Here at GearFlogger we remember the good ole days of adventure sports. Our bikes had square tires, mountains were uphill both ways, and climbing guides were in black and white as god intended the world to be seen. Now we can only sit and nurse our metamucil milkshakes as we watch the parade of new climbing guides being published in full color. Color! It's the devil, we say.
Southern Nevada Bouldering by Tom Moulin is hot off the press, and if you're even thinking of climbing near Las Vegas (speaking of the devil…) you need to look at this book: inside the imposing black cover with gold lettering are over 400 pages of absolutely gorgeous color photography depicting over 2,000 mouth-watering problems at all difficulty levels.
The book sets the standard for clear maps, and the introductory chapters have detailed natural, cultural and climbing histories of the area. There's even a picture of red spotted toads copulating in the sun. Righteous! Every section has a brief overview with notes on when to climb in the area, cell phone coverage (cool!), and how to get there. There's a "best of" list in the back, and indices for all problems by name and by ratings, which range from zero to three stars.
Whether you're looking for just the facts or you just need some climbing porn to get through the work week, Southern Nevada Bouldering is your go-to guide. It's a big, colorful book for climbers with big, colorful ambitions, and it will undoubtedly remain the standard bouldering guide for Southern Nevada for many years to come. If there's such a thing as coffee table climbing guides, Southern Nevada Bouldering is at the top of the list.