It is with great interest that I have been following the controversy surrounding the upcoming Bob Horan guidebook to the bouldering in Colorado’s frontrange that is to be released by Falcon Press. If you haven’t been following along, the book is causing a stir on multiple levels.
The initial firestorm began a few weeks back when climbers at Mt Evans overheard Horan talking about the area’s inclusion in the book. This was not something many people had heard about before, and apparently park management was also not included in any discussions about the area’s inclusion either. It can certainly be debated whether a guidebook for Mt Evans is any better or worse for the access situation there than the already high level of spray coming from Evans (this site included), but the controversy doesn’t stop there.
What cannot be debated is the need to release an accurate guide (if one must be released). Any guide including Mt Evans or RMNP would be the first to do so, and it should really be of the highest quality to set a standard for future updates.
At the recent Outdoor Retailer show Jamie Emerson had a chance to take a look at the new Falcon book. From what he says, the contents are laughably inaccurate. Check his blog B3bouldering.com for further details. It sounds like even a casual observer would be able to notice several inaccuracies.
As someone who is on their way to Colorado as he types this, a guidebook to areas like Mt Evans and RMNP would be especially useful to me. Based on what I have read about this new book though I don’t see how I would ever spend my money on it, and I will be contacting Falcon to tell them just that. I encourage others to do the same.
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You can email them at guides@falcon.com Tell Falcon you want to see a responsible AND accurate guide to these sensitive areas.
Until then, there are plenty of friendly locals who will share accurate information with you free of charge. I look forward to the opportunity to do just that in the coming week.
I dunno, maybe I just like guidebooks a lot, but I always feel like having a guide is better than not having one, even if there are a few mistakes.
As long as it gets you to the right cliffline (NRG guidebook not so good at this), and doesn’t give you bad information on the descent (City of Rocks, I’m looking at you), or measure distances in furlongs (Ah, Vedauwoo), then having one around is a good thing right? Well… ok… maybe not always.
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at the very least it creates content which can be ridiculed in a REAL colorado bouldering guide.
it also gives me a good reason to extend my falcon boycott. just say no….to falcon guides.
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the real backbone of the opposition to the upcoming guide is the listing of closed areas and improper/illegal approach beta for otherwise legal areas. unlike in the beck baldwin russo utah bouldering guide, thesea areas are not listed with huge caveats that the problems are included for historical purposes only in the even access is secured in the future. the closed colorado areas are listed like any other. that is very dangerous for all of us. the argument can be made that folks did climb and spray about some of these areas already and the guide only follows this spray stream back to its source, but like boulder’s “secret garden”, once it became clear that there were major issues accessing the public land, these areas have been deserted ever since.
the misinformation regarding names, grades, and exact location of boulders is *very* prevalent in the guide, but i agree that it will primarialy affect the individual climber [or in that instance, listless wanderer] rather than the entire community like the former issue will. regardless, you will not be finding the “right cliffline” for many of the alpine area listings, or {and my FAVORITE] you will find the exact stone pictured but will soon realize that the sweet sounding line you wanted to find and try does not exist, whether in this dimension or any parallel one. enyoy, amigos!
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Kate – why would you ever want an incorrect guide book? Don’t you want to know HOW to get to the boulders, and what you’re actually climbing on, instead of what some irresponsible douche is trying to publish…I think it is ethically devestating that a publishing company would be interested in printing fiction and selling it as truth. Not to mention it takes a dump on all the real FAers…
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This should be interesting to see how it all plays out. I heard about the book at the retailer show as well but have never been to Mt. Evans. Although I would appreciate an accurate guidebook so I could get my send on as well.
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A bit more recent info (9/19/08) from Peter Beal’s Blog.
http://mountainsandwater.blogspot.com/2008/09/falcons-error-sheet.html
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Indeed. Updated post on this site coming soon.
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