Climbing
16th Nov 2012 Fontainebleau Climbs – The Finest Bouldering And Circuits – A Review
Fontainebleau Climbs – The Finest Bouldering And Circuits – A Review J & Francoise Montchausse / Jacky Godoffe I’m beginning to wonder whether it is possible to have too many guidebooks to...
30th Oct 2012 Autana & Odyssey
I usually have a rule in that I don’t review books or films by mates, but I’m breaking the rule today as I’ve watched two pretty cool films in the last week and both deserve some plaudits....
24th Oct 2012 Echoes by Nick Bullock
Echoes by Nick Bullock Echoes has been an interesting book to read. On the one hand I’ve found it incredibly interesting and enjoyable, but it’s also frustrated me at times. A number of years...
1st Aug 2012 Dorset Rockfax
I’ve been climbing for more than twenty years now. I’ve climbed across much of the UK, but the south coast is somewhere I’ve only been three times. Don’t know why. It’s just panned out...
1st Jun 2012 5 and 6 - 3975 straight ups in central and southern Fontainebleau
Just over a month ago I went to Font for our annual Easter pilgrimage. I contacted Bart Van Raaij a week or two before going to see how his latest project was coming along, a similar guide to...
31st May 2012 Traversing Club - Climbing Games
My oldest lad goes to our local primary school. A couple of weeks ago local climbing wall builder Wallclimber installed a traversing wall in the playground and I offered to start running an...
15th May 2012 Pembroke - Rockfax
Printed a few years ago this is nevertheless a worthwhile addition to the Rockfax arsenal. It’s effectively an update on the previous guide (which came out in 1995!), bringing it into line with...
8th May 2012 My Tiny Sun Head 1,000 Pro Headtorch
I have said in previous reviews that there has been something of a shift in the standard of torches for outdoor users in recent years. It’s been driven by two things: LED bulb advances and...
4th May 2012 Berghaus Velum Jacket
Review UPDATE - April 24th 2013: Berghaus Velum Jacket Review [Update – 1+ year on] by Steve Hodges I questioned how it might fair in terms of durability being a lighter weight fabric but...
30th Apr 2012 Fiva by Gordon Stainforth
I tend to avoid reviewing mountaineering and climbing books these days. I’ve read so many over the years that I struggle with them, even if they are well written, as they are essentially...
23rd Apr 2012 5 Plus 6 - Fontainebleau Guide by Bart Van Raaij
A few years ago I wrote a glowing review for a new guidebook to the boulders of Fontainebleau. It was a work of art and a labour of love all rolled into one, and the fruits of a talented and...
19th Apr 2012 Llanberis Slate by Ground Up Productions
Ground Up are a North Wales based company who produce North Wales guide books. As such they know their stuff. They also clearly knew that the slate quarries were desperately in need of a new, and...
17th Apr 2012 North Wales Classics by Jack Geldard - Rockfax
What a nice idea. A small pocket sized guidebook to the best routes in Snowdonia. It’s something portable that you can carry on a route with you. It’s a selected guide so saves you the expense...
4th Apr 2012 The North Face Patrol Glove
So The North Face have come up with a ‘new way’ of sizing gloves according to this video. Sounds reasonable and sensible to make sure that sizes are consistent across their range, but I have a...
30th Jul 2012 Scarpa Vapour Velcro
Scarpa Vapour Velcro RRP £79.99 Until a year or two ago I was an avid 5.10 fan. I liked their rubber and that was that. I tried other shoes, but didn’t really feel that anything compared on...