Climbing Books

This book takes you on a journey that inspires you to live everyday to the fullest and appreciate what you have.
It's a incredible book and hard to put down once you start reading. I am in awe at the pain and suffering they experienced and how they overcame all the obstacles that were in their way including death. I had listened to the audio book first and then bought the book and read it too, love everything about it.
It is worth your time.

I loved this book so much I lent it to family and friends. Now I can't wait to get it back, so I can read it again. A truly empowering book. Written with such compassion that readers could never be "grossed out" by some of the extremes of survival that are revealed in this book.

Incredibly inspirational story. This book captures the emotion of the Andes experience through the eyes of Nando Parrado. He seems to leave nothing unrevealed. For anyone who "enjoyed" the movie Alive, yet wants a truer account, a fuller account...this book is wonderful! The highlight is listening to Parrado talk us through his mental and physical journey as he and Canessa risked everything to escape the mountains and save themselves. These events were mostly glossed over in the film Alive. Yet, the trek out of the mountains is arguably the most inspirational, miraculous part of the entire ordeal. A potentially life-changing book. It's up to you really...

This is an excellent book. It describes an unfortunate event/airplane crash of the Uruguayan Rugby team on October 13, 1972 high in the Andes, and their astonishing survival, the hardships they had to endure and their long, excruciating trek out of their ordeal, written superbly using lots of adjectives and action verbs. As you read through the pages, you can actually picture what was happening, down to the last detail. I've only started to read the book and I'm already totally captivated. Don't hesitate buying this book or giving it as a gift. It's a great choice. I also bought the video, but won't watch it until I have read the book.

I loved this book. I recommend it to anyone who stands still long enough for me to shout, "go get this book!" I'm not a fan of self-help books, and this isn't one, but heck, it should be because if this doesn't make you take stock of your life, stop whining, and start living, than nothing will.

One of my favorite things about it was seeing how much a person's personality dicates how they'll handle adversity - this book has take-charge-bossy types, as well as curl-up-and-give-up types, and oddly enough, the one who adapts best is the take-life-as-it-comes type. I went camping with 14 friends a week after reading this, and saw all personality types and secretly rated them all on how they'd have done in the Andes. ;-)

Read it, and you'll never complain about your life again.

The best book I've about getting ready to face mountains.
Incredible amount of great info.
A wonderful learning tool.

I was gifted this book at age 16; nearly eight years later I look through it constantly, and realize I always have...it was used as a high-school outdoor-ed text, it is considered the bible by most I know, and it has been around for along time..Three Cheers for the Mountaineers!

This book pretty much covers everything you need to know about mountaineering. It does so in an easy to read, concise style. It really stresses the philosophy of being an educated and environmentally aware mountaineer. The illustrations are also great...very clear and informative.
You won't be disappointed with this book.
Here's the Table of Contents:

Part I (Outdoor Fundamentals)
(1) First Steps
(2) Clothing and Equipment
(3) Camping and Food
(4) Physical Conditioning
(5) Navigation
(6) Wilderness Travel
(7) Leave No Trace
(8) Stewardship and Access

Part II (Climbing Fundamentals)
(9) Basic Safety System
(10)Belaying
(11)Rapelling

Part III (Rock Climbing)
(12) Alpine Rock-Climbing Technique
(13) Rock Protection
(14) Leading on Rock
(15) Aid Climing

Part IV (Snow, Ice and Alpine Climbing)
(16) Snow Travel and Climbing
(17) Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue
(18) Alpine Ice Climbing
(19) Waterfall Ice and Mixed Climbing
(20) Expedition Climbing

Part V (Emergency Prevention and Response)
(21) Leadership
(22) Safey
(23) First Aid
(24) Alpine Rescue

Part VI (The Mountain Environment)
(25) Mountain Geology
(26) The Cycle of Snow
(27) Mountain Weather

Never before have I found such a complete reference manual for how to plan and execute trips in the outdoors. The book is timeless in its core message of preparedness and finding freedom in the outdoors. It collects information from a wide range of topics such as how to choose equipment for your needs to cooking in the outdoors and proper mountaineering skills. There is some discussion of ethics and philosophy, but no more than is necessary.

