[Pantontino]

Today I have been mostly thinking about...quotes in bouldering guidebooks - the good the bad and the downright cringe inducing.

For example the Yorkshire grit guide has examples of all 3 - the Malc quote "I don't boulder for fun..." being the good, and I'll leave you to work out the candidates for the other 2 categories. (although I did like the romantic flare of Charlotte Bronte in the Earl Crag intro)

In Stone Crusade the opening quote from Royal Robins typifies what I'm talking about. It walks a fine but acutely judged line between pure cheese and masterful expression of one man's burning desire to act with conviction: take it away, Royal:

"I wondered what would happen if I just climbed as if I were going to make it, with no uncertainty in my mind whatsoever. Just climbed and climbed until gravity tore me from the holds."

Actually that sounds great, although I might think different if someone used it in a clothing/gear catalogue.

[hongkongstuey]

i kinda like this one - not in a guide yet i think:

Bouldering: A fad, a silly fleeting pastime that will be replaced just as the next pop star with bigger breasts will supersede Britney."- Vic Copeland
( from his article in VBouldering Magazine)

[Bubba]

All the cheesy quotes I can remember are from old mags (only coz I don't buy them these days...)

"Chris Hamper, an exploding powerhouse in the modern gymnastic style"

"Johnny Dawes, a gritstone technician with limestone finger strength"

Or from appalling climbing literature and Perrin wank

"Martin Boysen, that inveterate lead-hogging god"

"His eyes flickered ever upwards...."

"The impending headwall...." Jesus christ, how many impending headwalls have I read about over the years  :roll:

[dave]

"I categorically do not use resin on grit" - Jerry (or words to that effect, OTE)

[Bubba]

Overheard at the crag - Ben to Jerry "stop it, you're getting wet on the hooooolds!"

[dobbin]

He's so cool.

Is it a Todd Skinner quote in the front of YG - something about bouldering being enough to complete a person, and that you don't need to be owt else.

I quite liked that comment.

[Paz]

Is the North Wales guide still going to be bilingual?

The old yorkshire guide contained the inspired bed system for crags.  
1 Bed, crag worth getting out of bed for.  
2 Beds, crag worth getting out of someone else's bed for.

[Pantontino]

New guide - bilingual? Yes.

I did consider making ironic play of the bouldering section intro from Paul Williams' classic 1987 Llanberis guide by placing it in the new guide:

"Although the area cannot offer the scope or quality of problems associated with sandstone or grit, there are nonetheless several venues well worthy of visit, where one can find micro-routes of sufficient difficulty to tax even the most gifted of rock athletes."

...but then I thought you might agree!

[Bubba]

...but then I thought you might agree!

Well, we're all waiting to find out  :D

[tom]

enough talk of the new the guide i'm trying to forget about it until the time comes when i might actually be able to buy one

[Omega]

I just hope that the new North Wales bouldering guide will have the sort of quality advertsing that found its way into Gough's OTE Font guide.  My special favourite from that tome is the Field & Trek ad.  That is total class.  Nice kit, nice hair and an excellent looking boulder problem!

[Pantontino]

That was a world class advert - so far round the curve of cringe inducing badness, that it became good again.

I should nick the image and put a V12 Outdoor logo on it.

[dobbin]

Not unlike the inimitable Ferrero Rocher advert wiz zee ambassadors rezeption.