The club possesses a sizeable collection of books and guides which are available for any member to borrow. If you are a member and would like to borrow any of the books listed below then contact Paul Williams by email or phone (number in Membership Card). If you have any books on climbing or mountaineering that you no longer need then why not donate them to the club ? Just drop a line to Paul. If you are searching for a book but can't find it anywhere, then why not send an email to the club email list and see if someone is willing to lend it to you !

• A book of travellers' tales - by Eric Newbury (Picador, 1985)
  An anthology of writings about travelling. The writings span the globe and has samples from 430BC to the 1980
• Climbing Free - My life in the vertical world - by Lynn Hill (Harper Collins, 2002)
  This is a personal account of Lynn Hill's climbing life and her famous first free ascent of The Nose on Yosemite's El Capitan
• Dark Shadows Falling - Joe Simpson (vintage, 1997)
  Simpson explores the morality of mountaineering and how this has been affected by commercialism
• Everest Kangshung Face - by Stephen Venables (Pan, 1991)
• Feeding The Rat - Profile Of A Climber - by Al Alvarez (1988)
• ** NEW ** Full of Myself - by Johnny Dawes (Oct, 2011)
  Praise for the man and book from Leo Houlding..."Johnny Dawes is the enigmatic front man of an eclectic band of British climbers who in the mid 1980's redefined the standards of difficulty and danger in traditional climbing. Introducing the world to the impossible grades of E8 & E9, and laying the foundations of the modern scene, Johnny's unique style and character have become legend. This long awaited book gives his take on a highly influential period of climbing history and a look inside the mind of a tormented genius.
   
• Happy Climbing Tells No Tales - by Judith Brown (Open Montain, 2007)
• Learning to Breathe - Andy Cave (Hutchinson, 2005)
  Highly recommended !
  The following is taken from the review on the planetFear web-site (http://www.planetfear.com)
  
  Learning to breathe is the highly acclaimed autobiography from Andy Cave that follows his life from the pits of South Yorkshire to the summits of some of the most impressive, and technical, peaks in the world.
  
  Living through the strikes of the mid-eighties - the guilt, the broken friendships, the poverty - Andy continued to indulge his passion for climbing, and in 1986, after much soul-searching, he quit his job as a miner in order to take up mountaineering professionally. In the Himalaya in 1997 Andy achieved one of the hardest climbs ever recorded on one of the steepest and most difficult summits of the world - the north face of Changabang. Seventeen days later, he and two of his teammates - his best friend had already perished in an avalanche - crawled into basecamp, frostbitten and emaciated.
  
  His account of this terrifying experience provides a dramatic climax to this extraordinary story. Learning to Breathe is, first and foremost, a lively and humorous memoir, written with energy and insight, about two very different groups of men, each navigating equally inhospitable worlds. Finally, on a larger scale, it is an examination of our ability to draw on inner strengths and the strengths of others.
• My Life As A Mountaineer - by Andrei Heckmair (Victor Gollancz, 1975)
  Autobiography of a Bavarian mountaineer, translated by Geoffry Sutton.
• Native Stones - A Book About Climbing - by David Craig (Flamingo, 1987)
  Personal account of climbing around the world
• PsychoVertical - by Andy Kirkpatrick (Hutchinson, 2008)
• Sherpa Tensing - Man of Everest - by James Ramsey Ullman (Severn House, 1975)
  An excellent autobiography of Sherpa Tensing. He and Hillary were the first men to ever reach the summit of Everest in 1953.
• The Climb - Tragic Ambitions on Everest - by A.Boukreev and G.Weston DeWalt (St. Martins 1997)
  A personal account of the tragedy on Everest in May 1996 by legendary Russian climber, Anatoli Boukreev, who tragically died in an avalanche whilst climbing Annapaurna in winter just 18 months later. (1998)
• The Climbing Game - by Walt Unsworth (Viking, 1984)
  An anthology of Mountain Humour.
• The Everest Years - A Climbers Life - by Chris Bonington (Coronet, 1986)
  An autobiographical chronicle of his 4 expeditions to the worlds highest peak. (hard back and paperback copy.)
• The Hard Years - by Joe Brown (Phoenix, 2001)
  An account of Brown's childhood and some of his toughest climbs.
• ** NEW ** The Long Hope (Hot Aches Productions 2011)
  St John's head on the Island of Hoy is a wild and remote 1150 foot sea cliff. It was first climbed in 1970 by climber and poet Ed Drummond together with Oliver Hill. They took 7 days to climb the cliff, sleeping on ledges and in hammocks along the way. Now, 40 years later, one of the World's top climbers, Dave MacLeod, sets out to climb the cliff in a single day, finishing with a new desperately hard final pitch up the headwall.
• The Next Horizon - by Chris Bonington (Victor Gollancz, 1990)
• The Shining Mountain - by Peter Boardman (Hodder & Stoughton, 1978)
  The story of two men on Changabang’s West wall.
• This Game of Ghosts - by Joe Simpson (Vintage, 1994)
  The sequel to 'Touching the Void'. Simpson paints a vivid picture of his childhood, his climbing life and the climbing fraternity.
• Tibet's Secret Mountain: The triumph of Sepu Kangri - C.Bonington and C.Clarke (Phoenix, 2000)
  An account of the attempts to reach the summit of Sepu Kangri and the lives of the Tibetan people. (1999)
• Touch the top of the world - by Erik Weihenmayer (Coronet, 2001)
  The story of this man's life who is the first blind person to reach many of the world's highest mountains including Everest.
• Touching the Void (book) - Joe Simpson (Vintage, 1988)
  Simpson's account of his amazing survival after breaking his leg on the descent from Siula Grande. (1997)
• DVD: E11 - The Hardest Traditional Rock Climb in the World - (Hot Aches Productions, 2006)
  Watch Dave MacLeod attempting to becoming the first to climb an E11, 7a.
• DVD: Jack Osbourne - Adrenaline Junkie (Clear Vision, 2006)
  Watch Jack’s transformation from celebrity brat to rugged man as he climbs one of the most extreme rock climbing challenges, El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
• DVD: Touching the Void - J.Simpson Film Four)
  The film of Joe Simpson's book. (2004)
• VHS: Hard Grit & Hard Plastic
  Not your typical climbing video. This video takes a slower route to entertainment, but is still very good. It's older, and most young climbers won't know who these guys are, but this video is heritage! If you want to see one of the scariest climbs in the world, watch this!