I purchased this book after recently jumping into the sport of rock climbing. This book is a great guide on many of the fundamentals of camping, hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, and the outdoors in general. Freedom of the Hills is a very easy book to read and find information easily. There are many diagrams illustrating techniques, knots, and equipment. I was very impressed with this book and will take it with me on all my outdoor adventures from now on!

Great book you can find everything you want to know about mountain biking and is even fun to read.

This book is quite excellent. I had never been mountain biking before, and read this book. When I finally went out on the trail with experienced riders, I was able to keep up, not injure myself, and generally know what was going on around me. I will say, though, that in reading the book, it seemed like all mountain bike riders were able to do the flashy stuff that was described, when in fact, I found that was not the case. However, it is good to know about. The writing style is very easy to read. There could have been a glossary, and I had to Google terms a number of times, but overall, an excellent book.

A fantastic source of information for anyone wanting to improve their mountain bike riding skills.

I found this to be an excellent book on mountain bike techniques. There are illustrated examples of all the skills you would want to know for all styles of mountain bike riding.
This is a book to work through. For example it starts with the basics like wheelies and manuals and progresses to bunny hops showing how they are related and why you want to know one technique before progressing to another.
Whereas Ned Overend's book is XC race oriented, the techniques in this book as just as applicable for downhilling and freeriding as they are to XC and will help you whether you race or just like to ride for fun.
There is also a short section in the front covering the basics of choosing and maintaining your bike(s).

I think this is a great book for a visual perspective.

Things that are hard to describe in words are often given good visual treatment. I especially liked it when they showed multiple frames to illustrate a technique that might have changes across time.

For example, they illustrate performing a jump by showing you various frames including hen the rider enters the jump (showing body position, etc), while he's in the jump, and what he looks like when exiting.

This alone puts this book above others I have read on the same topic.

I also liked the treatment of many different topics. There's a really good cross-section of useful information covered, so it seems like just about anyone in the sport would benefit from the content.

There are a couple of things that I think need to be improved on to make this book better.

First and foremost, the book either needs to dispense with all the flowery, colorful jargon, and stick closer to simple English, or it needs to provide a glossary up front.

I am a beginning rider (supposedly one of the people this book is aimed at) and there were many times I did not understand a section perfectly clearly because of the specialized language they used.

Here's an example, taken from early on in the book:

"Pump backsides. Any time the trail turns downward, press down for some free speed".

That probably makes perfect sense to someone who understands these terms, but it did not help be as a beginner.

What does "pump" mean? Does it mean to "pedal hard"? Does it mean to quickly raise and then lower your body on the bike to "pump it"? And how about "press down" - press down on what? The pedals? The handlebars? The saddle?

I've read the whole book and I'm still not 100% sure if "pump" means "pedal", or something else.

This problem occurs throughout the book, in some places worse than others. There were spots where the language was so flowery that I actually laughed out loud.

I remember one paragraph talking about pimping and nailing and lips and rhino horns. I wasn't sure if somehow a chapter from Alice in Wonderland had ended up in this book about Mountain Biking.

The other thing I found confusing about the book was some of the conflicting advice given.

I found this especially true in areas related to braking. If one just listed all the sentences related to braking you might see something like this: "Stay off the brakes, speed is the key to smoothness", "Use the brakes to remain in control", "Only brake when you really mean to", "Braking is one of the most important skills", "People rely too much on the brakes", and so on.

This all reminds me of an out-take from the movie Poltergeist in which the main characters are giving Carol-Ann advice about how to come home: "Go into the light!", "Get away from the light!", "The light is your salvation!", "The light is the enemy!".

I'm afraid that after reading this book I am as confused about braking as poor Carol-Ann is about whether or not she should go into the light.

Apart from these gripes, I have spent many hours with this book and feel that I will become a better rider for it.

I thought that Up Up, Down was a great book. When the father fell down and his bottem was red. That anna repeats the same things. The baby brother because when he said no!! there were great. Yes in the store I always repeated the same thing. All kids read this book!!!

I think it was a wonderful book because the book was funny. My favorite part was when Anna fell down, because it was funny. The funniest part was when Anna said, I'm the queen of the castle mommy is a dirty rascal. Anna was my favorite character, because Anna was the funniest character in the book. The illustrations were very wonderful and colorful. I recommend all children should read this book.

