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Mountaincraft and Leadership by Eric Langmuir

 

is the book that is used by Summer Mountain Leadership and Winter Mountain Leadership qualifications in Scotland that are very tough.

 

It is accessible to the general reader, and practical for all year round mountain skills, which may build a better understanading than a more 'glamorous' winter only ski/snow/avalanche book.

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I like "Mountaineering" Freedom of the hills, by The Mountaineers Books out of Seattle. It's in it's 7th edition. I actually just bought the newest edition a couple of months ago, and sold my 5th edition for next to nothing. If you would have posted this a couple of months ago I would have gave it to you. It's pretty cheap too, I think it was $30 USD or something.

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Second that one by AK, like wise the recommendation of something like Freedom of the Hills, a very good text book. I am a beginner and found it accessible. Oh yes, here is one of my awkwardly long (embarrassing) posts that contains a few references to some concise and practical books. Its also lists some of the basic snow skills I have recently learnt and found useful. These techniques are repeatedly described in mountaineering books.

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/6834.html#000004

 

Most people (guides) that I spoke to say that the core skills in alpine mountaineering are based on the rock climbing skill set. Thus, to pass as an internationally recognised alpine mountain guide (as opposed top 'just' a ski guide) you need to have a very firm foundation in rock and mountain climbing. In fact, you have to pass exams in those areas to get the guiding certification. This tends to blow the overnight ambitions of most avid skiers out of the water.

 

So if that's what your ambitions are, get a rock climbing book as well, although lot of FOTH is dedicated to rock climbing. Get climbing asap.

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Thanks eveyone, it seems like there's plenty of reading for me to do now.

 

db le p, thank you for the advice. I haven't actually thought about getting any certification, I just wanted to read a good book for the knowledge I could get and also just for the fun out of reading it.

 

To be honest, I doubt I can ever become a mountain guide, I am the worst person on this planet for knowing directions. I always get lost whenever I drive to a new place, and it takes me 2 or 3 trips to learn the road. No chance for me then I guess \:D

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