Old NH Guidebooks

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Basilisk

Ice climber

New Hampshire

Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 9, 2009 - 08:34pm PT

There was a discussion a little while ago about a few particular old guidebooks on mountainproject.com. The result was a few digital copies of some books, and I thought folks here might be interested too. Specifically I have an old Cannon Cliffs book, which I for one find extremely interesting because a lot of the routes don't exist anymore.

If you're interested, you can find it over here: http://www.mediafire.com/Basilisk613

There's also three other books in there if you're interested:
Manchester Rock Climbs in the Greater Manchester, NH Area By Paul Boissoneault and Dave & Marie Saball
1995's Comprehensive Guide to Pawtuckaway Rock Climbs By Paul Boissoneault and Dave & Marie Saball
Cannon Cliff By John Porter and Howard Peterson
Schist Another Hangout By Den Danna (This is Rumney)

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Feb 9, 2009 - 08:51pm PT

Thanks! I just downloaded the Pawtuckaway guide, which I used to own but it went walkabout years ago. The PDF version looks like a fine scan.

perswig

climber

Feb 9, 2009 - 10:28pm PT

I have that P-way guide, very nice; having Sara in school in Manchester gives me a good excuse to start poking around down there.
Never heard of the Manchester guide, though.
Thanks for sharing.
Dale

From the Cannon guide:

"The Old Man

John Waterman climbed the inside corner to the right of the Wiessners finish. It was described as being quite difficult. No pins should be used."

Understated and puritanical. Nice.

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Feb 10, 2009 - 08:34am PT

What I've heard and read about the ambiance at Rock Rimmon in Manchester made that sound like a place I didn't need to go. If you find something worthwhile around town, post up!

I'm thinking Devil's Den needs a visit this spring, though.

Alan Rubin

climber

Amherst,MA.

Feb 10, 2009 - 08:59am PT

While I admit not having been there in a number of years (maybe decades!!!!) and agree that the ambiance could be better--housing project behind the crag--Rock Rimmon does actually have some quite worthwhile climbing, especially for an in-town outcrop---was the initial training ground of Mr. Hudon and many others. There are other worthwhile bits of rock in the vicinity. "Base" (Paul Boisseneault) was told me about one interesting sounding little bolted crag somewhere in the outskirts of town. Of course the best "local" crag for the Manchester area, Joe English Hill, is on a USAF radar base and since 9/11 the "no trespassing" policy has been pretty strictly enforced. Too bad, as it is quite a decent crag with a good selection of routes and one of the longest climbing histories in the country. It is on the very edge of the base with a pond and camping/picnic facility below--formerly frequently used by scouts, etc, so could easily be separated from the base and be donated for a park without any dimunition to national security. Maybe some locals can pick up the ball and lobby the NH Congressional delegation.

perswig

climber

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:50am PT

Thanks for filling in some gaps, Alan.

Chiloe,
with you on the Devil's Den - looks like some nice trad - but EVERYBODY says the black flies there are horrific. I may try to sneak in before the snow's gone, but after that it sounds prudent to wait into dry summer. your phlebotomy tolerance may vary.

Dale

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Feb 10, 2009 - 11:58am PT

Yeah, Pawtuckaway has an early-spring window of opportunity, it doesn't last very long before the flies hatch.

Rusty Hammer with the Hammered Fist finish makes a long, varied pitch of crack climbing that would be right at home on Cathedral. The Wedge with its direct finish is fun too. Heat Wave makes my hands hurt just looking at it, and I'm not good enough to free those routes on far right.

MH2

climber

Feb 11, 2009 - 03:54am PT

What about earlier Cannon guides? I don't remember his name but in summer '68 I spent a day at Mt. Nemo and then Rattlesnake with Andy Cox and another guy who had written a guide to Cannon, perhaps not published.

Alan Rubin

climber

Amherst,MA.

Feb 11, 2009 - 10:41am PT

Wow, Andy Cox, that is a blast from the past---sad loss!!!! To my knowledge the first guidebook to Cannon that was published as a separate entity was by Howard Peterson in the early '70s(I'm at work so don't have the book handy so dates are estimates). However there were guide articles---complete with photos of the cliff showing approximate route lines--published in the AMC's Appalachia Bulletin. The first, written I believe by Earle Whipple, did appear in the mid/late "60s. After the initial burst of activity in the late '20s and '30s Cannon was relatively neglected by climbers(especially in terms of new route development), particularly after a rockfall incident in the early '50s injured a climber on the approach. But there was a renewed interested in the mid-'60s in which Whipple was an active participant and he documented this activity in his article along with the older routes. There was a later guide article by Bob Hall. By the way, MH 2---who are you?

MH2

climber

Feb 12, 2009 - 01:56am PT

Thank you, Al! Bob Hall is the name I was looking for. If memory serves, in addition to going up from Buffalo to Canada for a day, along with his energetic friend referred to as "Nutty Buddy" in the report of the Yos tragedy, Bob Hall and I made a trip to the Gunks with a couple of sisters whose last name was Robson, I think, and Bob took me along for a pancake breakfast in town with Guy Waterman.

I was a student at Brown from '68 to '71, then lived in Poughkeepsie for 18 months before heading West. I remember seeing you at Cathedral and in the Tetons.

jpin

Trad climber

Feb 12, 2009 - 02:27am PT

I have a old Pawtuckaway guide It's

A Climber's Guide
to
Pawtuckaway State Park
and
Southeastern New Hampshire
by
Todd Swain

No date Late 80's maybe

Basilisk

Ice climber

New Hampshire

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 05:10pm PT

Never knew we had so many NH posters here, nevermind southern NH! I didn't think many people would be interested in anything but Cannon.

If any of you have old guides you'd like to share, regardless of state, I'd be more than interested. Feel free to post here or email me at Basilisk513@gmail.com. I'm especially interested in more Cannon!

Jpin- If you're comfortable with scanning that Swain guide I'd love to look at it. I'm pleasantly surprised by the amount of climbing in southern NH, and I'd love to see if it has any more- even just more detail!

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Feb 12, 2009 - 05:14pm PT

I might have somewhere an absolutely unique old guide -- the climber's guide to UNH. It's a photocopy and I can't vouch for the route description ... I've looked at some of the lines described and they look hairball. Illegal too, I'm sure.

Also, they built a hotel on top of one crag.

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Feb 12, 2009 - 05:15pm PT

I've got the maroon guide to Cannon but that hardly counts as old.

meclimber

Trad climber

Dover, NH

Feb 12, 2009 - 05:16pm PT

I would love to see the swain southern NH guide. Was there ever a guide to stonehouse pond?

meclimber

Trad climber

Dover, NH

Feb 12, 2009 - 05:18pm PT

Chiloe, that unh guide would be cool to see also. Can you scan that? When I was at unh we used to boulder under the hotel, there are still some slabs and smaller problems.