Climbing For Seasoned Gentlefolk
By Norman Croucher

Published by St Ives P&P. Paperback. 84 pages. 13 Colour photos. Price £9. ISBN: 0-94385-35-9.

A good idea this, but rather loosely put together. The style is light-hearted and aimed at those who don’t take themselves too seriously. Selling itself as a list of “do’s and don’ts for the older beginner”, this book contains a wealth of useful information: Medical considerations, clubs, walls, and relevant addresses are included, all with special reference for the old and infirm. A magazine for, and by seasoned climbers, “Loose Scree”, also gets a mention, along with the address for contributions and donations. I shall be ordering a copy shortly.

Tacked on to and threaded through this basic premise, are assorted unrelated ramblings about tobogganing, paragliding, something called ski-bobbing and an extended chapter on trekking. There are several references to the writings of Frank Smythe- though sadly not Showell Styles, who wrote a great piece on “Geriatric Rock Climbing”. Most poignant, are the many notes from Kirkus’s “Let’s go Climbing”, arguably the best introduction to rock climbing ever written- for people of all ages. Still, this one is for us ‘oldies’.

Dave Moore

Scramble Active, Lake District
- An Interactive Guide to Bill O’Connor’s 60 best scrambles in the Lake District.

Published by Harvey Maps. PC CD ROM. Price £??. ISBN: 1-85137-480-9.

This is an evocative scrambling guide to the Lake District - for those that like their walking to be ‘on the wild side’! It’s modern, while retaining solid links to the past, whether that be by literary quotes, or advice to try socks as a friction aid on wet rock.

Controlled by 6 large buttons at the top of every page, it is easy to navigate. Route selection can be achieved in a number of ways: you could browse the excellent Photo Gallery, see a soaring rock ridge, and in one click be looking at the corresponding Route Summary. (In fact, if you were to continue down the information highway, with another few clicks you could have downloaded the necessary grid references to your GPS… and you are off, for what might eventually be termed ‘sports walking’!). You can view and print route cards too, heavens, next they’ll be suggesting that you could drive to a hill and strike out for the most appealing line? Sorry, I think I’ve taken that too far!

It is also possible to select routes by using an Interactive Map, with pop up info when your mouse hovers over one of the 33 clickable numbers: nifty!

The usual grading system is used to categorise the difficulty of the scrambles: ranging from 1 to 3a, where the scrambles have become virtual rock climbs!

This is a very usable guide containing not only information on the routes themselves, but also a section on scrambling for beginners, an introduction to the Lake District itself, and snippets of local interest, natural history and the like, making sure we are always connected to the larger mountain environment and not narrowing in too much on the technical.

Craig McAdam

Morocco
A film by Alastair Lee

Posing Productions DVD. Price £14.99. Running Time 28mins.

Often, trying to drag the children away from the Playstation can be hard enough, but when their preferred option is to view a film, its even harder to find something that is not a blockbuster ‘Twin Towers’ or Disney Pixar fictional world, but something to do with the ‘real’ world. The only outdoor related DVD my kids have enjoyed is ‘Masters of Stone 5’, simply because the hard rock music, Dan Osman’s 1,000ft jumps and solo on Yosemite’s El Cap appeals to the inner madness of young boys.

However, Alastair’s wee film really struck a cord. Delving into the delights of climbing at Todra Gorge, the amazing painted Tafraoute boulders, Moroccan desert sands of Merzouga and high mountain walking on Jebel Toubkal, all delivered in Alastair’s inimitable comedic style, fired their imaginations as much as Star Wars Episode IV; the goats up trees as captivating as Dan Osman! Kendal Film Festival director thought it was “acclaimed by nobody, enjoyed by everybody” whilst it was voted 3rd best film at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival. An excellent diversion from the usual fare.

Kevin Howett

Special offer to MCofS Youth members
Youth members of MCofS are offered a 15% discount on the normal price (i.e. £12.75). Contact Posing Productions and give your Individual Membership Number. Tel: 01282 428023 to make your order. For more information see the website at: http://www.posingproductions.com/

Walking Down A Dream - Mexico to Canada on Foot
By Natasha Carver

Published by Carver. Paperback. 235 pages. Price £??. ISBN: 1-4010-7548-7.

“Town-stops are lonely. Mountains are alone.”(p.177)

The Pacific Crest Trail is a long distance path that runs south to north the length of the United States- starting on the Mexican border, running through California, Oregon and finally tracking its way through Washington to the Canadian border in the North.

