[nik at work]

Good morning to the great and good of UKB.
I am part of a circle of friends that is looking to get a birthday present for a friend who lives in Spain who has recently taken to climbing.
It has been suggested that we get him a general (route) climbing guide to the Peak area, and as the resident (ex?) climber the selecting of the specific guide has fallen on me.
So what’s the best general guide to Peak routes out there right now?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions 😁

[SA Chris]

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/climbing/climbing-peak-district-gritstone/

I've not been to the Peak in years, but this is on my want list. Free Joe tasker book too!

[Will Hunt]

The Wired guide is good. It's drawing from the same well as the BMC's definitives and very lovingly laid out by Grimer. Visually very nice when you flip through it.

https://shop.thebmc.co.uk/product/peak-district-grit-wired-guide/

[nik at work]

Thanks for the suggestions…

Without wanting to get too “Margaret, Margaret…” is there anything that covers both grit and lime?
Having asked that, I’d rather go for “lovely grit only book” than “covers both but a bit meh”.

[Will Hunt]

Not to my knowledge.

[spidermonkey09]

Don't think so. Peak lime is a bit annoying as its either the rockfax or the bmc definitives, which are in two volumes. For grit, my vote is the Vertebrate guide.

[slab_happy]

I'm a fan of https://www.outside.co.uk/pod-climbing-true-grit-selected-rock-climbs-on-peak-gritstone.html

Gorgeous, best topos, and the grades and little smiley-face ratings of boldness seem pretty trustworthy.

[tommytwotone]

I've got a copy of On Peak Rock, battered and held together to Duck Tape somewhere!

[Stabbsy]

I'm a fan of https://www.outside.co.uk/pod-climbing-true-grit-selected-rock-climbs-on-peak-gritstone.html

Gorgeous, best topos, and the grades and little smiley-face ratings of boldness seem pretty trustworthy.

Nik, if you decide on this one you can have mine for nowt. Outside have been giving it away for free with online orders. Personal view is it’s a terrible guide - nice pictures and nothing else.

[slab_happy]

Yeah, it just depends what you want. At the other end of the spectrum, I also love the BMC Definitives for the detailed (and often funny) descriptions and all the history.

[nik at work]

Thanks everyone, UKB delivers again. All information has been forwarded to the purchasing party and I think the BMC guide won out in the end.

[Fiend]

I'm a fan of https://www.outside.co.uk/pod-climbing-true-grit-selected-rock-climbs-on-peak-gritstone.html

Gorgeous, best topos, and the grades and little smiley-face ratings of boldness seem pretty trustworthy.

If that's Andy Gardner on the front cover then you might want to avoid it on that basis alone as he's the only person I've climbed with who is actually more obnoxious than me, from sulking when we wouldn't move over to a new sector of crag 10 mins earlier, to replying with "Nah fuck that" when I suggested it might be polite to ask before doing falling practise on my rope. Apparently I caught him on a bad day but even so.

Both the Wired and Hoey guides are surely good options, because they're Wired or Hoey.

As for Peak limestone, maybe best to get GU North Wales Rock, Wired Lake District Rock, Wired Pembroke, CC South West Climbs, Latter Scottish Rock or indeed anything else.

[Duncan Disorderly]

If that's Andy Gardner on the front cover then you might want to avoid it on that basis alone as he's the only person I've climbed with who is actually more obnoxious than me,

That's quite an accolade there!! 

[Johnny Brown]

Ha ha he said the same about you Matt! Meeting of minds for sure 

[Bonjoy]

I'd go for On Peak Rock. Not the newest but it has all the classics on grit and lime and covers loads of crags

[Yossarian]

On the basis of cover typography alone, True Grit is quite excruciating. Lithos bold being only a move or two below Papyrus…

[dunnyg]

Typography aside, the vertebrate guide is decent. Good psyche pictures, and the rest of it seems spot on. I haven't used it extensively, but it did get me re-psyched for the peak. I haven't used wired etc. though to compare.

[SA Chris]

On the basis of cover typography alone, True Grit is quite excruciating. Lithos bold being only a move or two below Papyrus…

Should have gone Comic Sans

[SA Chris]

I'd go for On Peak Rock. Not the newest but it has all the classics on grit and lime and covers loads of crags

Agree, but nearly 20 years old though, looks pretty dated.

if he's unlikely to to actually do any routes, the obvious answer is the sublime;

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/climbing/peak-rock.html

I read vey few books like this cover to cover, but consumed all of this.

[Offwidth]

I'd go for On Peak Rock. Not the newest but it has all the classics on grit and lime and covers loads of crags

It's an amazing book for its time. The original edition is best with the table of where to climb given specific needs, weather and time of year. Really good writing and not afraid to drop minor classic areas to have some space for fun, including some pure esoterica.