Climbing guidebook

Climbing guidebooks are used by mountaineers, alpinists, ice climbers, and rock climbers to locate, grade, and navigate climbing routes on mountains, climbing crags, or bouldering areas. Modern route guidebooks include detailed information on each climbing route, including topo diagrams, route beta, protection requirements, and the ethics and style that are in place for a given climbing area (e.g. can sport-climbing bolts be used, or must the protection be temporary and removable as with traditional climbing).

Modern climbing guidebooks are increasingly available in digital format, and even as searchable smartphone apps with extensive beta and three-dimensional diagrams of routes and their 'crux' movements. Extensive online opensource climbing databases of routes now exist, however, the publication of hard-wearing physical guidebooks that can be taken on with the climber on the climb is still ongoing given the unique demands of climbing—many guidebook publishers have both a physical and online edition.

Climbing route guidebooks began to proliferate at the turn of the 20th century in Europe and became an important chronicle of the history and stories of climbing areas and routes (e.g. who made the first free ascent). These guidebooks played an important part in promoting the sport of climbing and of the attractiveness of particular climbing areas. Certain notable guidebooks played an important role in standardizing the technical grading systems that are now widely in use today around the world.