• Avalanche Safety; for skiers, climbers and snowboarders - Tony Daffern (Baton Wicks, 1999)
  Essential reading for anyone who ventures into avalanche terrain.
  Information on how to recognise and avoid avalanches, and good route finding.
• Hillwalking; The official handbook of the ML and Walking Group Leader schemes - Steve Long (Mountain Leader Training UK, 2004)
  Packed with essential information and techniques on hillwalking. This includes navigation, equipment, understanding the environment and leadership.
• Knots - by BMC
  One of the technical booklets published by BMC. It outlines how to tie and when to use the most common knots used in climbing.
• Knots for Climbers. 2nd Edition - C.Luebben (Falcon, 2002)
  Explains knots that are commonly used and needed by climbers.
• Learn Rock Climbing in a Weekend - by Kevin Walker (Dorling Kindersley, 1991
• ** NEW ** Masterclase Part 2 - Skills & Tactics for Sport and Trad Climbing (DVD, Neil Gresham)
• Ropes - by BMC
  One of the technical booklets published by BMC. It outlines the history, construction, choice, use and when to retire ropes.
• The Handbook of Climbing - by A Fyffe and I Peter (Pelham, 1990)
  A highly recommended book that provides comprehensive information on all aspects of climbing. It covers rock, winter and alpine climbing. With advice on technique, equipment, gear placement and emergency procedures.
• CD/DVD: Winter Essentials - BMC (2005)
  This film shows the essentials techniques and skills necessary to operate in Britain's winter mountains.

• Avon & Cheddar - Martin Crocker (Climbers Club, 2004)
• Baggy - Chris Mellor (Void, 1999)
• Borrowdale - A Phizaklea (F&RCC, 1986)
• Buttermere & Eastern Crags - I. Roper (F&RCC, 1979)
• Cornish Rock - Rowland Edwards & Tim Dennell (Cicerone, 1996)
• Dorset - Mark Glaister & Pete Oxley (Rockfax, 2005)
• Dorset - Pete Oxley (Rockfax, 2000)
• Eastern Grit - Chris Craggs & Alan James (Rockfax, 2006)
• Jersey & England - Ian Smith & Alan Hill (Cordee, 1987)
• Lower Wye Valley - John Willson (Climbers Club, 2007)
• North Devon & Cornwall - John Willson (Climbers Club, 2000)
• On Peak Rock - BMC (BMC, 1996)
• Ramblers Guide : Lake District - John Gillham & Ronald Turnbull (Collins, 2001)
• Scrambles & Easy Climbs in the Lake District - Jon Sparks & Judith Brown (Grey Stone, 2003)
• Scrambles in the Lake District : Vol1 Southern Lakes - Brian Evans (Cicerone, 1996)
• Scrambles in the Lake District : Vol2 Northern Lakes - Brian Evans (Cicerone, 1996)
• South Devon & Dartmoor - Nick White (Cordee, 1995)
• Southern Sandstone - Mike Vetterlein (Climbers Club, 1995)
• Staffordshire Gritstone - Gary Gibson (BMC, 1989)
• Staffordshire Roaches - Gary Gibson (BMC, 1989)
• Swanage & Portland - Nigel Coe (Climbers Club, 1995)
• Symonds Yat - John Willson (Climbers Club, 2010)
• Symonds Yat - John Willson (Climbers Club, 1999)
• West Cornwall - John Hooper (Climbers Club, 2000)
• West Country Climbs - Mark Glaister (Rockfax, 2010)
• Wye Valley - John Willson (Climbers Club, 1997)
• Yorkshire Gritstone - Dave Musgrove (Yorkshire Mountaineering Club, 1998)
• Yorkshire Limestone - Dave Musgrove (Yorkshire Mountaineering Club, 1992)

