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dbrayack
Jan 27, 2006, 1:48 PM
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Just a heads up, the Cooper's Rock Bouldering Guide is due out in August 2006.
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wallz1
Mar 6, 2006, 11:00 PM
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Does this guidebook include bouldering, sport, and trad lines or is it exclusively bouldering??
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madriver
Mar 7, 2006, 12:14 AM
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yo Dan
how is it the guide coming? Did you get my pics?
Bob
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paul3eb
Mar 7, 2006, 1:02 AM
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nice work dan! not that i've ever written a guidebook or anything but i can imagine the work it takes and the pressure. you should be proud. looking forward to checking it out..
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dbrayack
Mar 7, 2006, 1:23 AM
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To answers the questions from top down, the Guide is exclusively bouldering, though there are several problems which are more or less Solos.
Bob, I received the photos, Thanks a bunch! Nice shots, I've definitely put several into the mix. We are in the text editing phase right now, we'll be arguing for photos pretty soon, and I'll let you know if any of Vicky make the cut. Of-hand, I think the shot of her on Helicopter (my shot) + the Long Roof at Rock City are probably shoe-ins. Also, the shot of her at the Mushroom boulder is definitely a winner.
Thanks for the support guys, I guess you can call it "work" though its hard to consider going out and bouldering every day for an entire semester "work" :).
The gate opens April 1st, I'm so stoked to get back into the forest!
-Danno
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catbiter
Mar 7, 2006, 2:30 AM
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I am so happy that a honest guidebook is being published. I had a hostile post about how every time I go there I climb the same old stuff...blah blah. Sherpaboy replyed with an online downloadable guide book that I review almost every day at work. When the published guide book comes out, I will be asking for it at Excursions. Thanks!!!!!
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microbarn
Mar 7, 2006, 3:13 AM
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woot! Great to hear that it went so quickly.
I still am hosting your hand sketched earlier version. If you want me to take it down in the future, please just let me know. You are the boss on when I take it down. I am looking forward to your cleaned up copy. Thanks for all your work.
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dbrayack
Mar 7, 2006, 4:43 AM
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Thanks for the support, I'm glad to see people as excited as I am about it. It really was a blast for Tim and I to do the guide, I hope that everyone likes it. As per the online "oldie", you can keep it up as long as you want. If someone wants to download for free, all the power to them, its not like guidebook authors actually make money on guides, its more about having a set, concise outline of quality problems with a blend of humour and ethics.
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edgelounger
Mar 26, 2007, 6:40 PM
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Registered: Aug 19, 2002
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I am honestly not thrilled about a guide book but I suppose I should face the inevitable. However, if there is going to be a guidebook, I hope it will reflect history as much as possible. Are you interested in accurate information about dates, names, etc? Based on the browsing I have done on your preliminary materials, most of the routes I see were completed before your listed dates by people not listed.
A bit about me.. I have been climbing and bouldering at Coopers since 1986. I grew up in Elkins and lived in morgantown for many years. Ropes and routes have always been fun, i've done alot of them, but bouldering out hard high ball first ascents in the forests of WVA has always been my primary passion.
So anyway.. I had seen 95% of rock in coopers by 1997 and had climbed the majority of the prime lines by 1998 (not boast, fact). I have completed countless first ascents at coopers rock & "surrounding" areas up to difficulty of v9 or 10 with the onsight ability of solid v7. I tend to be a very motivated person, and completed FA like they were going out of style. I understood exactly the unique opportunity I had in term of an open canvas. I knew ppl had not climbed these routes or seen the areas I discoverd and this drove me and motivated me. I have many credible witnesses to the climbs and my abilities in case my words are questioned.
So, are you interested accurate info? 
thx
Chris Tolin
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fleamodee
Mar 26, 2007, 8:06 PM
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Registered: Jun 14, 2002
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Seriously, it's about time the real history of coopers comes out. Chris my name is Brian McCall I met you a long time ago with my brother in law Mike Poborsky. Didn't you move to Rollinsville, CO awhile back? Are you back East? There's a lot more gritstone to be climbed than just in WV.
