We check out the new rock climbing guide to NZ by OUTDOORSmagic contributor Alastair Lee
Climbing New Zealand - A Crag Guide For The Travelling Rock
Climber
by Alastair Lee (Posing Productions)
New from OUTDOORSmagic and On The Hill contributor Alastair Lee is
a 204-page rock climbing guide to New Zealand.
Yep, we did say ROCK CLIMBING. Although NZ's perhaps best known
for its alpine mountaineering and epic trekking opportunities, there
are also plenty of craggy lumps of rock llittered around just waiting
to be climbed on and Alastair has selflessly scoped them out.
Of course, being Alastair, he's also produced something quite
unlike most climbing guides. Yes, you get all the obvious information
you'd expect like grading details, a potted history of the sport in
New Zealand, warnings about the fearsome Kea (omniverous alpine
parrot) etc, but there's a lot more besides.
There are handy access maps for the 55 crags described in the book
and loads of fetching black and white climbing photos, plus some more
general atmospheric stuff like the sign reading 'Get noticed. Expose
yourself outdoors'.
The emphasis is on telling where you can climb, how to get there
and elucidating the type and character of the climbing rather than on
hold by hold descriptions of individual routes, though each crag has
a selection of recommended classics. If you want more detailed local
guides to climbs, there's informaion on the relevant publication.
The descriptions are typically on the Lee-side of sanity and come
complete with a splattering of entertaining Alastairisms - though not
at the expense of accurate information. Sample sentence: 'Bring the
strength of King Kong, the weight of a small, malnourished hamster,
the flexibility of a bungee cord and the focus of a 640 Pentax
camera.'
We doubt many people are going to fly all the way to NZ just for the
rock, but if you're heading our that way for some trekking,
travelling, business or mountaineering and want to know what's
available, this is the book to take. And if you're not already, it
might help you to buy that ticket.
Climbing New Zeland is available direct from Posing Productions
for £14.99 including postage worldwide from their web
site.
Alastair is also appearing at this weekend's Entreprises-BMC
Festival of Climbing in Birmingham, apparently with live drums.
