Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)
by Craig Luebben
from Mountaineers Books
New in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series: instruction for the beginning to intermediate rock climber by an internationally known guide.
*Author is an American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified rock guide and instructor
*Learning exercises reinforce key skills
*Step-by-step technique illustrated in over 150 photos
Craig Luebben has taught rock climbing basics to hundreds of clients and has conducted self-rescue clinics across the U.S. Here he presents the most common foot positions, hand grips, and body positions and how to use them precisely, from the smear to the crimp to the twistlock. Going beyond static moves, he emphasizes a dynamic style of movement for the greatest climbing efficiency--a style that makes the most of your strength and your time on the rock.
With an emphasis on safety and how to stay within your abilities, Luebben teaches how to evaluate potential hazards and then avoid them. Topics addressed include: risk management, face climbing, crack climbing, gear, knots, anchors, belaying, toproping, sport climbing, trad climbing, multi-pitch free climbs, rappelling, aid climbing, bouldering, training, and self-rescue.
Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series)
by Martin Volken
from Mountaineers Books
Martin Volken and his co-authors provide skiers with all the tools and knowledge they need to safely and successfully travel in the mountains. The guide features intermediate-to-advanced techniques for ski touring and ski mountaineering, from planning wilderness trips to perfecting turns in rolling terrain and mastering uphill climbing. For those skiers ready for a more technical, high alpine environment, they draw on traditional mountaineering skills, including roped climbing, setting protection anchors, using ice axes, climbing on bare rock, and more.
In addition to mastering techniques, Backcountry Skiing also features information on recent evolutions in ski equipment; avalanche safety tips; a primer on mountain weather and glaciers, trip planning tools, a discussion of emergency situations, nutrition and fitness advice, and winter camping basics. Throughout this guide, a special emphasis is put on being well-informed and making good decisions-whenever you strap on your skis and skins and head out into the backcountry.
Conditioning for Climbers: The Complete Exercise Guide (How To Climb Series)
by Eric J. Horst
from Falcon
Training for Climbing: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Climbing Performance
by Eric J. Horst
from Falcon
Medicine: For Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities 5th Edition
from Mountaineers Books
What do you do if you're 25 miles into the backcountry and a member of your hiking party develops appendicitis? Or if you're nearing the summit of a 14,000-foot peak and your climbing partner suffers a ruptured cornea from the altitude? If you thought ahead, you'd pull out your copy of Medicine for Mountaineering. This is probably the top book to carry for serious backcountry injuries. There are other titles that cover basic first aid, but not with this book's depth and specificity.
Ten M.D.s with a fondness for wilderness outings contributed to the chapters, and it shows: medical jargon abounds. But don't be intimidated by words like thrombophlebitis or pneumothorax--you might need to know how to treat blood clots in the legs or a ruptured lung. Most of the injuries covered have their origin in high-altitude mishaps, whether it be kidney infections from dehydration or blunt head trauma from falling rocks. Other ailments like appendicitis and heart disorders are less common, but if they strike in the backcountry, it's vital to know what to do. The range of medical advice stretches all the way to administering intravenous drips and performing tube thoracostomies (inserting a drain valve into a patient's fluid-filled lungs). Though the authors warn that such procedures should be performed by a trained physician, if it's a life-and-death situation miles from any hospital, these instructions could make all the difference. Other topics covered include: soft-tissue injuries, fractures, burns, gastrointestinal disorders, neural disorders, infections, allergies, heat and solar injuries, animal bites and stings, and cold injuries. A list of useful prescription drugs for mountaineering is also valuable.
Who could benefit from this book? Anyone venturing into the outdoors, but particularly those bound for remote locations who've already mastered basic first aid. Emergency medical technicians will find some of the topics familiar, but even they won't be expert in all the injuries outlined here. At 20 ounces, Medicine for Mountaineering is worth the extra weight in your pack. --Demian McLean
Beyond first aid, this is the medical bibles for backcountry adventurers. Written by a team of climber/physicians and considered the authoritative reference on backcountry medicine. Any trip into remote territory calls for earnest planning and foresight, including preparing for the possibility of illness or injury. A basic knowledge of first aid can help; but how would you treat an appendicitis attack high on a foreign mountain? What if one of your companions had a stroke, or contracted hepatitis on a boat in mid-ocean? Medicine for Mountaineering picks up where first aid manuals leave off. Written by a team of climber-physicians, this fully updated edition of a classic provides expert information as well as procedures on major and minor medical emergencies. Areas covered include: Diagnosis, psychology of accidents, preventive measures. Traumatic injuries--fractures, burns, soft tissue injuries--heat, cold, altitude. Diseases, pain, infections, allergies. Medications, medical kits, legal considerations. Authoritative and comprehensive, Medicine for Mountaineering should be on the equipment list of any hiker, climber, boater, and outdoor user who ventures more than 24 hours beyond medical attention.
