do in the future.

The final chapter of the book is perhaps the most unique feature since it focuses on training for children, an area that has seen little attention in the books I've read on this topic to date. As a parent whose child has been encouraged to try climbing and who, thankfully, enjoys it this section obviously appealed as it has the potential to be really useful. As is emphasised at the start of the book keeping things fun is key and having tried some of the activities out with my child I was pleased with how she took to them, although many would have been more fun and engaging if she had been climbing with others her age rather than just her dad, but such is the state of things with the pandemic. She's still a little young to be focusing on the strength training the authors advocate is beneficial at all ages, but then she also enjoys gymnastics which I feel compliments the climbing and other activities she takes.

Anyway, enough about me, this is an excellent book for anyone looking to guide themselves through the masses of messy information out there on training for climbing. Its well structured, clear and concise and the production quality is as
always second to none. I will be taking it with me to the wall as and when I can and using it to help nudge my own
abilities up.

Following in the format of Andy Kirkpatrick's 1001 Climbing Tips is Hannah Reynolds 1001 Cycling Tips. I enjoyed
flicking through the former and picked up lots of useful tips that I've integrated into my climbing and so was looking forward to seeing what gems Hannah had to offer.

First I should say that I mainly cycle to commute (when I used to go to the office to work, these days I just do a ride before returning to work at home!) and shopping or visiting local places. I'm not an avid cyclist for its own sake, climbing is my real passion, but I will on occasions cycle out to the Peak District and back for fun.

The book is divided up into a number of sections that make logical sense, introducing how to choose a bike and other equipment you might need, how to maintain a bike, integrating cycling into your life, the variation that exists, staying fit for cycling, applications and tools to enhance your cycling, navigating by bike, longer holidays by bike and some final thoughts. Reading through each section its clear a lot of thought and consideration has gone into how to lead the reader through as the tips build on each other. At times it feels as though more flowing prose would have worked which is not meant as a criticism at all, rather a complement that a series of bulleted points are so coherent. As a consequence not all of the items are what I might consider a tip but that doesn't detract from the flow of reading.

Because of the broad scope of the book covering many different aspects/disciplines of cycling not all will be useful to everyone, but that is a good thing as it might be encourage you to try a different form of cycling from your normal mode.

A couple of things I particularly was that preparation and being considerate of your cycling partners is emphasised throughout. Also when a scientific claim was made a citation to the primary literature was given which I appreciated.

There is something for everyone, whether you're already a cyclist or thinking of giving it a go this book and the format works well as something both to pick up and flick through whilst not really watching TV and also sit down and read in more detail.

A select guide which builds on the excellent series of walking guides in Vertebrate Publishing's stables. It follows the successful and proven format of more specific area guides including detailed and easy to follow descriptions of the routes accompanied by Ordnance Survey maps that clearly show the route. Alternative sections and loops are clearly highlighted on both the map and description. The accompanying photographs whilst limited are of a high standard and entice the reader to get out and explore the route for themselves.

The authors of each walk clearly know and love the area and the individual books from which each route is lifted are worth seeking out if visiting any particular area for a holiday or more than once. If only making a fleeting visit this select guide will get you out and around a beautiful walk and remove the worry of navigation.

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

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.

This guide follows the successful format of other guides in the Vertebrate Way Walks series, its clearly laid out with useful Ordnance Survey Maps overlaid with the routes to aid navigation. Routes are broken down into stages and the authors impart detailed knowledge of the areas with clear and fluent writing that shows a love for the area. The enticing pictures show the beauty of the castline and moors and the inclusion of OS maps for each walk mean the guide is self-contained and there is no need to carry a map when walking (unless you plan to deviate from the route).

Unfortunately given the current LOCKDOWN! restrictions I've been unable to field test the guide, but have walked in some of the areas described in the past and look forward to revisiting the areas with this guidebook to highlight some of the points of interest I will have unwittingly missed in the past..

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