I liked this book because it was a funny story. My favorite part was when Anna said, ouch my favorite character is Anna but I thought this book is all ages to read this book yes, I remembered something about my live. So have fun and buy this book.

I thought the book Up, Up, Down was a great book. My favorite part was when Anna repeated what their parents said to her. Also, I thought the funniest part was when Anna bundled up her parents with humongous band-aids. My favorite character is Anna because I thought she was very funny and always fooling around.

My favorite part of Up, Up, Down is when Anna parents told her, "Don't climb." The funniest part was when Anna sang, "I'm the king of the castle, mommy's a dirty rascal." My favorite character was Anna. I recommend this book to kids in elementary school.

Arlene is a trail blazer. She is courageous on the trail, bold in her life choices, and works tenaciously to right the injustices of the world. And (here is the icing on the cake) she is also a beautiful writer.

I like to keep a couple copies of this book in my office. It is the perect gift for women who come to me wanting to understand more about the convergence of Judaism and outdoor adventures. Arlene is the best role model I know!

- Rabbi Jamie Korngold, the Adventure Rabbi, author God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi

From the moment Arlene Blum begins to tell her story, I was hooked. She does an exceptional job of structuring the memoir so you understand who she is as a person... and how she became an adventurer. Nothing stops her as a young child or an adult for breaking new ground for women and for her spirit. I was enthralled. Marcia

One of the classic books of women's mountaineering & adventure. I was greatly inspired & enriched by Arlene's Blum memoirs of her life. As a product of a strict, conservative, Jewish upbringing, one can only admire her strength & courage in breaking free & following her dreams.
Her feats in the early days of women's climbing challenged the male dominated field to finally open their doors & admit that women can equal & sometimes exceed men in the physical challenges of high altitude mountain climbing.
This book would come close to to being one of the best I have read. Arlene writes with great skill & honesty about her family & the men she loved, showing how we can all rise to greatness & live our dreams.

Breaking Trail is an excellent read and a very popular book at the local library!

Arlene Blum has not only written her own story, but bared her soul in doing so. Her honesty in describing relationships and feelings in her quest for equality on the mountaintop and in everyday life is unusual in a memoir. Her passion for climbing high summits, both physical and metaphorical, blends with a compassion for the well-being of all who share her journey. You may have to read between the lines of her modestly stated life to catch the far-reaching impact of her accomplishments, but we are all better off because of the trail she pioneered. Her book stands alone on the summit of personal memoirs.
- Doug Woodward, author of Wherever Waters Flow: A Lifelong Love Affair With Wild Rivers

Excellent book for the experienced alpinist! After reading this, I begin to rethink some of my approaches to mountaineering.. tweaking my load, my rack, and food.

For beginners, please read this book with a pinch of salt. Mark is writing from the perspective of an experienced climber and his suggestions are meant for those who have a certain minimum level of experience on the mountains. His advice is good, but beginners may not survive well with some of his more extreme methods.

For those looking to take the next step in mountaineering, this is a MUST READ.

Learn from the best on how to climb hard, fast and high. Personal anecdotes and ideas to help you get to the top and make the most of your time in the alpine. Also read KISS OR KILL by the same author.

Twight tells it like it is without the BS.

This book is a work of art..a running narrative about physique, mental preparation, simple gear choices, food energy strategy and mistakes not to make. Delightful prose describing some unrepeated adventures is mixed with simple, quick 'n dirty advice. This is not a conservative, completely comprehensive guide to repeating some of Mark's famous routes; rather it is guide to teaching yourself and others how to ever get in & out, up & down so quickly that you make it!

I am not a climber, so I am certainly not qualified to talk about big portions of this book. I bought this books because it came highly recommended by a couple friend's of mine in the know. The sections about mindset and training are worth the price of this book alone. Mark Twight writes in a clear, concise and no nonsense way. You might not agree with something he says but you can't argue that whatever he presents is logical and well thought out. I recommend this book to anyone who's job, hobby or live style requires extreme amounts of focus and will power to succeed. Its money well spent and you won't regret it.

