Rock Climbing Washington

Rating:
Summary: You have to work with what you have
Review: As my title explains, you have to work with what you have. "Beckey Guides" (rock climbing guides) are hard if not impossible to get ahold of, and to go travelling around to cities that would sell a half way decent local climbing guide, can get spendy and frustrating; especially when you've done all that travelling for nothing because you can't find a local climbing guide at those cities. So, unless you know someone that can give you some good beta or talk to some of the other climbers at the crags, as it stands, Jeff Smoot's book is my choice as a climbing guide with up to date beta, at best. There's nothing wrong with Onsighting a route. I have no problem writing notes in my climbing guides when I can get some beta on a crag or route that the climbing guide didn't cover.

Rating:
Summary: You have to work with what you have
Review: As my title explains, you have to work with what you have. "Beckey Guides" (rock climbing guides) are hard if not impossible to get ahold of, and to go travelling around to cities that would sell a half way decent local climbing guide, can get spendy and frustrating; especially when you've done all that travelling for nothing because you can't find a local climbing guide at those cities. So, unless you know someone that can give you some good beta or talk to some of the other climbers at the crags, as it stands, Jeff Smoot's book is my choice as a climbing guide with up to date beta, at best. There's nothing wrong with Onsighting a route. I have no problem writing notes in my climbing guides when I can get some beta on a crag or route that the climbing guide didn't cover.

Rating:
Summary: Sharp-looking but Shallow
Review: For those seeking a single book with info on all Washington's major climbing areas, this will have to do. But it describes only the most popular areas, and it gives incomplete coverage for most of them.

Smoot acknowledges that fact in the introduction with no more justification than a need for an updated state-wide guidebook. He also points out that this guide omits easier routes (mostly below 5.10) in favor of "better" climbs. As such, the guide is useful mainly for accomplished climbers who somehow are not already familiar with WA climbs and how to find local guidebooks (which in most cases have better coverage, if less thorough text editing).

There's no coverage of remote or undeveloped areas (particularly in the Olympics). Smoot seems to ignore the conventions other authors are using to describe descent routes and ethical trends at particular areas. As such, it sometimes comes across as dismissive and muddled.

This is a broad, professional guidebook, and it will be very helpful for experienced climbers that are new to Washington. But most of the information is available elsewhere, provided by climbing organizations that are directly involved in conserving local areas. Smoot's guide concentrates income from the book at his publisher (Falcon Books, in Montana). It may also contribute to long waits at popular lines and degradation from overuse. Climbers may want to flip through the book first (it's easily found on special Falcon-only racks at most outdoor shops) before buying it here.

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this book
Review: Rock Climbing Washington has the worst pictures, many mistakes and is plain useless at best, dangerous at worst as a guide book. I contributed the section on the Potholes climbing area and after see the results I am extremely sorry that I did it. To anyone that wants to climb in the Potholes I will provide descent pictures so you can find the routes. I sent Jeff Smoot extremely crisp black and white photographs and the extremely poor publishing of Falcon press messed them up. If this is the best that Falcon press can do, I plan to never buy one of their guide books. The section on Frenchman's Coulee is just plain inaccurate. Many of the routes are mis-rated or mis-described. It is obvious that Jeff Smoot knows nothing of these areas and has no business "writing" (in truth compiling a guide book from the works of others) a guide book to these areas.

With Regrets for Ever Being Involved Bill Robins

Rating:
Summary: Smoot must hate to do research
Review: There are available sources which give accurate descriptions, and historical/geological information which Smoot could have used, but apparently was too lazy to research... or chose not to document in this *book.* This book contains poor photos, errors and omissions which do not occur in REAL guide books. This book reads like a land developer wrote it... and in fact , smootian-sell-the-outdoors-for-money seems to be the only thing this pile-of-pages seems to achieve. Writers like this are the same types who deny the holocaust.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of the finest Washington climbs
Review: This is a fine guidebook, offering an overview of most climbing areas in Washington. If you want to get by with one guide, this is a good one. Several newer areas are detailed, and local ethics are discussed. Topos are great. Note that the topos may not present EVERY line on the rock, but I think this was Jeff's intent - if you want to know EVERYTHING about a given section of rock, buy the LOCAL guide. You will see the most popular lines well explained and displayed, however. The Darrington section should show the fine "Urban Bypass" line on the Giant Green Buttress, near Dreamer. Jeff does a nice job on Little Si, offering better topos than Bryan Burdo's standard Exit 32 guide, and showing a few new lines. Thanks, Jeff, for putting together this great book!