Climbing
23rd Nov 2011 France Cote d?Azur by Chris Craggs ? Rockfax
Chris Craggs has been writing guidebooks, many for Rockfax, for a long time now, mainly to interesting foreign destinations so it should come as no surprise that he’s found another. Well, when I...
22nd Nov 2011 France Languedoc-Roussillon by Adrian Berry ? Rockfax
Last summer we went to the Ardeche with some friends for a family camping holiday. It was pre-school age for the kids so we went in September and were blown away by the area. It was stunning....
20th Oct 2011 The North Face Super Zephyrus Hoodie
This is the second hoodie of this ilk that I’ve owned and instantly became my favourite. First off, it fits perfectly. I’m 6 foot 5 and am fairly used to sleeves that ride up my forearms when...
4th Oct 2011 Cold Wars Andy Kirkpatrick
I finished Cold Wars last night at 11.30. It was a thoroughly good book Im somewhat surprised to say. I read Psychovertical (his first book) and was a little disappointed. Ive seen Andy on stage...
20th Sep 2011 Font A Bloc - Jacky Godoffe
Yet another guide to Font you groan? Well bear with me for just a minute as this one’s not half bad and offers a slightly different approach. First of all let’s get the cover photo out of the...
8th Sep 2011 Climbing On Lundy - Climbers Club
Having climbed on the magical Isle of Lundy, in the Bristol Channel, three times before (in 1993, 1994 and 2003) I was excited about a my fourth trip with a group of friends in August this year....
7th Sep 2011 West Country Climbs - Rockfax
Published in July 2010 West Country Climbs has to be a contender for Rockfax’s biggest guidebook to date (425 pages). I remember when I worked at the BMC, realising just how big an area the...
2nd Sep 2011 Scarpa Force Velcro Rock Shoe
It’s been a while since I climbed in Scarpas. The last pair I had were a pair of very stiff lace-ups suited to hard, steep sport climbing which I don’t do much of so I guess I’d gone off the...
23rd Aug 2011 Petzl Grigri 2 Belay Device
Over the past decade or so the original Petzl Grigri has arguably been the most popular belay device for sport climbers throughout the world. But, whilst the rest of the climbing manufacturing...
22nd Jul 2011 Lofoten Rock ? Rockfax
Quite some time ago my Dad bought me a guidebook which had piqued his interest. It was Ed Websters celebrated guide to ‘Climbing in the Magic Isles’. The Magic Isles being the Lofoten Islands...
21st Jul 2011 Guidebook: Peak District Bouldering
This is the first of a series of guidebook reviews to come over the next few weeks. Peak District Bouldering is the second edition of the popular Vertebrate Publishing Guide. VP are based in...
31st May 2011 The North Face Plasma Thermal Jacket
For years I thought that down jackets were the only way to keep warm when out and about. Problem was, unless you forked out a lot of money for a decent jacket with a waterproof shell, you'd never...
19th May 2011 Yorkshire Gritstone Bouldering Vol 1 & 2
The first of these books to land on my desk was Vol 2. I was a little surprised to see so many crags I'd never even heard of, with so many classics omitted. Fortunately I spotted the 'Vol 2' and...
16th May 2011 Troll Wall - Tony Howard
Last week my Dad found an old diary of his, written aged 14 (in 1954) detailing a solo cycle trip from Nottingham to North Wales. He typed it up and sent it to me to read. I was so impressed that...
25th Mar 2011 Approach Shoes - TNF Vindicators GTX
Another well engineered shoe from The North Face range, this extremely robust shoe feels like it should last several years of use and abuse. It isn’t super lightweight but, for its weight, it...
22nd Mar 2011 Guidebook: Mallorca Rockfax
Mallorca is probably the foreign climbing destination I have been to most. Actually, that accolade has to go to Fontainebleau, but Font is so familiar now that it almost doesn't feel like a...
18th Mar 2011 Guidebook: Bouldering In Ireland
What a lovely guidebook! Can't really fault it. Personally I'm not a big fan of the landscape format, but I appreciate that it lends itself better to pictures, and at the end of the day, one of my...
14th Mar 2011 Approach Shoes: Scarpa Vortex GTX
Retailing at £99.99 these are the priciest approach shoes I've tried to date. My last pair of Scarpa's were the trusty Zen's, reviewed nearly 2 years ago. Given that these shoes are still on my...