• Clywd Limestone - Lee Proctor & Mark Glaister (Rockfax, 2005)
• Cwm Glas - Peter Crew & Ian Roper (Climbers Club, 1970)
• Gogarth - Alec Sharp Climbers Club, 1979)
• Gower & S.E. Wales - Goi Ashmore & Roy Thomas (South Wales Mountaineering Club, 2003)
• Gower & S.E. wales - Goi Ashmore & Roy Thomas (South Wales Mountaineering Club, 2003)
• Hill Walking in Snowdonia - E.G. Rowland (Cicerone, 1978)
• Hill Walking in Snowdonia, Glyders, Carneddau & Qualifying Areas - Steve Ashton (Cicerone, 2002)
• Llanberis - Iwan Arfon Jones (Climbers Club, 2003)
• Llanberis Pass - Geoff Milburn (Climbers Club, 1978)
• ** NEW ** Llanberis Slate - Simon Panton, Pete Robins, Mark Dicken, Martin Crook (Ground Up, 2011)
• North Wales Rock - Simon Panton (Ground Up, 2006)
• Pembroke - Alan James & Mike Robertson (Rockfax, 2009)
• Pembroke - John Harwood & Dave Viggers (Climbers Club, 2002)
• Pembroke - Jon de Montjoye & Mike Harber (Climbers Club, 1985)
• Pembroke Supplement - Dave Viggers (Climbers Club, 2002)
• Rock Climbing in Snowdonia - Paul Williams (Constable, 2002)
• Scrambles & Easy Climbs in Snowdonia - Jon Sparks & Tom Hutton & Jerry Rawson (Grey Stone, 2005)
• The Mountains of England & Wales: Vol1 Wales - John & Anne Nuttall (Cicerone, 1999)
• Tremadog - Dave Ferguson, Iwan Arfon Jones & Pat Littlejohn (Climbers Club, 2000)
• Tremadog & the Moelwyns - Mike Mortimer (Climbers Club, 1978)

• Black Cuillin Ridge: Scramblers Guide - S.P. Bull (Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1989)
• Ben Nevis - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1994)
• Climbers Guide to Central & Southern Scotland - Jerry Handren (Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1986)
• Creag Dubh & Craig-a-Barns - Dave Cuthbertson (Scottish Mountaineering Club, 1983)
• Glencoe - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1992)
• Northeast Outcrops - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1994)
• North-East Outcrop - Brain Davison (Climbers Club, 2003)
• Northern Highlands : Vol1 - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1993)
• Northern Highlands : Vol2 - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1993)
• Northern Highlands North - Andy Nisbett (Climbers Club, 1994)
• Rock Climbing in Scotland - >Kevin Howett (Constable, 1990)
• Rock Climbing in Scotland - Kevin Howett (Constable, 1990)
• Rock Climbs in Glen Nevis
• Scottish Winter Climbs - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1996)
• Skye & the Hebrides - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1996)
• The Cairngorms - Roger Everett (Climbers Club, 1995)

• Classic Climbs in the Dolomites - Lele Dinoia & Valerio Casari (Cicerone, 1987)
• High Level Walks in the Dolomites - Martin Collins (Cicerone, 1986)
• Italian Rock: Selected Climbs in Northern Italy - Al Churcher (Cicerone, 1988)
• El Chorro - Mark Glaister (Rockfax, 2008)
• 200 Challenge Walks in Britain & Ireland - Richard Gilbert (Baton Wickes, 2004)
  This book has interesting walks from all the areas we visit on meets and some not too far from Reading.

• English Lakes - Explorer Map (Ordnance Survey)
• Lands End - Explorer Map (Ordnance Survey, 2009)
• Snowdon - Explorer Map( Ordnance Survey, 2009)