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Classic Rock
This book presents a compilation of the best rock climbs in GB. "Classic Rock" comprises 55 chapters by acclaimed climber/writers who describe over 80 of the finest classic rock climbs in Britain. The term 'classic' means popular, important and historic climbs in the easier grades. Most of these are among the most sought after and famous in the repertoire. They are selected from the five main climbing The Peak and Pennines; North Wales; South West England; The Lake District and Scotland. Each chapter is illustrated with photos and diagrams. First published in 1978, this new 2007 edition is re-sized, redesigned and re-illustrated with over 200 new colour photos.
- GenresClimbing
296 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 1979
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Ken Wilson
11 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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December 1, 2020Classic Rock
Compiled by Ken Wilson
Vertebrate Publishing
Originally published in 1978, “Classic Rock” has become one of the most enduring standard works of climbing literature. It’s publishing history spans Granada, Grafton, Diadem, Baton Wicks and now Vertebrate.
It is a long standing volume that has always been there, at least for climbers of my age. Classic Rock does exactly what it says and has always been the most achievable of the trilogy which include Hard and Extreme Rock.
Having just reviewed and been super impressed by Vertebrate’s update to Hard Rock it was only natural to check out the second edition of “Classic Rock.” In many ways the first edition was a timeless classic and although it had a couple of revisions and reprints it was essentially the same book. I’ve still got the first edition with it’s black and white photos and treasure it as a book very much of it’s era.
In fact, so much do I like the first edition that when Baton wicks produced a second edition in 2007 I didn’t show much interest. Sure, I perused it in the shops but now that I have a copy I can see it is a worthy addition to the first edition rather than a replacement.
The new edition has obviously sold well, being reprinted by Baton Wicks in 2013 and 2020 now as an imprint of Vertebrate. In many ways it is a more rounded work with contemporary photos as well as black and white photos dug from archives. Nice to see Norman Collie and Naismith featuring alongside Ashley Abraham, Haskett Smith and Harold Raeburn, to name a few.
The second edition has been totally transformed by the use of 400 colour photos both of the cliffs and climbers in action. Napes Needle, quite rightly, features large with an interesting selection of modern colour photos balanced by a classic essay by Paul Nunn and an account of the first ascent by Haskett Smith. This is a typical chapter and reflects the design of the second edition. Original tales by distinguished writers/climbers, historical photos, first ascent details and a range of photos illustrate each climb.
According to the dust wrapper blurb, “Classic Rock describes and vividly depicts eighty of the finest lower grade rock climbs in Britain…such routes retain much of their original challenge unsullied by the pitons and bolts often found on their continental equivalents. They take bold, logical lines up otherwise difficult cliffs usually cleaned and stabilised by years of use……….Britain’s traditional rock climbs, particularly the early pioneering ones, can now be seen as a great national treasure – a repository of adventure and spectacle that can provide a lifetime’s enjoyment and challenge.”
The book provides a nationwide extravaganza of some of the best lower grade climbs in the UK. It can serve as a tick list to aim for or as a memory of routes climbed, adventures enjoyed. Just flicking through brings back memories of sun drenched Cornish rock (Demo Route and Doorpost) and cream teas. Trips on the SS Oldenburg to Lundy (The Devil’s Slide). Weekends away in the Lake District (Little Chamonix, Troutdale Pinnacle and Napes Needle). Bivis out in caves at Stanage (Flying Buttress) and trips to North Wales (Milestone Direct, Hope, Grey Slab, Flying Buttress and Main Wall. I can recall epic routes on Lliewedd and weekends spent in a bunkhouse below Craig Cywarch and climbing “Will-O The Wisp.”
A significant percentage of the climbs are in Scotland and these trigger memories of the CIC Hut (Tower Ridge), Cairngorm granite (Savage Slit) and, of course the Cuillin which gets two chapters. Paul Brian writes about Cioch Direct, Arrow Route and Integrity. Perhaps the writing is of it’s time and it’s a gripping read but perhaps not the most diplomatically written. The chapter opens with, “Viewed objectively, Skye is a pretty unpleasant place. The pubs, like the people are dour and unwelcoming. The midges, irksome at the best of times, reach unbelievable levels of malevolence in July and August. Even the petrol dispensing machine in Broadford is of dubious morality and keeps the odd coin for itself. The Cuillin is a ragged chaos of broken black rocks. Nobody could call it beautiful.” Once the author gets on to the grippy quality of gabbro then his views change and the Cioch is “surely the finest luncheon spot in the country. Apart from the exhilarating situation, the place reeks of history. The flat surface seems designed for the concave bottoms of Bouvier bottles and the tapping out of Meerschaum pipes.”
Quite rightly, the Cuillin Ridge gets a chapter to itself. Ted Maden details it’s history before outlining his epic solo traverse in 1976 when he ends up benighted. “I spent the night - feet in my rucksack – head in my cagoule- bawling songs into the darkness and glimpsing occasional stars. And so this traverse, snatched from the end of the season, and pushed despite being benighted, had become an adventure and that is what climbing is about.”
The acknowledgements section sums up the book well; “Classic Rock, first published in 1978, relied on a cadre of skilled photographers, writers, wordsmiths and mountaineering experts. The original articles remain both readable and relevant.”
A classic book has received a modern make over to carry it forward into a new century. I’ve no idea if Vertebrate has any plans afoot but if I were them I’d be thinking about both a reprint and updated of “Extreme Rock” and a third edition of “Classic Rock” both done in the style of the recently published “Hard Rock.” That really would be a trilogy of classics.
