My Favorite Guidebooks
According to my spreadsheet, I have 577 different climbing books in the house right now. A lot of them are rare or otherwise unique. But when I looked over the shelves and really thought; which of these are my favorites? The answer was pretty simple: my favorites are the ones I use the most - a.k.a. the best guides to my favorite climbing areas.
So here's a short list, just for fun. Three of these books are out-of-print, while two of them (coincidentally from the same publisher) can still be bought at climbing stores.
Winter Dance by Joe Josephson
The Cody ice climbing guidebook. Cody is an amazing arena-home to the best ice in the West, if not the lower 48 (I haven't yet had the pleasure of ice climbing out East, so I won't raise their ire). This book provides you with what you need to get after the Cody classics. New-school Cody locals are establishing more modern and adventurous climbs which reach beyond the scope of this book - but for most climbers, this book has what you need.
And beyond Cody, this covers the Beartooths, Hyalite Canyon, and more! Just hit after hit after hit in this book. I've had the chance to spend significant time ice climbing in the areas covered by this book two of the past three winters, and I can tell you with confidence: each climb represents something truly awesome.
This book is out-of-print and hard to find. When I get a spare I usually sell it at ± $100, depending on the condition and how broke I am at the moment. If you are interested you can sign up to be notified when I put it back in stock.
Creek Freak: Indian Creek Climbs by Karl Kelley
A really impressive book due to its compact nature. Indian Creek is an almost infinite playground of cracks. Kelley does a really good job of delineating crags, marking and describing climbs in a way that conveys the information you need (crack size, gear requirements, route length), and not too much more. He has also done an admirable job chasing down the history, including FA info for many routes.
The book doesn't cover everything - you'll find many cracks which aren't chronicled because they've been FAed since publication, or simply because they escaped notice. But that's part of the fun of the Creek - the feeling that there remains more to do.
This book is still in print from Sharp End, $45. Using the book makes for a much, much better experience out there versus trying to use Mountain Project, especially if you forgot to download the photos. It has received at least one updated print run that I know of, which included minor updates for routes that collapsed.
I should note that I've seen several instances of the glue failing and the covers falling off. The publisher replaced mine, and a friend had theirs replaced at the place of purchase (Gearheads in Moab). YMMV, because I've also seen plenty of these books beat to shit with the covers still on.
Eldorado Canyon Climbs by Steve Levin
My copy, pictured here, is the second edition. As you can see, it's been well-loved. It recently received a packing tape reinforcement across the spine and half the covers. (Actually not pictured here, because it ended up with my buddy last time we were out climbing. I'll update with a picture when I get it back.)
Levin's guide is well-presented and thoroughly researched. His star ratings are right on the money, and if you choose to pursue obscurities, he has some good suggestions for those as well. Climbing a four-star Eldorado Canyon route will be a great, although often crowded time. Climbing a one-star Eldorado Canyon route will be a scary and guaranteed solitary time. I have rarely encountered an error using this guide, and I have used it A LOT. Fun fact: I am pictured in the 3rd and 4th editions.
4th edition is currently in print and available from Sharp End Publishing.
Rocky Mountain Nation Park: A Comprehensive Guide to Scrambles, Rock Routes, and Ice/Mixed Climbs on the High Peaks by Richard Rossiter
RMNP is my favorite place to climb, and this book is the best one you can get. It is a major failure on the part of the publisher that they let this book go out-of-print. Demand has risen to pretty crazy levels here on the Front Range, and I've seen copies sell for $200-$300. (Last two copies I had, I sold around $80 - direct, off the website).
You could say this book was the product of 30 years of work, as Rossiter drew topos and worked his way up with a series of smaller guides over the years (some of which I have for sale currently). That's not to say this book is perfect: it has sandbagged me pretty bad on a number of more obscure routes. But it's alpine climbing - that's to be expected, especially once you start venturing to one-star routes. The classics are well-done.
There are enough ideas in here to keep you busy for a lifetime of local climbing.
I started a thread on the Mountain Project forums about this book in 2024, and from the info posted there, it seems unlikely that Rossiter will produce an update OR that Fixed Pin will do a reprint. So if you have one, hold on to it.
RMNP guidebooks have traditionally been split into two volumes: the Crag Areas (Lumpy Ridge), and the High Peaks (this book). I know for a fact that a new Lumpy Ridge book is in the works from some well-known (but new) names. My hope is they will grace us with an updated High Peaks volume after that.
This book is out-of-print and does not yet have a page on my website.
Classic Climbs of the Cordillera Blanca by Brad Johnson
(I've drawn myself on the summit there - I climbed that face on the cover in 2023.)
This is a large, almost coffee-table-format book. Although this might seem an odd choice for a guidebook at first, the larger presentation really allows the mountains to shine. Brad Johnson's excellent photography brings out the might and majesty of the world's highest tropical mountain range.
This book is a "Select" - it only covers about 30 routes in a range which stretches for 200 kilometers. It is also horribly out-of-date, which is why Brad refuses to reprint it, despite there being a healthy amount of demand for it in certain circles. (Copies on eBay currently range from $200-$500).
But despite the need to refresh the route descriptions and approaches with more current beta, and the small amount of routes covered, the book still does a great job at providing a geographic and cultural overview as well as describing the types of climbing challenges you might face on a given route or peak.
You will find only one pitch-by-pitch topo in here, for the rock climb on The Sphinx. The snow, ice, and mixed climbs are only given a French Alpine grade of F (easy), PD (somewhat hard), AD (Pretty Difficult), D (Difficult) MD (Very Difficult), or ED (Extremely Difficult). This is the right approach for the range, and preserves a good spirit of adventure.
I have been updating my copy as I go, with my own personal notes and beta, and updated beta from others. It is a 1/1, and only getting more valuable with each trip.
Maybe a little less valuable after my buddy spilled all this sunscreen on it.
This guidebook came in two editions, a 2003 and a 2009. The 2009 is rarest, but is in reality a pretty small update - just adds some recommended businesses in town, a new approach to Yannapaccha, and a few supplemental route lines drawn on the existing photos. Rumor has it a Brit has a new guidebook in the works for the Blanca. But until that releases, this is the book you want.
So there you have it: the five books I would save if my house burned down. Five places I have climbed a lot, and where I have a great many good memories. These are all quality books, full of useful beta and history, but what really elevates them for me is my sentimental attachment to the places and the people I climbed with in each.
Feel free to share your favorite guidebooks in the comments.