Author Topic: Scrambles in Snowdonia book  (Read 963 times)

harry_keogh

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Scrambles in Snowdonia book
« on: 21:04:37, 01/08/17 »
Feel free to move to another board if I've put it in the wrong place. Thought you might be interested in a blog post I've just published as I know there's a few keen scramblers on here. Steve Ashton's legendary Scrambles in Snowdonia book is receiving it's first big update since 1992, and the new edition will be published later this month. I've been lucky enough to get authors and climbers Carl McKeating and Rachel Crolla to do a little Q&A session for my blog, where they give a few hints on what to expect in the new edition...


Scrambles in Snowdonia - Interview with Carl McKeating and Rachel Crolla

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Scrambles in Snowdonia book
« Reply #1 on: 11:12:35, 02/08/17 »
What a shame they do not decide to reprint the five books written by the late Showell Styles, on the main regions of Snowdonia.
Ive got four of them, and the last one was printed way back in 1974.
Only John Gillhams "The Mountains of Snowdonia" publications come anywhere near them, for interest.

Ive got a first edition Steve Ashton "Scrambles in Snowdonia" and even though its a good publication, there have been several other equally fine books written over the years, so its not a stand alone classic.

The only books that in my opinion, are worthy of mention, is Pouchers "Welsh Peaks" , its a little dated, but the contents is just as revallant today as when it was written, its a classic text.

The Showell Styles books, were something special, an early example of John Gillhams books.

The only one i am missing from my collection, is the one about the Rhinogs, and its a very hard book to track down.
« Last Edit: 15:55:15, 02/08/17 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

phil1960

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Re: Scrambles in Snowdonia book
« Reply #2 on: 15:25:48, 02/08/17 »
Pouchers Welsh Peaks is a cracker, dated yes but very good nonetheless. I got it for £2 from one of the many book shops in Hay.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

Penygadair

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Re: Scrambles in Snowdonia book
« Reply #3 on: 15:42:32, 02/08/17 »
I bought the revised version edited and updated by (I think) Poucher's son.
Even that given the march of time is now dated. He has very little relating to the Rhinogydd but his route around Llyn Hywel would now require reworking with a machete. I tried two years ago and decided it was a lost cause yet it was quite passable twenty years ago. Times change and our use of paths changes also.

Glyno

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Re: Scrambles in Snowdonia book
« Reply #4 on: 15:51:05, 02/08/17 »

The Showell Styles books, were something special, an early example of John Gillhams books.



I've just read the excellent 'The Mountains of North Wales' by Showell Styles, will be seeking out more titles by him.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Scrambles in Snowdonia book
« Reply #5 on: 16:08:46, 02/08/17 »
I believe Showell Styles lived in llanrwst, and passed away back in 2005.
His 1974 publications, on the five classic locations in the National Park, included the Carneddau, The Glyders, Snowdon, The Moelwyns, and the Rhinogs.
Each book had great descriptions of each area, from every points of the compass, and even today, make great reading, and have not dated one little bit, as the walks described are the same now, as they were back in the early 1970s.

It would not surprise me that John Gillham, got his inspiration for writing his four pocket guides, from Showell Styles.

The publications are very similar in the way they introduce visitors to each outlying area, even though there's a huge 37yrs dividing each writers works, they are very similar in nature, and more than encourage a new walker to visit NW Wales.

 

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