This book was a gift. The person was thrilled & said so far it is excellent! She is VERY HAPPY!!!! She likes this author.

This book was recommended to me by a very good friend. Not only is it a humorous read, but an eye-opening one. This book brilliantly deals with the reality of professional theater right from the mouths of professional actors. If you are in the business, this book exposes you to so many things that aren't taught in school. It's a must read. If you are a theatergoer, this book offers a rare look into the lives of performers. This book is such a great reality check that manages to also be inspiring.

i love this book so much. i read it over and over again, because it always inspires me and just gets me so excited thinking about what my future could possibly hold! This book has so many great stories, and some are so hilarious I am constantly laughing out loud while reading this book! Honestly!!
I read the book because it makes me feel comforted when I get an audition rejection...and it gives me a lot of hope. i love it so much, and it is a big book with a great number of stories...so definitely get this one! i wish they would publish a second book!!

This book is very good and meets all my expectations.

My son plans to go to college for a BFA in musical theatre. I am reading all that I can to help him and our family to prepare. This book is in many ways the most useful. When I tell others of my son's plans they often say "that's wonderful!" After reading this book a parent could feel that such a career choice is about as wonderful as being a prostitute or a hired killer. The book lets us hear actors in their own voices and it is frightening (as well as funny and heartwarming at times). I was prepared for the lousy apartments and the menial jobs to make ends meet. What I was not prepared for is how bad life is for the stars. I was not expecting to hear that actors who are in the mega productions are not enjoying it and that they play games on stage during the show to avoid boredom. After reading this book I hope that my son stays in local theatre. Broadway sounds like a nightmare, especially since the takeover by the mega corporations, referred to as the Disnyfication of Broadway.

Whether you are a theatre novice or Broadway veteran, this ambitous work is insightful, educational and fun.
On some nights, the theatre life is full of passion and wonder. However, many nights are spent in the hope of simply finding a job or landing a decent audition. Warts and all, this book is a must for anyone who loves a play or story. Enjoy and learn.

In his book Ed takes us along on his journey to Everest. Along the way, there are lessons to be learned. Mostly about respect. Respect for other people, respect for things that are greater than you and most of all respect for the most precious gift of all... life itself!
His words and photos place you beside him as he faces, and overcomes, his fears .

A superb narrative interspersed with excellent photography.

This is not a book for mountaineers alone, but relays a vivid and descriptive tale of the experiences of life when following a chosen, committed path.

The narrative conveys a real sense of tension and emotion which draws the reader into the story.

Strongly recommend.

What a great book! Ed Webster is a gifted writer with an engaging and powerful story. He is also a gifted photographer who includes fascinating photos of his expeditions and some never published photos from other sources. The foreward and introductions by John Hunt and Tom Hornbein are excellent. The story is uplifting and makes you marvel at the courage and tenacity of humans. I highly recommend this book.

I met Ed Webster on a field trip with my daughter's grade 5 class to DeLorme Map in Yarmouth, ME, home of Eartha, the world's largest rotating globe. He held the class spellbound, especially when he told us of Everest. I bought a copy of SNOW IN THE KINGDOM, and read it into the wee hours, which is saying a lot since I'm not ordinarily a night owl. It was so exciting, I could hardly put it down! But much more than the excitement, I especially appreciated Ed's sensitivity and respect toward peoples of other cultures, keen insight into human nature, and careful explanation of what life is like in the Himalayan regions. Months later, I saw an Omni theater presentation entitled EVEREST at the Boston Museum of Science. I could appreciate it so much more by knowing the names of the people and places from Ed's book. Ed Webster has created a legacy in laboring over a decade on his fine book, for it will enrich the understanding of generations of people. Allow yourself the privilege of being one of them (and visit Ed in person at DeLorme Map in Maine if you get the chance)!

Here's the perfect weekend: a great book, a great subject and the company of great men and women...
Put this on your short list of essential adventure classics: fine writing, wonderful photography (and more of than you'd ever thought possible on a climb of this sort), profound emotion and the ultimate challenge...
I loved this book!
Thank God he survived to tell the tale...

This is a really super book. More that just of story of climbing Everest. It is a story of lives and it is very very good.

A very inspiring book that validated my desire to do what I love and will keep me optimistic about finding my way for a long time!