Altitude Illness: Prevention & Treatment (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)
by Stephen Bezruchka
from Mountaineers Books
Stay healthy at high heights with this pocket guide—now updated with the most current information on preparing for and adapting to altitude.
·Updated guidelines for people going to altitude (heights above 7,000 feet) with pre-existing health conditions such as heart conditions, diabetes, and cancer
·A handy glossary and easy-to-read tables covering symptoms and signs, altitude illness, and high altitude drugs
·Case studies of real situations and a question-and-answer section help readers better understand general issues about altitude and its effects, and more
This new edition provides the latest information on prevention and treatment of altitude illness—from preparing for altitude to recognizing and treating the symptoms of acute mountain sickness, including high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edemas. Suited for both novice and seasoned hikers, climbers, trekkers, and skiers, Altitude Illness, 2nd Edition, also includes an updated examination of how altitude interacts with certain drugs, a new section on using the web to find more information about altitude illness, and much more.
The Outdoor Knots Book (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics)
by Clyde Soles
from Mountaineers Books
A guide to the ropes and knots used in the outdoors by hikers, campers, paddlers, and climbers.
*Guidelines for selecting the best rope and the best knot for the activity at hand
*Knot-tying directions clearly illustrated with photos
*New entry in the Mountaineers Outdoor Basics series
It's fair to say that climber Clyde Soles is obsessed with ropes and knots and their absolute performance--since he regularly entrusts his life to ropes on sheer rock faces. His unique book explains how to select and use ropes, cordage, and webbing for the outdoors. Invaluable information is provided on rope handling techniques (how to avoid dreaded tangles) and the best methods for rope care and maintenance. Step-by-step directions for tying over 40 knots are clearly illustrated with photographs. Other useful features include a glossary and a knot comparison chart activity.
This is the definitive text on ropes and knots for anyone who plays in the outdoors!
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain
by Bruce Tremper
from Mountaineers Books
Winter recreation in the backcountry has increased steadily over the years and so has the number of deaths and injuries caused by avalanches. As search and rescue teams are increasingly strapped for funding, self-education has become a larger necessity for snow-sport enthusiasts. The new edition of Bruce Tremper's seminal book is organized according to the structure of American Avalanche Association classes and all chapters have been updated and reviewed by peer experts.
How to Rock Climb!, 4th (How To Climb Series)
by John Long
from Falcon
The Backpacker's Handbook
by Chris Townsend
from International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
"The most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to equipment and technique available anywhere."—Backpack (UK)
This enormously practical guide includes everything from essential techniques such as map and compass work to the skills needed for more remote wilderness journeys—such as how to ford rivers safely and how to choose a route through untracked terrain. As a gear advisor, this book is unequaled. You'll find the last word on:
- How to choose packs and footwear—and make sure they fit
- What clothing to take on the trail
- Tents, tarps, stoves, water purifiers, and other gear
- GPS, cell phones, and other electronic devices
- And much more
Now in its third edition, The Backpacker's Handbook also covers desert hiking, ultralight backpacking, and adventure trekking in distant corners of the globe. Indeed, there is little about backpacking Chris Townsend does not cover. This trusted reference will prepare you for the challenges and excitement of backpacking the wilderness.
"A clear and comprehensive primer on backpacking gear. Townsend's knowledge is immense."—Sierra
"Belongs in every bookcase dealing with outdoor topics. . . . Chockablock full of useful, practical, commonsense info. . . . If you tramp the outdoors, get this book."—Maine Sportsman
"For those thinking of taking a backpack journey, The Backpacker's Handbook is required reading."—Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
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