This is a book, a tick list of adventures to be had and one that should be achievable by many climbers prepared to travel the length and breadth of the land. The second edition is much more user friendly with extra routes, “Other Worthwhile Climbs” and a lot of extra information. It’s well worth getting whether you are a climber just starting off or an old hand who already owns a well thumbed and treasured first edition.
Compiled by Ken Wilson
Vertebrate Publishing
Originally published in 1978, “Classic Rock” has become one of the most enduring standard works of climbing literature. It’s publishing history spans Granada, Grafton, Diadem, Baton Wicks and now Vertebrate.
It is a long standing volume that has always been there, at least for climbers of my age. Classic Rock does exactly what it says and has always been the most achievable of the trilogy which include Hard and Extreme Rock.
Having just reviewed and been super impressed by Vertebrate’s update to Hard Rock it was only natural to check out the second edition of “Classic Rock.” In many ways the first edition was a timeless classic and although it had a couple of revisions and reprints it was essentially the same book. I’ve still got the first edition with it’s black and white photos and treasure it as a book very much of it’s era.
In fact, so much do I like the first edition that when Baton wicks produced a second edition in 2007 I didn’t show much interest. Sure, I perused it in the shops but now that I have a copy I can see it is a worthy addition to the first edition rather than a replacement.
The new edition has obviously sold well, being reprinted by Baton Wicks in 2013 and 2020 now as an imprint of Vertebrate. In many ways it is a more rounded work with contemporary photos as well as black and white photos dug from archives. Nice to see Norman Collie and Naismith featuring alongside Ashley Abraham, Haskett Smith and Harold Raeburn, to name a few.
The second edition has been totally transformed by the use of 400 colour photos both of the cliffs and climbers in action. Napes Needle, quite rightly, features large with an interesting selection of modern colour photos balanced by a classic essay by Paul Nunn and an account of the first ascent by Haskett Smith. This is a typical chapter and reflects the design of the second edition. Original tales by distinguished writers/climbers, historical photos, first ascent details and a range of photos illustrate each climb.
According to the dust wrapper blurb, “Classic Rock describes and vividly depicts eighty of the finest lower grade rock climbs in Britain…such routes retain much of their original challenge unsullied by the pitons and bolts often found on their continental equivalents. They take bold, logical lines up otherwise difficult cliffs usually cleaned and stabilised by years of use……….Britain’s traditional rock climbs, particularly the early pioneering ones, can now be seen as a great national treasure – a repository of adventure and spectacle that can provide a lifetime’s enjoyment and challenge.”
The book provides a nationwide extravaganza of some of the best lower grade climbs in the UK. It can serve as a tick list to aim for or as a memory of routes climbed, adventures enjoyed. Just flicking through brings back memories of sun drenched Cornish rock (Demo Route and Doorpost) and cream teas. Trips on the SS Oldenburg to Lundy (The Devil’s Slide). Weekends away in the Lake District (Little Chamonix, Troutdale Pinnacle and Napes Needle). Bivis out in caves at Stanage (Flying Buttress) and trips to North Wales (Milestone Direct, Hope, Grey Slab, Flying Buttress and Main Wall. I can recall epic routes on Lliewedd and weekends spent in a bunkhouse below Craig Cywarch and climbing “Will-O The Wisp.”
A significant percentage of the climbs are in Scotland and these trigger memories of the CIC Hut (Tower Ridge), Cairngorm granite (Savage Slit) and, of course the Cuillin which gets two chapters. Paul Brian writes about Cioch Direct, Arrow Route and Integrity. Perhaps the writing is of it’s time and it’s a gripping read but perhaps not the most diplomatically written. The chapter opens with, “Viewed objectively, Skye is a pretty unpleasant place. The pubs, like the people are dour and unwelcoming. The midges, irksome at the best of times, reach unbelievable levels of malevolence in July and August. Even the petrol dispensing machine in Broadford is of dubious morality and keeps the odd coin for itself. The Cuillin is a ragged chaos of broken black rocks. Nobody could call it beautiful.” Once the author gets on to the grippy quality of gabbro then his views change and the Cioch is “surely the finest luncheon spot in the country. Apart from the exhilarating situation, the place reeks of history. The flat surface seems designed for the concave bottoms of Bouvier bottles and the tapping out of Meerschaum pipes.”
Quite rightly, the Cuillin Ridge gets a chapter to itself. Ted Maden details it’s history before outlining his epic solo traverse in 1976 when he ends up benighted. “I spent the night - feet in my rucksack – head in my cagoule- bawling songs into the darkness and glimpsing occasional stars. And so this traverse, snatched from the end of the season, and pushed despite being benighted, had become an adventure and that is what climbing is about.”
The acknowledgements section sums up the book well; “Classic Rock, first published in 1978, relied on a cadre of skilled photographers, writers, wordsmiths and mountaineering experts. The original articles remain both readable and relevant.”
A classic book has received a modern make over to carry it forward into a new century. I’ve no idea if Vertebrate has any plans afoot but if I were them I’d be thinking about both a reprint and updated of “Extreme Rock” and a third edition of “Classic Rock” both done in the style of the recently published “Hard Rock.” That really would be a trilogy of classics.
This is a book, a tick list of adventures to be had and one that should be achievable by many climbers prepared to travel the length and breadth of the land. The second edition is much more user friendly with extra routes, “Other Worthwhile Climbs” and a lot of extra information. It’s well worth getting whether you are a climber just starting off or an old hand who already owns a well thumbed and treasured first edition.
May 13, 2008
Excellent photos and some classic descriptions.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews