Book Description
Martin Volken and his co-authors provide skiers with all thetools and knowledge they need to safely and successfully travel in themountains. The guide features intermediate-to-advanced techniques for skitouring and ski mountaineering, from planning wilderness trips toperfecting turns in rolling terrain and mastering uphill climbing. Forthose skiers ready for a more technical, high alpine environment, they drawon traditional mountaineering skills, including roped climbing, settingprotection anchors, using ice axes, climbing on bare rock, and more.

In addition to mastering techniques, Backcountry Skiing also featuresinformation on recent evolutions in ski equipment; avalanche safety tips; aprimer on mountain weather and glaciers, trip planning tools, a discussionof emergency situations, nutrition and fitness advice, and winter campingbasics. Throughout this guide, a special emphasis is put on being well-informed andmaking good decisions-whenever you strap on your skis and skins and headout into the backcountry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Volken, Schell, & Wheeler have an instant Classic!
This new "Backcountry Skiing" guidebook is destined to become a classic in The Mountaineers Books collection ... one that will be considered an indispensible reference in the libraries of mountaineers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes.Authors Martin Volken, Scott Schell, and Margaret Wheeler have each guided ski tours in the Alps throughout Europe, where Ski Mountaineering has been popular for quite some time ... and have introduced their clients to the famous summits of the Alps, as well as the local peaks of the Cascade Range.We have a large number of Alpine Climbers in the Pacific Northwest, many of whom may find that their "next step" is Ski Mountaineering ... thanks to the information in this new and comprehensive guidebook.The large number of excellent pictures makes the text all-the-more understandable.Those Reviewers preceding me have already given a good account of some of the specifics that they've found valuable ... so I won't elaborate here, except to say that the information on avalanche safety is invaluable for ANY one who ventures into the backcountry.We have lost nine lives to avalanches in Washington State already in this season!The authors of this guidebook are Instructors of the AIARE courses, and are passionate about personal safety above all else. I've already sent copies of this "new classic" to some of my best friends!Armed with the knowledge from this book, the readers can venture into the backcountry with newfound confidence and enjoyment of a sport that is bound for increasing popularity worldwide.

Great Book
This is a great book.It allows beginners to develop a good base of knowledge and provides a great reference for those with years of experience.It is exactly what we have come to expect from the Mountaineers.

Great Book on the Best Type of Skiing
This is a great book. Not too basic and not too advanced for someone wanting to get into the best way to ski-the earn your turns way.

I used to teach alpine touring and ski mountaineering in the army and this would have been a great book to have around as the textbook. We taught all of this and then went in depth on the important items like avalanche safety (avoidance) and rescue. This book gives a beginning or intermediate ski mountaineer a taste and encourages AIARE level one certification (I recommend level two personally...)

I still have my copy of the past standard, Peter Cliff's out of print classic "Ski Mountaineering" (no, I won't be selling it on EBay) and this is an improvement on it.

It is great for learning and a great review for those that think they remember everything. I got some good tips on gear that, damn, I SHOULD have known!!!

Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Backcountry Skiing" is strongly recommended
The collaborative effort of Martine Volken (IFMGA certified Swiss Mountain Guide, founder and owner of Pro Guiding Services and Pro Ski Service of North Bend, Washington); Scott Schell, and certified AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Scott Shell and Margaret Wheeler, "Backcountry Skiing: Skills For Ski Touring And Ski Mountaineering" is an informed and informative instructional guide and manual for skiing safely in winter mountain terrains and trails. Aspiring skiers are provided with intermediate to advanced level techniques for ski touring and mountaineering; skills for mastering uphill travel; primers on mountain weather and avalanche safety; practical advice on selecting gear, troubleshooting, and adapting to varying conditions; vital information on constructing emergency shelters and sleds; as well as a wealth of useful tips for wilderness trip planning and navigation. Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Backcountry Skiing" is strongly recommended for anyone contemplating skiing mountain terrain in winter conditions anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

Perfect for the modern ski mountaineer of steep skiier.
A welcome entrant, Martin Volken has written the best how to book for modern steep skiing and ski touring. He logically progresses through the process of a ski tour giving advice and insight for every level of skier. Well worth the acquisition. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for cross country and telemark skiers
This is a great book if you are looking for a guide to some of the best cross country and telemark trails, however since i was looking for more of a downhill backcountry guide, this is not really what i was looking for, but it is still a very informative and well written book.

