jon@utcs.uucp (Jon Alexander) (10/10/85)
In response to my recent question about
climbing footware recommendations, someone
suggested checking reviews in climbing magazines.
To do further research, what magazines are good, and for
what topics?
--
Jon 'Big J' Alexander, U. of Toronto Comp. Serv.
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
...!{decvax}!utzoo!utcs!jon
{ihnp4 }
BITNET: jon@utorontoeugene@ames.UUCP (Eugene Miya) (10/16/85)
> > To do further research, what magazines are good, and for > what topics? > -- > Jon 'Big J' Alexander, U. of Toronto Comp. Serv. Here is a brief summary of climbing journals: By far the best journal for equipment reviews WAS Off Belay published by Ray Smutek in Seattle, WA. They had the best review of stoves and other equipment and the best Backpacker was able to do was add Reviews of different Stove Reviews. This does not mean that Off Belay was the best journal, only in the areas of reviews and techniques. Summit is grand old dame of climbing magazines, but equipment reviews are spotty at best. They represent the closest thing to mass climbing audience: few first ascent type articles. The orientation of the two old ladies who publish this magazine is legend [don't talk to them about the theory of evolution]. Backpacker's quality of equipment reviews vary widely. There first review on packs [Backpacker 3] gave mediocure rating to some very in important soft packs showing a frame pack bias which did not catch up to the East coast till several issues later. Backpacker loses steam because it does not have the first-ascent drive that other magazines have. It becomes a travelogue. Climbing [Colorado] is pretty hardman oriented so general equipment is not tested like packs unlike protection [Friends and cams]. The quality is spotty. The same can be said of Mountain [English], but the quality is a bit better. Mountain is generally regarded as the best journal, due to the former editorship of Ken Wilson [not from Cornell]. Newer journals like Rock and Ice, and some of the Mountain like rags still too new and have that hard-man bias to tell whether they will survive. The Sierra Club used to put out high-quality articles in Ascent, but lately there has been pressure to put out more fiction and photographs rather than accounts. No equipment reviews. There was one excellent book review about beginners books several years ago entitled: The Nine Deadly Sins. They published the original article entitled Games Climbers Play which is probably the most significant article on climbing ever published, but it's working title has been overused. The American Alpine Journal, Iwa to Yuki [Japanese], the Alpine Journal [English], La Montagne (I think) [French], and I forget Toni Hiebeler's publication from Austria are all pretty esoteric first ascent accounts. The AAC publishes Accidents in American Mountaineering, too. The Canadian Alpine Journal, might be more popular with some review type information. Occasionally, Outside magazine had some good stuff. When they merged with Mariah, the quality went down. Their reviews are okay. Dave Roberts had an important article on the "Failure" of Women's Mountaineering in America which took lots of flak but got people thinking about funding expeditions. I'm certain I'm forgetting others. Got back from Yosemite, very crowded, very depressing. Waiting lines on every Manure Pile Buttress Route. I'm going to try Suicide Rock this weekend down south. I've been told to relax more and reduce stress, nothing like climbing to do that. :-) Lots of fun. From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers: --eugene miya NASA Ames Research Center {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene emiya@ames-vmsb