Yamnuska Rock: The Crown Jewel of Canadian Rockies Traditional Climbing.

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

These four guides, published by Rocky Mountain Books, open up a large number of routes in the Canadian Rocky Mountain range for climbers and adventurous hikers. All of the books provide information on safety, required gear, best time of year to go, access to sites, potential hazards, and the difficulty of the route or problem. They also include information about nearby accommodation (usually camping) and other necessities like access to water. They all encourage proper climbing, scrambling, or bouldering etiquette, and preach respect for the environment and park rules. Each guide is arranged according to area, but specific route or problem names are indexed alphabetically at the back for handy reference.

Sport Climbs in the Canadian Rockies covers all of the Canadian Rockies (except the Jasper area) and provides detailed hand-drawn topographic maps of each cliff face with the routes clearly marked. It also provides information on the type of rock, and the gear that is available/needed for each climb. Yamnuska Rock also features similar topographic maps and includes at least a paragraph of description for each route included. More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies contains photographs of each route, with the path clearly marked in red. It also has an excellent section at the back to help scramblers choose the right excursion for their level, the weather, the amount of time they have, and the season. Finally, Bouldering in the Canadian Rockies contains drawings and helpful descriptions of all the problems with some photos and maps to help orient the potential climber. All of these guides contain the sort of essential route information that every climber, irrespective of ability, is likely to find very useful. Public libraries in areas surrounding the Rocky Mountains should consider purchasing these very useful guides.