Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

I am not too impressed with this book. I got it b/c it is supposed to be the mountaineering 'bible'. Not quite.

In general, the book is a decent reference with info about many aspects of mountaineering/climbing/hiking/backpacking, but all the information is very basic and pretty obvious. The book will be helpful to people new to the activities, but I think there are better ways to learn, ie friends, guides, groups, clubs, internet, etc. For people with more experience, you're better off getting a resource that is specific to the activity you're interested in.

I picked up a variety of climbing books while working at Mount Rainier in Washington this summer...one of which was Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills. It was, hands down, the most informative. You have a question, it has the answer. The graphics are reasonable and understandable. Excellent coverage on ropework.

Not only was it informative, but it was also inspirational. Just reading it made me want to get out there and try out what I was learning. Just remember it's not the book alone that makes you a climber--it's experience and learning from other long-time climbers that makes the book's information REALLY get driven into your head. You can't just read this book and become a climber.

This book has managed to condense all the fundamentals of (outdoor) climbing - from rock to ice- and to present them in an easily understandable and concise format. I found it invaluable as a beginner and have continued using it as a reference book. If you take climbing seriously, you will probably buy some other books on more specialized techniques down the line, but this book is where you should start. Nothing essential is missing. The book is also very good at pointing out all the ways you could possibly make mistakes, so you don't make them.

FYI, this book does not go so much into training for climbing as it does the skills and knowledge you will need to climb. (For rock climbing, the best book on *training* I've found is "Performance Rock Climbing".) It also does not go too much into first aid, but the publisher of this book also puts out a book on wilderness medicine if you are interested...

The book is all of the things described in the other reviews, but it is perhaps best described as simply, "The Bible."

This book is a comprehensive overview of nearly all aspects of climbing and mountaineering, kind of like an undergraduate survey class, and I recommend it as a core part of any climber's reference library. I owned the third edition and recently purchased and read through (cover to cover) the seventh edition. Because the book covers all of climbing from simple one day rock climbs to technical multi-day expeditions in a variety of climates and conditions it cannot go into as much detail as books dedicated to specific aspects or types of climbing. For example, if you are an ice climber you would do well to follow this book up with a book dedicated solely to ice climbing. What this book does provide in an unparalleled format, is a thorough grounding in all basic climbing techniques, basic rescue procedures, elementary first-aid for mountaineering, geology and meteorology basics, and a variety of either useful things that will make anyone a more complete climber.