Book review: A Roof Climber’s Guide to Trinity by Geoffrey Winthrop-Young

�"Complete circuit; time 45-60 mins; guide superfluous, but rope necessary; expense, repair of pipes and possible doctor's fees."

Despite its conception as a mere joke pamphlet 110 May Weeks ago this year, the opening summary route-description of Geoffrey Winthrop-Young's The Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity instantly captures the mystique, tradition and tangible risk inherent in the peculiar Cambridge institution of night-climbing. While stegophily, as the practice is more properly known, has in recent years received much press in daredevil ascents of skyscrapers, this sport has been consistently pursued among the antique spires of our academic home for over a century, if not longer. And it is in warm salutation to this long under-reported Cambridge tradition, yet one as integral as passing the port bottle to the left, that the Oleander Press have reprinted this gem of a guide as part of a series heralded by the famous Night Climbers of Cambridge.

The guide is unashamedly written by true mountaineers for their fellow climbers, reflecting the aching hunger for topography that afflicts the Fenland alpinist - which is probably one of the main reasons the sport has so flourished here. Those versed in the writing style of British rock and Alpine guides will be delighted by the descriptions herein - "the iron palings of Trinity Lane immediately below give the necessary interest" - but the uninitiated will similarly enjoy the storytelling and familiar locations, discovered anew by night.

At the same time, The Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity makes clear the substantial danger involved in the practice - and the injuries sustained by those of inadequate climbing experience, those of insufficient respect for the unique conditions in Cambridge, or indeed those rather too sufficient of liquor attest to the repeated and stark warnings made by Winthrop-Young.

The guide also makes clear the strong sense of ethics held by the night climbers:

"The sort of person who can fairly master [the] difficulties will be the last to do any injury through carelessness or malice" to the property of the College.

In all, this is a rollicking mix of tongue-in-cheek consciousness of the College rules (such as recommending a more difficult route in order to avoid waking the Master), very serious physicality and simply gorgeous descriptions of the serene "College Alps" as seen from on high. Although some parts of the book do dally upon technical climbing advice somewhat more than may be of interest to the casual reader, the guide's relative brevity and unremitting playfulness will appeal to all those keen on the crazy things those Cambridge kids get up to.

Simon Goldman

Simon Goldman is a Journal Editor for the Cambridge University Mountaineering Club