An absolutely user friendly outdoor guide
A superbly presented compendium of two dozen classic ski and snowboard tours throughout the states of Vermont and New York, David Goodman's Backcountry Skiing Adventures offersthe best routes, equipment and backcountry riding tips; topographic maps and photos for each tour; information on avalanche awareness, winter camping, gear, safety, and first aid. This absolutely user friendly outdoor guide is a "must" for anyone planning a skiing or snowboarding excursion in Vermont or New York. Also very highly recommended is the other title in this outstanding Appalachian Mountain Club "Backcountry Skiing Adventures" series: Classic Ski and Snowboard Tours in Maine and New Hampshire. ... Read more

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Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

backcountry skiing
This is a good guide for those that are experienced at backcountry wintertravel.He shows several routes and peak descents,and rates them accordingto difficulty.There is some basic information on winter travel, includingsnow camping and avalanche safety, but you would be wise to study thesetopics further before attempting any of these routes. ... Read more

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Book Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent winter backcountry advice
The author and illustrator know lots about the backcountry and provide tons of useful information on winter skiing.Even if you've spent much time yourself skiing in the backcountry, you'll find tips here that will make you wonder why you hadn't been doing things that way all along.

The best winter camping guide ever?
There are two types of winter campers: those who have this book and those who need it.Perhaps if you are very very experienced you don't need it but otherwise, get it!Allen wrote a short, but information full book, that is easy and fun to read quickly and jamn packed with a mix of basic functional knowledge, extra tidbits that are good to know, and all kinds of little tricks he has discovered over the years.

Cool book on cool weather camping
Well, I just panned a different book and said don't waste your money so now its time to even the score.

This book is great fun.I have lots of winter camping books and do a fair amount of winter camping.Other books may have more information, but none covers all of the basics with as much humor as this one.I do alpine skiing and snowshoeing so the coverage of tele skiing wasn't of particular interest...but I still really enjoyed reading those sections, too.

It is hard to describe the authors' irreverent approach while dealing with serious (life and death) topics, but they somehow pull it off.This is really a great book to engage someone who isn't already a hard-core winter camper...so if you are, buy it for your significant other (assuming you haven't been able to get them enthused about spending a winter weekend outdoors.)If they don't enjoy this book, you may officially give up on them.

A Great Source of Backcountry Wisdom
This book combines some great humor and excellent line drawings with some great wilderness and backcountry wisdom. All the tips and tricks one picks up over the years are in this book and it is highly recommended reading for newcomers and those already involved.

get it & get it
it is awesome! these guys are nols instructors. one guy provides the incredibly helpful commentary while the other guy provides the humorous illustrations. you will be howling with laughter as you read this great book. my bet is that humor/laughter aids the memorization process. that is key in this case because there are some truly essential tips in this book! not to be without! can't wait to wintercamp this year. they also have a telemark tips book which is very good too... ... Read more

Book Description
The complete and authoritative guide to Colorado back country skiing and snow boarding centered around Aspen, Colorado. The book includes classic terrain on Independence Pass, the Elk Mountains (including Marble and Pearl Pass, and McClure Pass), and north into the inner reaches of the Fryingpan River drainage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lou Dawson at his best.
No other backcountry skier has carved as many turns in this region as Lou Dawson.Furthermore, he has dedicated himself with the same level of perfection to assembling useful guidebooks, and COLORADO BACKCOUNTRY SKIING is the latest in a long line of classics.The maps are the best I've seen in any guidebook, the photographs are both art and information, and the text infinitely more revealing than that found in his predecessor guidebook, Colorado High Routes.This is a book useful for novices or extremists, afternoon tours or day-long descents. As if this isn't enough, with inimitable style, the trademark Dawson storytelling and insight gained from over three decades of hard-won backcountry experiences makes this book transcend the genre. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A great guide for Seattle skiers
Martin does a great job of documenting ski explorations around Snoqualmie Pass.There are lots of options in this area and, as usual, most of us have just scratched the surface.There is also some good information about longer overnight tours at the end of the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential for the Colorado Front Range backcountry skier
This book contains easy descriptions of touring and trailheads within day-trip distance of the Denver area.While the "extreme" backcountry skier may find that most tours described lack the desiredexcitement, there are still quite a few gems, and for the more classiccross country skier this book cannot be beat.Check out Dawson's guide to14ers for the death-defying routes, but this book has everything to keepmost skiers entertained.Most of the expert terrain described requireslong approach routes, but every serious front range backcountry skiershould buy this book without question. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

