Lake District Winter Climbs

Lake District Winter Climbs

With the return of some snow and ice to the Lakeland fells, guidebook publisher Cicerone has chosen an opportune time to issue an updated edition of a definitive guide to winter climbing in the national park.

Brian Davison’s Winter Climbs in the Lake District has been produced with the Fell & Rock Climbing Club and covers all types of winter climbing.

Snow and ice are covered, along with mixed climbing, water ice and dry tooling. There are routes for those who are new to the adventure of winter climbing, as well as challenging ascents for experienced climbers.

Cicerone said: “The guide is divided into five different areas, with clear maps to find the crags and colour photo-topos to locate all the intricate routes.

The routes range from classic high-mountain gullies and buttresses on crags such as Scafell, Pillar, and Great Gable to frozen watercourses and icefalls including Great Gully on the Wasdale Screes, Launchy Gill, Low Water Beck and Cautley Spout.

“And, of course, popular venues like Great End and the Eastern Coves of the Helvellyn escarpment are described in detail.”

More than 950 routes are described, and the book has advice on equipment, hazards, techniques and weather.

Winter Climbs in the Lake District will be published on 15 December and costs £20.

Also new from Cicerone is Canyoning in the Alps, by Simon Flower.

The Cumbrian publishers said: “This book brings together 90 of the most celebrated descents in the Alpine regions of northern Italy and Ticino in Switzerland.

“Divided into five areas, the descents described in the guide present a huge variety of terrain, rock and styles of canyoning.

“Route difficulty is split into seven grades, from easier canyons suited to beginners, through to the strongest aquatic and technical challenges, which demand experienced rope skills, physical fitness and a calm head for high water.”

The guidebook has detailed maps, photography and topos of all 90 descents, with advice on equipment, hazards and techniques specific to canyoning.

There is practical advice on planning a canyoning trip to each region along with background information on the areas covered in Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.

Canyoning in the Alps costs £25.

More details on both books are available on the Cicerone website.

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