This is a travel book, a documentation of a 2,600+ mile journey on foot across America. The trail is a combination of desert, glacier flanked mountains, meadow and forest- not to mention the bears, rattlers and the one-horse towns. The author guides the reader through this adventure. The interesting thing form the climbers perspective is that the emphasis is put on the mileage covered and the state of the author’s feet. The fact she ascends 10,000ft peaks on the way is glossed over.

Structured not unlike Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods but far less cynical, this book is an endearing read that balances the images of a physical megathon and a spiritual journey. Other hikers, complete with trail names, play a huge part in this book and are seemingly one of the key memories of the author.

On a more critical note, we are outdoors people and are stimulated by the visual. The pictures are of poor quality and it is difficult to discern much detail from them. It would be better if they were left out altogether and better still if effort had been made to show the reader some of the views and the many and varied characters that played such a key role in defining the author’s experiences. I don’t want to say it, but there are not enough pictures!

Scott Chafer

The Hillwalkers Guide to Mountaineering
By Terry Adby and Stuart Johnston

Published by Cicerone. Paperback. 251 pages. Full Colour. Price £14. ISBN: 1085284-393-4.

The title says it all. This book enters a fairly crowded genre but attempts to separate itself by being very specific with its target audience. This is a wise move - many hill walkers harbour the desire to go that little bit further and enhance the splendour of a day in the mountains with the adventure of mountaineering.

The layout is clear and logical, and instruction and guidance is always excellent. It has three distinct sections; the concept of hill walking and mountaineering; “Skills for the Hills”, arguably the main thrust of the book; and a final section of route guides to some of Britain’s most respected mountaineering lines.

It seems a strange thing to say but in some ways there is just too much information, far too much to simply read and retain - this book needs to be used as a companion for learning-through-experience.

There are highlighted top tips, do’s and don’ts, ‘you really need to know this’ type of information and equipment lists. The text is well supplemented with technical photographs but particularly pleasing is the inclusion of mountain vistas that successfully capture some of the gems of British mountaineering. It’s a useable guide and not some giant hardback that becomes relegated to a rest on which you write out your Christmas cards.

In order to get a practicable opinion it was given to a colleague who represents exactly the target audience. It was read cover to cover. As to whether or not it is inspiring- no question, the aforementioned colleague arranged a day on the Aonach Eagach with myself as accomplice- the day was a good one!

Scott Chafer

Oileáin (A Guide to the Irish Islands)
By David Walsh.

Published by Pesda Press. Paperback. 224 pages. Full colour. Price £19.99. ISBN 0-9531956-9-4.

For those who love Ireland, are into sea kayaking, enjoy visiting islands or just seek out the wildest and remotest locations this book will be of interest.

The author is a kayaker, climber and solicitor, and is closely involved with our sister organisation the Mountaineering Council of Ireland. He has written a superb book that deserves to become the Irish equivalent of Hamish Haswell-Smith’s “The Scottish Islands”.

Having said that, Oileáin is written with the outdoor adventurer firmly in mind, and although primarily a sea kayaking guide, the information on walking and climbing on the islands and of how to get there if you don’t have a kayak strapped to your butt, means this book will be of interest to a broad range of outdoor interests.

If you want to check out the photographs for good-looking sea cliffs then take a look at the Inishnabro Pinnacles on page 95 and the Inishtooskert Pinnacles on page 98, and if you want to check out some inspirational paddling shots then take a look at Torneady Point on page 185. And if you want to know if Craggy Island really exists: you’ll have to buy the book!

As well as being available in the usual book retailers, Oileáin can be obtained from the Pesda Press website at http://www.pesdapress.com/.

Mike Dales

Others Received:

Mont Blanc - A guide for skiers: By Anselme Baud
Published by Cordee. Paperback. 286 pages. 300 full colour maps sketches and photos. Price £19.95. ISBN: 1-904207-27-8.

Certainly a useful guide for skiing in this area. I cannot ski but I can appreciate the attention to detail and the excellent layout of this user friendly guide.
Kevin Howett

Isles of the North:By Ian Mitchell
Published by Birlinn. Paperback. 302 pages. 51 colour plates. Price £9.99. ISBN: 1-84158-298-0.

Another book about sailing and islands, this time including Norway, from an author who it seems from the narrative is prejudiced against conservation and anyone or any organisation that is concerned with the conservation of the natural Scottish environment. Read it if you want to explore what has to be a very singular opinion.
Kevin Howett

British Isles, A Natural History: By Alan Titchmarsh.
Published by BBC Books. Hard Back. 216 pages. Full colour. Price £19.99. ISBN: 0-563-52162-7.

To go hand in hand with the current BBC series on the natural history of our small islands. With such a huge subject condensed into a book, inevitably a lot is left out. Only Callanish and Torridon are included from Scotland in the ‘places to visit’ chapter.
Kevin Howett

Expedition Handbook: Edited by Shane Winser
Published by Royal Geographic Society. Paperback. 502 pages. Black & white photos and diagrams. Price £19.99. ISBN: 1-84197-044-7.