chock-full of information; buttoo heavy for the pack
I've skied most of the routes in this book, since I picked it up in 1990.The trail info is great - complete and reliable. However, there is toomuch historical and contextual information. I love to read it, but I hateto carry the extra weight in my pack. I suppose I could photocopy thespecifics, or acquire an extra copy and rip out the needed sections. Buta small-format book, much like a serious climbers guide, would be muchbetter.(P.S., when's the new edition going to come out??)

This is definitely the best backcountry guide I've used.
I've skied many of the trails,following Goodman's extraordinarily detailed descriptions. It is wonderfully written with terrific suggestions and leads. My goal is to complete each one of his recommendations.Each one, so far, is a winner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Superb resource for skilled skiers, get away from the crowds
This is a superb resource for skilled skiers who would like to get furtherinto the backcountry and escape the crowds of intermediate skiers whothrong to the easier, more well known spots.The Seattle backcountry skicommunity considers this book to be the premier guide for the area. Friendshave been known to steal their friends' copies.Burgdorfer makes it clearthat this book is for those who already know what they are doing.Itincludes tours that have been removed from newer books and excellentspecific information on local snow, avalanche and weather conditions. Learn how to figure out where to ski on Saturday by paying a littleattention to the weather during the week. If you are lucky enough to find acopy don't loan it out or you may never get it back! ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to backcountry tours for Winter Park, James Peak Area, Fraser Valley, Indian Peaks, Rocky Mountain National Park, Troublesome Area, Williams Fork Mountains, and Beyond. ... Read more

Book Description
The first thorough guide to the alpine steeps of the Northern Sierra, from Sonora Pass to the Sierra Buttes, including all the nooks and crannies of the Tahoe backcountry. A worthy companion guide to John Moynier's "Backcountry Skiing in the High Sierra". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Concise and full of ideas
Knowledgeable author gives the reader enough mouth-watering ideas for ski trips to keep you happy for years; the reader provides the backcountry know-how, navigation skills and bravado to pull it off. Don't expect connect-the-dots style guiding, do buy the appropriate maps and go enjoy the excellent terrain. A healthy balance of a guidebook. ... Read more

Book Description
Ski Camping is a beautifully photographed book covering camping and skiing in the backcountry. Topics covered include planning, equipment, clothing, food, trail techniques, skiing techniques, snow camping, winter shelters, route finding and winter hazards.It has become a classic outdoor instructional book and is one of the most well received skiing books ever published. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Still worthwhile
I really enjoyed this one.Some of the equipment choices are outdated but the techniques, philosophy and sense of joy are timeless.Great pictures, great distillation of common sense approach, knowledge and techniques.If this book doesn't give you the motivation to get out into the back country you aren't going. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from E, published by Earth Action Network, Inc. on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 811 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Backcountry Solitude.(hut-to-hut skiing as alternative to traditional ski resorts)(Brief Article)
Author: Meagan Boltwood
Publication: E (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: Earth Action Network, Inc.
Volume: 12Issue: 1Page: 52

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great hut book
If you are thinking of a Colorado backcountry ski hut, this is the guide to get.

Wonderful descriptions with color pictures and maps
This book is terrific!Each tour has a trip summary with time, distance, elevation, avalanche hazard, and maps, with icons showing the type of trip.The book is filled with color photographs and color topo maps (reduced to 1 mile = 1 inch).

Vol. 2 (this book)covers the San Juan Mountains and Crested Butte Area in 31 trips and 232 pages. See also volume 1, which covers Northern & Central Colorado, including 10th Mountain system.

Wonderful descriptions with color pictures and maps
This book has been updated with a 2 volume set:
Colorado Hut to Hut vol. 1 (2000, ISBN 1565793846) and Colorado Hut to Hut vol. 2 (2000, ISBN 1565793854). Please get these new editions, with great descriptions and color topos.

Vol. 1 covers Northern & Central Colorado, including 10th Mountain system. See also volume 2 of this book (San Juan Mountains) ... Read more