滨听really love guidebooks. It sounds so clinical and dry to say so, but to a climber with any experience and any ear at all for goals, history and scope, these books represent challenges and adventures we can enjoy while simply sitting on the couch.聽
I admit that sometimes I will even buy a new guidebook to an area I鈥檓 not about to visit in the near, middle or distant future, just to do 鈥渞esearch.鈥� This means soaking up what these areas are like, their ethos, from the print medium itself, from the words of authors, route developers, scrubbers and climbers. If an author gets this balance of storytelling, fact-finding, details, beta, narratives, clean layout and crisp images all right, it coalesces into a volume that represents the experience of climbing there. Pure and simple, the book works as a tool and a designer to your own adventures 鈥� whether they include boulders, sport routes, trad routes, multipitch lines or alpine journeys.聽
I have a new guidebook in my hands at this moment. Rich Wheater鈥檚 inaugural edition of Vancouver Rock Climbing hit the shelves in the merry month of May, and I quickly snapped up a copy. Why did I do this when I live in Squamish, which is Canada鈥檚 rock climbing boutique? I lived in Vancouver for my whole life, pre-麻豆社国产of course, but never really climbed there. I learned a few skills in a now-defunct climbing gym in Richmond and then single-mindedly headed up to Squamish, where the climbing was, right?聽
I was a little embarrassed to realize that while I climbed in Squamish, soaking up the history and trying to keep a finger on the pulse of its growing development, Wheater remained living in Vancouver. He explored the depths of the North Shore Mountains, dug out old lore and history of the climbing pioneers, climbed long forgotten classics, cleaned whole new bouldering areas and helped develop a myriad of sport crags. He had discovered a gem, the wealth of climbing potential locked deep within the North Shore Mountains and beyond, from Deep Cove through to Britannia Beach. Then he began recording and writing all of this down, slowly growing and nurturing a manuscript like the starter for the mightiest of sourdough loaves.聽
The new book is published by Quickdraw Publications of Squamish, in some reverse twist of creation, yet it clearly shines with two distinct signatures. One is the clean, bold, graphic layout and well organized communication style of Quickdraw Publications. Owned by Marc Bourdon, Quickdraw Publications books always show amazing attention to detail and communicate their information well to the reader.聽
The second signature is the author鈥檚 鈥� Wheater. A climber, photographer, hiker, runner, mountaineer, alpinist, scrambler, biker, avid route developer and boulder scrubber are all on his CV. From the book鈥檚 first pages, you get a sense that Wheater has kept an eye on the growing current of motivation and enthusiasm in Vancouver鈥檚 climbing scene and has had a hand in much of its growth.聽
Wheater sums up the reason for a Vancouver climbing guidebook succinctly when he says in his Welcome to Vancouver opener, 鈥淚鈥檒l be the first to admit that North Shore climbing is a peculiar beast with a quirky reputation. It鈥檚 not for everyone, and it鈥檚 definitely not a destination. But it certainly has relevance and a distinct charm, and dismissing it altogether merely reeks of elitist snobbery.鈥澛�
The book details more than 300 sport and trad routes and more than 500 boulder problems, and it dips in to such interesting areas as the alpine rock routes on the East and West Lions, Mt. Harvey and Harvey鈥檚 Pup, Bowen Island鈥檚 crags and the sea cliff boulder traverses, routes and problems around Lighthouse Park and beyond.聽
The book is a real testament to the growth of rock climbing in the city of Vancouver. As a born Vancouverite who left for the richer climbing lands of Squamish, this book has totally stoked a new appreciation for the wealth of climbing to be found south of us down Highway 99. If you鈥檙e looking for good rock when the crowds descend on 麻豆社国产and a host of new possible adventures, this book will lead the way.聽
