Alpine Climbing: Techniques to Take You Higher

This intermediate-level guide addresses tools, skills, and techniques used in alpine terrain including rock, snow, ice, glaciers, and altitudes of about 5000m. The authors bring 30 years of alpine climbing experience to outlining which techniques to use, where and when. They teach step-by-step decision making skills, providing scenarios, checklists, and self-posed questions to inform the decision process. You'll learn the components of making timely decisions in a complex environment. The guide assumes some prior knowledge, primarily in rock climbing skills and techniques: basic knots, belaying, rappelling, building rock anchors, leading, placing rock protection, and movement on rock. Includes more than 150 photos to illustrate potential hazards, gear for different terrain, protective systems for alpine rock, snow, and ice, and glacier travel and crevasse rescue.

Specifications

• Format: Paperback
• Dimensions: 304 pages, 17.4 x 2.13 x 21.77 cm
• Published: November 1, 2004
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books
• Language: English
• Item Weight: 658 g

About the Author

MARK HOUSTON has been guiding and instructing others in climbing technique for other 20 years; he and Kathy started their climbing careers 26 years ago in the PNW and they got their start guiding with the American Alpine Institute (AAI) in Bellingham. Like Kathy, Mark is certified by the AMGA and IFMGA (American Mountain Guide Association and International Federation of Mountain Guides Assn. respectively); Mark was among the first to gain IFMGA status (in 1997). Mark and Kathy made a very lightweight and fast ascent of the South Face of Aconcagua (43 hours). Mark and Kathy run their own small guiding company and lead trips all over the world, throughout the year.

KATHY COSLEY has been guiding and instructing others in climbing technique for other 20 years; she and Mark started their climbing careers 26 years ago in the PNW and they got their start guiding with the American Alpine Institute (AAI) in Bellingham. They run their own small guiding company and lead trips all over the world, throughout the year. Kathy is certified by the AMGA and IFMGA (American Mountain Guide Association and International Federation of Mountain Guides Assn. respectively).

Mark and Kathy made a very lightweight and fast ascent of the South Face of Aconcagua (43 hours). Kathy was the first American woman to climb the Eiger's North Face (1988) as well as the first American woman to climb Cerro Torre in Patagonia.