Everything you wanted to know about organising an expedition to most of the remoter areas of the world. Mainly geared to big expeditions, but much useful information for climbers as well.
Kevin Howett

Living With Mountains: by Joyce Hodgson
We failed to mention in the review of the above book of mountain related poetry in Scottish Mountaineer Issue 22 (March 2004) that it could be ordered through Brown & Whittaker Publishing. Tel: 01688 303336. Website: http://www.brown-whittaker.co.uk/.

Along the Fife Coastal Path: By Hamish Brown
Published by Mercat Press.157 pages. Paperback. Full colour. Price £12.99. ISBN 184183-057-7.

Did you know that Fife has it’s own version of a via ferrata, that police were required for crowd control duties during sandcastle building competitions at Burntisland, or that Somerville College Oxford is named after the largely self taught Mary Somerville from Fife?

These are just a few of the many snippets of information to be found in Hamish Brown’s book. It is crammed with intriguing details of Fife’s history, wildlife, industry, architecture, folklore etc. and is illustrated by simple sketch maps and many excellent photographs. For a comparatively thin volume there is an abundance of fascinating background detail.

Sitting in my armchair I enjoyed this book – but that enjoyment would have been greatly enhanced by more detailed maps (e.g. 1:50,000 OS extracts) to give a better appreciation of the terrain and help me to visualise the walk. For those undertaking the walk, the guide would, I feel, be easier to follow if a clear distinction had been made, perhaps by the use of italics or bold type, between those notes giving details of the route itself, and those providing such a wealth of background information. As it is, I suspect that many will resort to the use of a highlighter pen.
Trevor Wain

ALPINE POINTS OF VIEW: By Kev Reynolds
Published by Cicerone. Hardback. 240 pages. Full colour. Price £22. ISBN 1-85284-460-4 £22

As Kev Reynolds makes clear in his introduction this book is one for the walker rather than the climber. In it he explores some hidden corners of the Alps and writes with enthusiasm of the peace and solitude to be found there. Opened at random my eyes fell upon the text of The Central Alps with its passages describing the Lepontine Alps - pure magic ! Further exploration of the book will reward with its many splendid images and accompanying descriptions which will surely tempt others to follow in his footsteps. The pictures are Kev Reynolds at his best, many noteworthy for their effective use of foreground which place the people and alpine huts in context and at one with the mountains. None but the most parsimonious will begrudge the price - open up your horizons and take the plunge you will not be disappointed - I have already done so.
Irvine Butterfield

Highland Wilderness: By Colin Prior
Published by Constable. Hardback. 304 pages. Full colour. Price £18.99. ISBN 1-84529-065-8 £18.99

This small format sees the republication of panoramic images which first appeared in the original large format Highland Wilderness. The addition of several single page images is to be welcomed, as the cross page panoramics do not always portray the pictures to best effect, being split by the fold along the spline. Although no one would deny the glories of Buachaille Etive Mor the inclusion of six images of the mountain is to the detriment of other areas which receive less coverage. Interesting too is the inclusion of two images of The Cobbler which on first glance appear to be duplications. There is also five images of a rather gloomy North Esk and given the range of his accumulated work over some twenty years one is left with the impression that there was a struggle to fill the pages. The given figure of 277 Munros tends to suggest that Prior, like many other successful author/photographers has been pushed to complete the revised book in a limited time scale. These minor quibbles apart the book is fair value and will doubtless find its way onto many a outdoor enthusiasts bookshelf.
Irvine Butterfield

Between a Rock and a Hard Place By Aron Ralston
Published by Simon & Schuster. Hardback. 352 pages. 34 colour plates. Price £14.99. ISBN 0-7432-6353-7.

North-West Highlands - Scottish Mountaineering Club Hillwalker’s Guide
By Dave Broadhead, Alec Keith & Ted Maden
Published by SMC. Hardback. 352 pages. Full colour. Price £22. ISBN 0-907521-81-9.

The SMC have now got an almost unrivalled reputation for producing excellent, informative and professional guides through this series. The photos are as good as we have come to expect, the layout is a crisp no-frills affair, with some excellent detail written by real enthusiasts to the area. There are some isolated boxes of detail on a range of issues from Shielings to history and paths. This is a book to be read by the fireside on driesh evenings for planning next years trips.
Kevin Howett

With Friends in High Places: By Malcolm Slesser
Published by Mainstream Publishing. Hardback. 255 pages. 19 colour plates. Price £15.99. ISBN 1-84018-848-0.