mountaineering

This is by far the best reference book on all aspects of mountaineering, covering all the possible information a mountain reference book can, from wilderness basics, navigation or rock climbing and to snow geology, survival, rescue and leadership.
It's not the best because it has all these topics covered, but also it has evolved through six remarkable editions, covering a wider range in each one!!

If you have something to do with mountaineering, do not hesitate even for a moment to pick this piece, you won't be disappointed!!

Here in Seattle -- where mountaineering is almost a religion -- Freedom of the Hills is to climbing skills what Fred Beckey's Cascade Alpine Guide is to climbing routes: the bible. It's the fundamental textbook for the Seattle Mountaineers' climbing curriculum, reputed to be the most thorough and rigorous in the Pacific Northwest and perhaps in the country. Virtually every sentence in Freedom of the Hills has a piece of information that has helped me in the mountains. I've re-read portions so many times that my 1979 copy is more tattered than your grandmother's New Testament. Since I first read Freedom of the Hills I've climbed dozens of peaks in Washington's Cascades and Olympics -- on steep snow, ice, technical rock, and glaciers, you name it. I've been through the Ptarmigan Traverse, up eight peaks in the Pickets, and atop Rainier three times. To put it bluntly, if I'd attempted these climbs without the knowledge and skills in this book, by now I would certainly be dead. So, before you go up there: Take a class. Read this book. Stay alive. . . . Okay, I gotta go. I'm buying four more copies of this book right now to send to friends in Colorado.

When I first re-entered the world of climbing, about 4 months ago, I went into the local "outdoorsie" emporium (a GREAT store called BackWoods in Norman) and asked for the finest Swiss Seat they had. It only took half a thought for the youngish, very polite woman to have any clue what I was talking about.

"You're looking for a harness." Was her reply. "And you'll want this, too." and she handed me this book. Ahhhh. . . Pure bliss.

If only I'd known about this tome when I got into climbing the first time, I might not be getting "back" into climbing now, but just getting better. This book is indespensible.