I have just received an advance copy of the latest Wired guidebook, North Wales Rock. Wow, what a great book! In my humble opinion this is the best looking guidebook to rock climbing in North Wales ever produced. 😉
Published under the Wired brand by the Climbers’ Club this will likely be the last ever Wired guidebook to be published by any of the guidebook producing organisations that collaborated to create this market shifting idea. 🙁 Unfortunately a cabal of haters of the Wired idea and founders have taken over the SMC, FRCC, and CC guidebook production operations in recent times and so sadly this brand, that had gained tremendous traction in the selective UK guidebook market, is now effectively a dead initiative.
As one of the founders of the Wired idea I am of course saddened by this turn of events. Plus, having directly created five (and contributed to the creation of a further two) of the nine published Wired books (Lake District Rock 1st edition, Pembroke Rock, Lakes Sport & Slate, Northern Rock, Peak District Grit, Scottish Rock Climbs, Lake District Rock 2nd edition, Pembroke Rock 2, and North Wales Rock) I am sad beyond words. I am mourning a loss to UK guidebooks. Somehow I can’t help feel that the clubs have squandered their most fruitful modern opportunity in guidebook innovation. All because of petty club politics and a handful of nasty individuals with a personal agendas… 🙁
Oh well, everything moves on – nothing lasts forever. It has been almost entirely a great, rewarding, and fun experience being involved in a major way in such a ground shifting phase in UK climbing guidebook publishing.
Of course as times change and doors close, new doors swing wide open. So I am certain that Wired’s competition are rubbing their hands…