Battles with snow and ice, battles with cancer, and a charming romance. What else is needed for a great book in the outside genre? Good Writing.

Unfortunately, this book is short on good writing. It will sell as well as a book in this genre can sell but it will not become a classic nor even provide many memories for its readers. Ghost written, the heart and soul of this book was lost in the expedition of commercialism.

Is it worth reading? You bet. If you are a man with a taste for the outdoors whose significant other would rather go shopping, you will eat your heart out for not having the wisdom of Phil Ershler in carefully using bimbos until you found the woman who would follow you to the tops of the world. If you are a woman who wants some encouragement in following your man, this is the book for you. If you are a fan of high altitude climbing, you will enjoy reading this book.

It lacks tension, that force which makes you stay up late turning pages. But the elements of outdoor adventure are there and, after all, those of us who read this genre are used to mediocre writing and passionate about the subject. So, all in all, it is a worthy read

This book was suggested to us as not only a mountaineering story but a story of life's struggles. We weren't disappointed but very humbled. This dual autobiography (each taking turns telling their story) was a fast-paced read, taking us from childhood to mountain top, leaving out nothing. A very intimately detailed sharing of two full lives. Color photographs support the many stories and stages in the Ershler's lives.

Phil and Sue Ershler's story has everything I enjoy in a book - adventure, courage, inspiration, challenges faced and challenges overcome, and the kind of love that can, literally, overcome mountains. As a small-time climber myself (Rainier's the highest I've ever summited), I could relate to the love of the mountains the Ershlers feel, and the enjoyment that comes in testing oneself emotionally and physically in a mountain ascent. But this book is about more than just mountain-climbing - it's about facing life's unexpected curveballs with a positive attitude, it's about setting goals and working for them, and it's about appreciating all the good in life and living every day to the fullest.

Karen Molenaar Terrell

This book is a great read for anyone interested in climbing Mt. Rainier. It seems targeted for beginner to mid-level climbers, as safety is plainly paramount. Let's not forget, Mike Gauthier is the Head Climbing Ranger at Mt. Rainier. When individuals get in trouble at Mt. Rainier, he very likely will be involved in their rescue.

The first part of the book is information about the mountain and the park. It is well written and easy to read. Even non-climbers will likely find this interesting. The latter part of the book is the actual route decriptions. They are properly brief, but descript enough to make sure the reader will be able to find their way.

This book is unique because the author approaches it as not just someone who has climbed all these routes, but more importantly someone who has been involved in years of rescues. Gauthier obviously has first hand experience climbing routes of all difficulty at Mt. Rainier, but his more valuable lessons have come from the years of rescuing. He has witnessed the mistakes climbers have made, and wisdom from those mistakes is clearly more valueable than uneventful ascents, regardless of how impressive. His writing very much encourages a trip to The Mountain, but at the same time he makes the dangers clear.

This book covers everything from routes (with maps, elevation gain, difficulty) to permit regulations, information on guide services and common mountain practices/courtesy. Definitely recommended, a quick read.

Read the reviews, perused the book and decided to buy 3, one for each of our cabins at Mt. Rainier. We get a lot of climbers, scramblers and hikers to our cabins near Ashford and they love the armchair reading.

I summitted Mt. Rainier in July, 2002, and bought this book beforehand. Pretty good book if you're looking to climb multiple routes on Rainier. Very imformative, and very well written. If you're heading out there to climb this beast, I'd definately recommend this book.

I'm not much of a mountain climber at all...Mount Rainier is one of the very few mountains I've ever stepped foot on. Mike's book was still highly entertaining to read for stories or general infactuation with climbing.

I'd sit on a high ridge somewhere in the park ([First] Borroughs Mountain and Plummer/Pinnacle Peaks are great places for that...) and just compare the pictures with the mountain...the routes are clearly marked and explained including all access trails and possible dangers. It's got a lot of personal and relative stories that, once more, amuse more than climbers alone.

The new edition also covers glaciers by Paul Kennard, the regional fluvial geomorphologist of that area. More medical advice and guide advice too--it covers a good range of Mount Rainier necessary information. It's one of the most (if not the top) personal books on climbing Rainier I've found.