Guidebooks
4 posts, 2 voices
| Philip 2 posts | Hey everyone, Thinking ahead I have started to work on revisions to Island Alpine and it's brought up a couple of options: - to wait until I've sold all the first edition (say by 2012 or so at the present rate) and then rework Island Alpine totally and print a new $50 edition. - put all the new routes and updates in a supplement of say 100 to 150 pages which could be pulled off by say spring 2009 - work on a new book Island Alpine Select that would focus on just the technical peaks with the addition of the new routes - and lastly what do people know or think about a cragging guide for the whole island? I like the sound of 'Island Rock'. I know Greg Sorensen talked about it a while back, anyone else know anything? Any feedback on these ideas welcome. |
| john 89 posts | I would not rework the entire Island Alpine. Just write the island select. realistically 90% of climbers only climb the "top" dozen or so peaks anyway. And more adventurous climbers can use your Island Alpine and get beta from other climbers on the more obscure routes. When could you get Island select together? I've considered writing a select guide, but its a big project. I'll have to get out this winter to put up a few new ice routes for the guide. I write the "Comox Lake Guide". An island rock guide is a good Idea, but of course its not going to help the sales of my little guide. Island rock would have a wider distribution which would attract more climbers. Always a good thing in my opinion John Waters |
| Philip 2 posts | Well I've started on a second edition of Island Alpine, whether that gets trimmed to a 'select' I haven't decided yet, I think the first thing to do is to enter all the new routes, updates and corrections that have been submitted since 2003 (there's quite a bit). Then I'll have a feel for whether there was enough new information on the less visited peaks to justify a complete rework of the original book or to pare it down to a select. Instinctively I feel like redoing the whole thing mostly because I feel like I could do a better job second time around (I have way better maps now and many more digital photographs, along with a mess of new routes). Also I know it has a lot of climbing info but the idea was never to include technical routes at the expense of hiking peaks and the traverses and trails are something I think could be improved too. I estimate it is about a 2 year project so without making any promises I'm going to say 2010 release. So if you've had your eye on any big prizes and want in on the next edition better get out soon. Any feedback welcome, through this forum or email me direct pstone@wildisle.ca PS: there's still 9 out of the 10 'last summer alpine problems' left and all 10 winter I believe. |
| john 89 posts | I still think the select is the way to go, and thats not just because I am a climber. The easier and hiking routes up a peak are not going to change ,as these are the usually the most obvious lines. For example I doubt there will be a new hiking route up Elbert Edward, but there is a good chance of a new technical route on a peak like Tom Taylor (especially since I have some aerial photos of the south face). I'll have to get cracking on some routes. Warden sound interesting and its not very tall. Curtis , mike and I went to climb the super arete just a month before it was climbed. The guys that did it skipped out all the overhangs and the hardest climbing. There started a few hundred meters higher than the arete and traversed in. we saw the line but were uninterested if we couldn't do it properly. It would involve aid climbing for a pitch or 2, but we didn't have enough gear. Eventually free able on pitons if you worked it. Also a much bigger idea. I like the Euro alpine grading....F - ED4. a number of guide books use it, so it would be easier to compare mountain routes. |
