SMC Corbetts and Other Hills book

[gaffr]

It is amazing how much fun that a wee hill can stir up.
I have just looked up my old Munros Tables where at the rear of this volume the 2,500-3,000 feet hills...the then Corbetts not fully developed into what they are today.... are listed with my wee ticks against the visited hills. Minimum of information but enough to get you going ....name, height, 4 figure map reference and the O.S. map number. My only ever visit to that area was to The Brack after the Central Groove. Some work still to do in that area.
The gentleman who started all this off talks about folks being perhaps conned by the SMC when bringing out new editions but , as far as I can see, he didn't buy an updated version of the Corbetts.... and also that the SMC folks are climbers rather that hill walkers. This doesn't stand up when the three volumes covering all the various Hill heights and Hill groupings were constructed by folks who climb and hill-walk. All three very fine well illustrated and helpful volumes that provide a good references on any hillwalking persons bookshelf.

[Sgurr]

While walking Carn Chuineag, we met the author of a well known Corbett guidebook(before it came out) who appeared to be using the SMC Corbett book as his only book source, though of course manufacturing new routes from the map and testing them out. He only did the one route from the one direction for each hill. We thought that being a guide book author he would be a mine of information on The Corbetts, and be able to compare routes from different directions, but had read nothing else on them not even Hamish Brown, and seems more interested in pumping us for info than telling us anything which might be of use. We came to the conclusion that we would stick with the SMC, which at least had the benefit of all the members putting their heads together and picking a route.

[Scraggygoat]

The success of the ‘well known author’ had nothing to do with substance (it was borrowed, cough, or maybe lent heavily from the SMC in serval instances) and was more about style.

In so much they realised that with improving publishing, photography and computing technologies the information could be laid out in a more accessible form with better maps, appealing high resolution photos, and crucially clear parking. So in that sense an advancement.

Backed up by an self-publicising ego.

Content and consequences ….. nothing to see here move along please.

The same can be said of Walkhighlands the realisation you could repackage in a new format (the internet) increasing accessibility, for personal gain.

[Sunset tripper]

The SMC don't have exclusive rights on publishing guides. I have several copies from different eras of their books and they are great and at one time the only source of knowledge for many apart from the OS maps. OS maps are complimented by the SMC guides. Times have moved on though and WH is a fantastic resource. Obviously they publish the trade routes that are in the SMC book. Many of these routes were being used before the SMC existed. WH has enhanced some of these routes and offered others that are better.
What sets WH apart for me is some of the low level walks. Fantastic local walks that you would never know about. I haven't seen a site like it anywhere UK or abroad.
It must be a full time job to keep it updated and add new routes and the "SMC" routes for the munros etc. are only a small part of it.

Nothing to stop the SMC joining the modern world and publishing online guides for their cause if they so wish.

[jaykayemm]

Thanks for the replies however my opinion remains the same. When I found the discrepancy in my book I first went to the SMC website looking for a list of the 2016/7 changes but found nothing, I then e mailed SMC asking for this list and I'm still waiting for a response.

When I was climbing the Munros the SMC did a revision in 1998 and all the changes were available on their website, I still have the copy and it supplemented my 1986 edition. A copy of these changes was also inserted in all copies on sale at the time until the next edition. That obviously did not happen with the latest revision of the Corbetts.

If SMC are going to be the custodian of these lists then they need to do a much better job of getting the info out.

[iain_atkinson_1986]

Thanks for the replies however my opinion remains the same. When I found the discrepancy in my book I first went to the SMC website looking for a list of the 2016/7 changes but found nothing, I then e mailed SMC asking for this list and I'm still waiting for a response.

When I was climbing the Munros the SMC did a revision in 1998 and all the changes were available on their website, I still have the copy and it supplemented my 1986 edition. A copy of these changes was also inserted in all copies on sale at the time until the next edition. That obviously did not happen with the latest revision of the Corbetts.

If SMC are going to be the custodian of these lists then they need to do a much better job of getting the info out.

This is from the 2017 (latest edition). I can only assume you bought an out-of-date version at the time of the re-survey.

[rockhopper]

I have just found out that the SMC Corbetts book I bought in Ballater in July 2018 is not accurate and out of date. The book was 'refreshed' in 2016/2017 so this book should not even have been on sale - buyer beware.

As noted above, when this happened to me I just annotated my copies with the changes. Perhaps the bookshop had had it in stock for some time which just happened to spread over a period of change ? Moreover, I'd guess that any revisions would take some time to make it to print and it's impractical to send out inserts for books which retailers may or may not still have in stock so just may be down to timing ? Having bought the book from a shop, it suggests your contract is with the shop, ie any issues you feel you have should be taken up with it ?

[Moriarty]

Most of the OP seems an excessive rant - if you purchase a printed book you get the edition you've purchased. If you purchase a guide book to something that is changing over time you should ensure you get the most up to date version. Blaming others for any failure to do that is just trying to shift the blame.

That said, the OP has a point in criticising the SMC for their failure to publish an easily accessible guide to major list changes. There is no such information easily accessible on the SMC website. As the list custodians you might expect that at a minimum the SMC would publish the list changes they had made somewhere easy to access.