Virginia Climbers Guide

by Jeff Watson

Book Overview

A complete guide to climbing areas in Virginia, with drawings, route descriptions, and ratings for dozens of sites across the state. Areas covered include: Bearfence Mountain; Blackrock; Calvary... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811729818
• ISBN13: 9780811729819
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Length: 2 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Great guide, not a seeing eye dog

Book gives great explanations of climbing areas in western VA. Directions are adequate, I haven't gotten lost yet, but require a little adventurous spirit by the user. Good sketches of the crags and a wide variety of routes shown.

Virginia Climber's Guide is an excellent resource.

Reading some of the other reviews, I almost wondered if this guide book would be worth the price. I decided to read it however after glancing in the introduction and seeing what was the basic intent of the book. Jeff Watson clearly states that the purpose of the book is to provide a listing of areas and routes for climbing in Virginia. I found the overall map on pages 6 and 7, as well as the opening paragraph in each section to be very informative. This book is only a guide and does not have all the information for each area because it covers many sites in Virginia. Climbing is an adventure and many of the answers are discovered along the way. This book is helpful in knowing where to start the adventure in the beautiful state of Virginia.

A good start on the road to a Great guide.

Is this book a masterpiece that is a must have? No. Is it a good guide that give the more adventurous climber some places to climb out of path of thousands of weekend climbers flooding from the gyms with their special chalk and fancy lycra tights? Yes. Watson did not include photos and topos, or detail every step of the way from armchair to crag. His drawings are basic, but with just a little patience they are understandable. I am not suprised that some climbers are not happy with this book. People these days expext to drive to the trailhead and walk to the climb with a guide held up to their nose the whole way. I for one have visited several of the sites listed in the book. Sites I didn't know existed as well as sites I had visited before only because I had heard a rumor about it, which was the only way to find most of these sites, and as anyone who has ever asked a Pennsylvanian climber about their favorite spot knows, locals usually don't talk. I enjoyed many of the areas in this book. There may have only been two unrated climbs worth climbing after a half day of hiking, but I don't mind that, that is what climbing is for me. Anyone can pick up the new Great Falls guide and follow it's anal retentive path pictures to the 5.10b climb they read about last night so that they can wait for Inner Quest or some other guided group with twenty reborn Bill Gates look alikes to take down their ropes that have been there unclimbed all day. This book is for climbers who aren't afraid of a four mile approach, bees nests, or the dark. Enough ranting and raving. I liked the book. Mr. Watson if you read this, Thank You. If you come out with another book check out the extreme southwest of VA there is some great climbing there. Also the base of the top section on olr rag next to some bolted sport routes is a good roof to practice aiding if one was to CARRY their rack up there. The bottom line -- the information you need to climb in the best areas in Virginia is in this book. If no topos and photos makes you mad, good, climb at Carder rock then and leave the wild places for me.

Above average guide to many little known areas in the state

Watson's guide has great directions to many little known areas in the state. Thankfully, he has left out access-sensitive areas and areas on private property. I have used the guide all summer and am impressed at the amount of areas covered by the guide that I hadn't known about. At first,I was dismayed at the simple drawings, usually preferring topos or photos, but Watson's sketches are accurate and it takes very little time to orient yourself at the crag. Overall: Well worth the price.