Flakes, Jugs, and Splitters: A Rock Climber's Guide to Geology (How To Climb Series) Paperback – April 1, 2009

While I've been a climber for too many years, the hard stuff that I've been grabbing has always been something of a mystery to me. It's all (well, almost all) fun to climb but why does the rock vary so from location to location? What makes the rock at some crags so solid, so reassuring? Or, conversely, why those annoying down sloping holds at others? I climb quite a bit at Looking Glass in North Carolina. What's the deal with those "eye brows" that pepper the route? I also climb every summer in the Tetons. How could those awesome peaks just suddenly pop up from the plains of Wyoming? What forces were at work there to create such a breath taking vista for the tourists and (in my opinion) American's best playground for climbers?So many questions! And now I have the answers, thanks to Miss Garlick. Flakes, Jugs, and Splitters is an outstanding 101 course in rocks for climbers. It won't make a geologist out of you, but you will come away with an appreciation for just how much work was done over the geological time frame to keep climbers happy. I found the organization extremely useful. Basic overviews up front, regional descriptions following. The overviews were clear enough for me to grasp the concepts and the regional chapters were specific enough that I could focus on the climbing venues relevant to my interests and skip the sections that reference climbing opportunities beyond the scope of my travel budget.I recommend this book to anyone that climbs and had the imagination to wonder where all this rock came from.David

I have owned this book for a few years now and decided to throw it in my bag on an extended cross country trip. Sarah has managed to create a guidebook that is not only geologically comprehensive, but also very engaging to non-climbers. I studied geology in university, and from that perspective, the amount of research that she has put in is really impressive. I am not aware of another resource, save scientific publications filled with technical jargon, that cover the country's climbing geology in this comprehensive of a manner.We have a family friend who has borrowed this book to augment lesson plans to homeschool their kid who also happens to be really into rock climbing. The content is engaging and the writing is backed up by tons of citations and references to the scientific literature. I don't think the author realizes how useful her content is to an entirely different audience when used in this manner.From a climbing perspective, Sarah has hit another home run, or at least a double, as she has managed to leverage her climbing industry connections to get top-level climbing photographers to contribute to this resource.This book is an absolute must-have for climbers who also happen to be geologists, and at the current price it is a steal.

I love rocks and i love climbing so this book was right up my street. It covered a vast array of climbing areas in the states and touches on some in other countries also. It is set up like a series of questions about each place and explains the geology behind it. my only criticism is that it is very US heavy but then its an American book.. Id really recommend it if, like me, you wonder how the rock you are climbing came to be and or/want a guide on where to climb in the Usa.

I bought this book as a way to learn about the different rock types out there that we climb on. The information in this book is a great start. The author does a good job introducing the reader to the different classifications of rock and where to find them. The only gripe I have is that there are not enough pictures that allow you to really identify with the rock types. I would have liked to have seen close up photos of say sandstone, shale, schist, gneiss, granite, etc. [...] has some great photos that accomplish this.

interesting book covering many of the processes of rock formation and weathering. good information on how various rock climbing formations (e.g. roofs, pockets, slopers, chimeneys) came about. my only gripe is that the adirondacks were not even mentioned, but offer some great climbing. maybe next time.

Very informative book that gives you a brief overview of geology within the realm of rock climbing. So cool to know how old and how the stone you are climbing on is formed. Highly recommended to any climber looking to learn about the stone they touch

Easy and comprehensive reading, nice images and photos, gives you a great overview of what you are climbing and where it came from.

Extremely interesting and informative for the non-geologist. I expect the insights it provides will be of significant benefit in speculating on, and arousing further investigation of rock formations I encounter.