Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

A great book that addresses a lot of mountaineering topics. Good for getting into climbing, glacier travel, etc. BUT it's a step up from all the 'experts' on the interwebs - youtube/insta/... There are plenty of people doing waaaay sketchy stuff online and in the wild...plenty of people taking on unnecessary risk and dying and getting injured. Just read the reports. This is an excellent book and I've used it in training both as an instructor and student, BUT you really should not overlook the need for qualified mentorship!

excellent book, good for beginners and mature mountains lovers

While a lot experienced climbers will already know most of the information in this book it's still a great reference for different systems and protocols. It's also a hell of a lot more trustworthy than some guy on YouTube. Speaking of which if you're new to climbing don't use YouTube as your only source of information. Learn from a qualified instructor and if you feel like doing some studying on your own get this book. After reading a chapter in this book I'd recommend going over everything you've learned and practicing the different systems before you have to trust your life to them when out climbing.

There's not much else to add to my headline. This textbook adds generational knowledge each edition. Continuing a tradition of keeping safe with new methods and standards of enjoying nature from hiking to climbing and mountaineering. Everyone thinking of starting a career outdoors should read this book and use it as a baseline. If you're leading friends and family on a hike or campout, or your heading outdoors for your first time, you'll find this very book very useful.

I have owned several different publications of this classic mountaineering book, and this version is up-to-date demonstrating the current gear being used. Every Mountaineer should own one, no matter what skill level you are at. It has many helpful tips and information.

An incredibly comprehensive collection of outdoor knowledge. I bought it for the technical info regarding ropes, but it has just about everything you need to know about climbing. There’s good stuff on camping, cooking, navigation, weather, and avalanches. I was hesitant to buy it because it’s pricey, but it’s really a great resource to have.

A must have for all backcountry enthusiasts!

I’m only 45 pages in, and already know you won’t regret buying this book at all. You don’t have to read this review much further. … Ok overzealous Reviews Reviewer, here ya go: I’m a frequent and avid outdoors person, but I’m new to climbing (Oct 2020). I met a friend of a friend who was studying to become a climbing guide and needed a “fresh mind” with little-to-no climbing experiene. I immediately jumped on the opportunity to be a student… and that’s how I contributed to the sport’s surge in popularity. I’ve always had aspirations to summit many of the peaks in my California backyard - The Eastern Sierra; I just didn’t know where to start, and I wanted to do it right. That said, I appreciate how The Mountaineers concisely explain and illustrate the how-to’s that surround backcountry safety, gear, clothing, wilderness first aid, and the list goes on… and on, and on. With the backcountry adventures I’ve been blessed to experience, I’m finding that some of the book’s contents serve as a thorough refresher on basic (and highly important) topics. Yet, I can also see how even climbers with decades of knowledge would benefit from having this reference in their library. If you’re like me when it comes to being new to climbing, you’ll find this book’s pages easy to obsess over and easy to digest. I plan to read it from cover to cover before setting foot on an approach, and I don’t mind that one bit. Speaking of covers, I remove the sleeve from hardcovers while I read them, and my purchase of this book arrived with “oil” stains on the edges of the cover. It’s upsetting to know I purchased something brand new, only to find that it’s been mishandled by the seller - a tolerable cosmetic nuisance at worst, but still disappointing. I’ll leave you with one final thought: GET this book.