[Pantontino]

The Ground Up website is now up and running. Go to http://www.groundupclimbing.com/
to see sample pages from the forthcoming North Wales Rock guide.



There are also details of the North Wales Rock Challenge and more than a few pretty pictures to whet your appetite.

Cheers,

Pantontino

[bigphil]

I want one!

Looks quality, well done Pantontino and all those who were involved.  When is it due out?

[Bubba]

Good stuff

btw, anyone else have problems opening the Cloggy PDF, or is just me?

[unclesomebody]

can ethically inferior people (like myself) who have headpointed routes also have a look?

[Palomides]

All the pdf "downloads" seem to be located in the directory

http://www.groundupclimbing.com/upload/members/

Which probably shouldn't be public 

But that's OK... if I were to see large-sized versions of the sample pages my arousal might reach dangerous levels 

[Pantontino]

Everybody is welcome Uncle. Dontcha think a trip to North Wales would be a good break from all that intensive training? I could just see you and Buoux 8c romping up a big route on Lliwedd in tweeds and nailed boots. A picnic on top, a beautiful view, then a leisurely stroll back to the beer garden - sounds tempting doesn't it?

Bubba - just sorting out that technical hitch over Cloggy page.

Big Phil - if all goes to plan it should be out at the end of August.

[Palomides]

Ahhh!!!!

The other pages (apart from Cloggy) DO work.

Shit. I can't stand up from my desk.


Simon, the guide looks superb. Even though I live 1,045.82985 miles from Llanberis I will buy a copy.

[Fiend]

Herford's Route HVS 5a?? Grade creep Mr Pantontino, tut tut!

Other than that, looks great, I'm sure it will be a class guide and I'll have to get a copy. One small niggle - on the crag intro pages, I don;t think having the higher grade routes in white font looks so good.

[Pantontino]

Fiend, some grades go up, some go down, that is the nature of new guidebooks.

I'll pass on your comment about the graded list colours to Al. I'm not sure I agree with you though.

[Monolith]

As a graphic designer, principally typographer, I am delighted to see the sample pages of North Wales Rock. For me, not since the days of the Lakes F & RCC guides donated to my father by his long time friend Neil Allinson have there been many shining examples of visually sound climbing guidebooks. I can't wait to see it first hand, preliminary congratulations in advance. Takes me back to my childhood days of perusing Hard Rock, slobbering at the then prospect of digging out the old mans EB's. (still in the porch by the way!)

[AndyR]

Do I need to point out the typo (repetition) on the Mot page?

Dear me, honey-potting-guide QA/QC ain't what it used to be......

[Bonjoy]

Looks great. I shall definately be buying this

[Pantontino]

Well spotted that man! (fancy a job as a proof reader?)

[Doylo]

Looks gorgeous. I wander if it'll be out before xmas though 

[a dense loner]

the only problem i have with guidebooks about wales is that they tend to make the climbing look good...
saying that i will prob be in the pass this wknd
 

[SA Chris]

Looks magic.

Don't understand the reference to grinding up though. 

[grimer]

Looks great all.

Can I make 2 points. One is that by using, for example, 04.02 as a first ascent date, it is a bit ambiguous for an area with such a long climbing history (ie, is it 1902 or 2002). The other is that I love the Dinas Mot pic of Jethro's, but I have already seen it on UKC. Might it be good to keep pics off there until it comes out to preserve the impact of those great pics?

Otherwise all good.

[Doylo]

the only problem i have with guidebooks about wales is that they tend to make the climbing look good...
saying that i will prob be in the pass this wknd
 

the bouldering might not be to everyones tastes but the trad is undeniably world class

[Pantontino]

Grimer, I did think about the date thing, and if I was doing a definitive guide I would certainly use the full date. However I think it'll be pretty obvious from the routes in question which end of the century they came from.

As for pics being seen elsewhere - this is a problem in that it does weaken the impact of the image when the reader first flicks through the guide, but on the other hand there are so many action photographs in this book that I don't think there'll be many grumbles about its visual impact. And, at the end of the day it is good to have inspiring pics of N Wales being seen, if only to remind folk what they are missing out on.

[grimer]

Fair enough. I soppose there weren't many routes called Cystitis by Proxy or Raped by Affection being put up in 1884.

[moose]

Crikey, well done to everyone involved.  If those samples are at all representative the complete guide will be an utter thing of beauty.  I will definitely be buying a copy (even though I already have a barely used North Wales / Snowdonia select guide), worth it for inspiration and "toilet" reading purposes alone.  Although making the climbs at Tremadog identifiable / locatable would be a gratefully received bonus!

Out of interest what size will it be? It looks quite large format.  Will it standup to the rigours of "big days out": being stuffed in a rucksack and taken up a multipitch climb that ends in rainswept retreat.  I am personally torn between prefering smaller guides like the FRCC select that can be easily taken up a multi-pitch route in your pocket, and the larger, generally more fragile guides, that are perhaps best suited to admiration in base-camp (sadly the more likely use where I am concerned).

[Pantontino]

We've matched the new Climbers' Club size, as shown in the recently published Forest of Dean guide. This is 120mm by 175mm. The idea being that it is bigger than the old style CC guides, but still pocketable and sufficiently petite as to not get in the way on multi pitch routes.

[dave]

all them downloads and shit look bo.  The cover does looks a bit like a phone book though - good job its not A4 size!

[al]

The cover does looks a bit like a phone book though

wish you hadn't said that dave, i can't look at it now without thinking that
 just to explain, we struggled to get one photo that did it for us, so went off in a different direction - (think of it more like wrapping paper round your pressie)

[Ru]

It looks really good; moving things on another notch. Phonebook chic is the future.

[7lbs overweight]

Very tasty.  The visual look is superb, the action photos are inspiring, the topos look very clear and it sounds like it will be a good size to carry en route. 

Trivial style points: 04/09 makes me think of 4th of September.  There seem to be quite a lot of exclamation marks!

Typo corner: ...brilliant multi-pitch routes...  (Dinas Mot).  ...onto the wall; a delicate step-up... (Flake Crack)

Do I get the proof-reading job?

[SA Chris]

We've matched the new Climbers' Club size, as shown in the recently published Forest of Dean guide. This is 120mm by 175mm. The idea being that it is bigger than the old style CC guides, but still pocketable and sufficiently petite as to not get in the way on multi pitch routes.

Sounds similar enough to the new SMC Guides to fit the guidbook holders made specially for them.

[andy_e]

phone book

uh-oh, people will be ripping them in half soon...

It does indeed look very good, it deserves to be popular!