by Bill O'Connor IFMGA
Cicerone, 2003, 256 pages, pvc cover, ISBN 1-85284-374-8 £15.00

This is a well written and informative guidebook. The introductory pages make good reading for those who are considering taking up ski mountaineering, as they provide a clear insight into what is involved in the sport. With a strong emphasis on safety, it encourages careful preparation and planning before venturing into the mountains. Some sobering statistics about avalanches reinforce the maxim "prevention is better than cure", and indicate the advisability for those without appropriate knowledge to travel with those who do know how to minimise the risks. The book is written for people who are capable of looking after themselves in this hostile environment, but faces the stark facts that make many of us, even with considerable experience, seek the services of a mountain guide!

Useful checklists are provided in tabular form, e.g. "Preparing for your Ski Tour" and "Safety Strategy on Tour". A personal kit list covering nearly 5 pages gives very practical hints to ensure you have everything you need, without making the rucksack too heavy (itself a potential hazard!). There are definitions of the Blanchère and Traynard scales for the degree of difficulty of a tour, and these are then used to define the grade of each tour described.

There is an introduction to each touring area, and for each tour. Key information is listed first; start, finish, duration, location, difficulty, best time to go, facilities, access and maps, followed by a route summary giving key place names shown on the map. Then comes the detail of the stages of the route, usually one per day, but with an indication where strong parties in good conditions can combine 2 into a day. Each stage includes ascent, descent, aspect, difficulty, and timing, followed by a description. Each tour has a clear sketch map, great for preparation, but not intended for navigation!

One of the tours partially follows the same route as the AAC ski touring meet in 2005, so I checked this out for detail, measuring it against my memory and photographs. The book was clear, accurate, and easy to follow. Had we not been led by the excellent mountain guides from Globetrek [Editors Note: Globetrek is now Alpenverein-Bergsteigerschule], this book would have been invaluable!

Reviewed by Jacky Brown