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edgelounger
Mar 26, 2007, 9:26 PM
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sup mate :)
i do indeed remember you and your bro.
i live in eldorado springs, colorado now (currently typing and looking at the naked edge out my window), and have for close to 3 years, before that i was in the mnts close to the diamond. not sure i'll ever move back to WV again, but it will always be my home and i visit frequently. i am forever a mountaineer ;)
as far as the history of bouldering in coopers (wv as a whole really..), i agree with you. for along time i debated saying anything about my first ascents and my friends' ascents and the like in coopers. i was seriously hoping others could have the same type of experiences i had; exploring new areas and finding new rock over every rise and each new patch of rhody. BUT.. if someone is going to professionally publish a guide, it should be done with integrity and honesty. I am qualified to say Coopers is one of the best bouldering areas in the country with a long and proud history and its guide book should be held to the highest standard of publishing possible imho.
A big part of my hesitancy has been the rough volume of rock. Anyone who really knows coopers understands there are hundreds of boulders, thousands of lines. i spent over a decade scouring and pouring my heart into new lines and new vistas. it would take major effort on my part to recall, and document even the incredible lines, let alone all the great lines, good lines and crappy lines that were completed. There were many a day that dozens of new lines were done and hundreds of days spent climbing. Documentation was last on the list for me when i had literally fields of unclimbed rock and sunny weather. Recalling and writing all this down would be a huge task involving tons of work on something i honestly don't want to happen. But... it would be a diservice to our community to let the past slip away.
hehe
how bout you? what's the word with your life?
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dbrayack
Mar 27, 2007, 12:06 AM
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Registered: Dec 16, 2002
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Man...I wish you would have said something about a year and a half ago..the manuscript is done and has been shipped off....the publication date has been pushed back to late summer 2007.
I'd certainly be interested and totally receptive to your names for the problems.
As far as the guide was concerned, I knew there was no way I'd ever be able to get first ascent information; Hence less than half a dozen first ascents were actually even mentioned.
As far as names were concerned, I queried those who have been climbing there for as long as I could find. A good bit of the problems have "akas"..for example, Woody's Arete aka Bastard's Edge...that sort of thing.
Can you email me directly? dbrayack@gmail.com
-Dan
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edgelounger
Apr 2, 2007, 2:54 PM
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What process did you use to gather information and get the word out you were publishing a guide book? Who did you talk to or work with to gain information from the past?
What bouldering area's are you publishing in your guide? How many boulders? How many routes? Only coopers?
being receptive to the original route names would be logistically challenging but welcomed. i had climbed most of the routes you have renamed long ago. Most of the intense activitly was completed by 1998 and i was definately not the first competent boulder to crank at coopers.
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dbrayack
Apr 3, 2007, 12:44 AM
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I talked to the Pittsburgh crew who had been out there for years.
It covers Rock City (concession stand), Roadside and Tilted Tree.
Its like 300 some problems; Bouldering only (Rick Thompson really needs to release his climbing guide; we talked about doing them together but didn't)
-Dan
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edgelounger
Apr 6, 2007, 8:25 PM
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Registered: Aug 19, 2002
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-Did you talk to any local climbers like Adam Polinski?
-Tilted Tree would include boulders in the Outback too? Electric Avenue, Elvis.. ect?
-What process would i use to submit information to you? From another thread ( http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1571073 ) it sounds like there might still be a chance to provide some info/details.
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dbrayack
Apr 7, 2007, 12:47 AM
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Never talked to Adam. He didn't seem to pysched on the idea about the guidebook anyways. I think Tim Keenan got some route info off him, but we found older information.
Tilted Tree includes everything from Electric Avenue to the Moby Dick Boulder.
We didn't include anything inbetween Bitch Slap (aka Bismark) and Moby's Dick.
I've been working on an ongoing addendum to consider updates (mainly some of the new stuff that went up last fall). I'm sure, when the guide comes out, that my addendum will increase a good bit.
if you have information, it'd be best to email me it.
FYI, I've come a long way from my original stuff (posted in various sources.) its funny looking back at some of my original passes....I'd hold on the "updates" until the guide itself comes out. I hope that you'll be pleasantly suprised with the quality + depth.
-Dan
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rockitfuse
Apr 12, 2008, 8:55 PM
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Registered: May 10, 2005
Posts: 53
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Kinna find the Cooper's Rock SF guidebook to purchase. Is it published (heard it was to be Rick Thompson's True Grit)? I've the Tri State guide by Falcon Books (MD,VA, WV), but hoped for both boulder and TR/sport/trad guide for Cooper's. Appreciate any info.
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