DONEGAL GUIDE BOOK

Guide is not properly researched
How much of it is inaccurate? I would suspect in reality a very small percentage, and probably mainly routes in the E grades, which I would not have been capable of checking out personally and had to rely on information from other climbers. Where local climbers could not help out, I rang climbers in other parts of the country (those who received a call from me and read this, will know). Most tried to be helpful, but found it difficult to be precise about routes they hadn't climbed for years. There are about 40 crags in the Guide, and there is no way anyone could get around them all within a period of 2 years, unless he or she was employed at it full time. Added to this were the Foot and Mouth access problems of 2001! If there is an inaccuracy in the Guide you know about, can I suggest you amend your own copy, and log the amendment (see later). Anyway, why this recent obsession with precision? Climbing is an adventurous sport and route descriptions in Donegal have always been a bit "woolly". Part of the attraction I would have thought! If traditionally vague route descriptions are no longer acceptable, then climbs at Lough Barra, Glenveigh and the Poisoned Glen would have to be looked at first. About 120 routes in all, of a size that would preclude more than one being climbed per day. From May to September there are about 20 weekends. If a guide book editor spent one day of each weekend checking a route (not allowing for 50% wastage due to rain, midges etc) it would take 6 years to look at these crags alone. In the meantime, he would be continually receiving new routes which would have to integrate into his plans, re-do photos of crags etc. The whole thing would get away from him, and I think this is the reason many guidebooks in preparation have never appeared.

Uninspiring Photos
Perhaps, but these were the best I could muster locally, and represent the wide spread of grades and types of climbing within the County. I deliberately tried to feature the less popular crags, to attract people away from the usual "Honey Pots"of Malinbeg, Muckross, Dunmore Head, etc, although Sail Rock, Malinbeg, Muckross, Gola and Culdaff are all featured. Would an appeal in Mountain Log for photos have helped? From past experience, I suspect not.

Non-inclusion of Routes
I think I included all the routes I had. The two previous Guide Books contents plus new climb supplements to date, plus any further new routes that were sent to me. Any submitted up until about 2001 were put in the "New Climbs" section. I was "New Climbs" Editor 1996-1999 (I don't think this was kept a secret by the MCI) but am not sure if anyone took over the role for 2000/2001, which may be the problem with some new routes not getting to me. If your route was not included I apologise, but if I had done a mega new route in Glendalough (admittedly unlikely) and knew there was a new Guide Book in preparation, I'd have made damned sure the editor knew about it, and not left it to chance. Quite frankly, if you had something to contribute, and didn't, then you probably got the Guide you deserved.

Lack of consistency of graphics etc
I really struggled on this one. The days I went out to take photographs were invariably dull, and how do you improve on the drawings of an architect? In the end, I stuck with Dawson's existing photos and maps etc and only used my own inferior efforts where necessary. I was always aware of my shortcomings in the use of computers, but was relying on the skills of those around me. In the event, the sheer range of contributed material, in a plethora of different formats, proved too much even for the publisher. The Guide is a mish-mash of different peoples' work, Dawson, Grimer, Padraig and myself, and was never going to be anything else. But why should this be a problem? To compare it to Robert Bankhead's immaculate work is simply not feasible. The Mournes are a compact area of similar rock to which a consistent approach is natural. Donegal is a huge and wonderful conglomeration of crags of vastly differing sizes, locations (some almost 100 miles apart) and rock and such a level of consistency is simply not necessary and probably not achievable. What do your want from a Guide? It should inform the reader what crags there are, where they are, and detail the routes on them. Anything else could be considered cosmetic, and I am amazed there is even criticism over what the photographed climbers are wearing!!

Plastic Cover
I was advised by the publisher that plastic covers were expensive, and the new waterproof laminates were just as good. For those who would like something better and are prepared to pay for it, plastic sleeves can be purchased to fit the Donegal Guide for 55 pence each for 200 and 38 pence for 500 from McIvor Plastics, Derry. (Of which fact I have made the MCI aware). These covers may or may not fit the other MCI Guides.

It may be my imagination, but would most of the complaints be coming from a small number of climbers in the E grades? About 80/90% of routes in Donegal are in the V Diff to HVS bracket. Can I have some feed back from climbers of these please? But enough of all this negative stuff! You have a Guide such as it is, and I was pleased with the size, quality of print, bright attractive cover, and the grief I have been getting I suppose is compensated by the surge of interest created, particularly among youngsters here, now they actually have a Guide Book in their hand.

From my own point of view, I was disappointed that the page headings which were promised did not appear in the final printing, nor did a map of Owey, which was in the previous draft. If it is not what you wanted, sorry lads and lasses but it was the best I could do given my limited time (what with running a business, family, getting married, and building a house all in the last 2 years). The discussion generated should be useful in clarifying a few matters (when the hysteria dies down) but I feel Donegal has probably become too big for one Guide and one person, and the future probably lies with a communal effort and the web. Could I suggest the setting up of a website where anyone who has done a route in Donegal can log 1) either a new route or 2) an ascent of an existing route. In the latter case, he could give his or her name, date of ascent and either confirm the route description or make any suggested amendment to it. I think this would be an interesting and constructive exercise and make the job of any future guidebook editor much easier.

The information is probably all out there, but knowing who to ask is the problem. Rather than the MCI site which is naturally orientated towards the majority hill walking membership, regional websites could be used. Pete Smith has offered the Colmcille Climbers Site (linked to the MCI) for the Donegal area. On a lighter note, some of the lads here were unaware that "Ron Hill's" are no longer in fashion. Perhaps someone in the know would let us have details of what is currently de rigeur in Dalkey.