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This paperback is designed for anyone who leaves the ski piste and ventures into the mountains. It is primarily aimed at the ski tourer or ski mountaineer, although off piste skiers and snowboarders will find it useful. Ski touring is gaining in popularity and, until now, there has been a gap in available books covering all aspects of the sport concisely.
The book efficiently covers movement on skis up and downhill, equipment required, safety techniques, avalanche danger and weather. Each section is easy to read with effective use of bullet points to highlight useful tips. The emphasis is on safety in the mountains with well explained tactics to adopt whilst touring. The considerations cover examination of the snow pack, slopes and choice of route.
Ski and mountaineering techniques are described in detail, from how to ski the different types of snow pack likely to be encountered, to detailed descriptions of glacier travel, crevasse rescue, navigation, rope techniques and use of avalanche transceivers. The one omission is that it only makes the briefest mention of what to do whilst searching for multiple victims in an avalanche.
The writing style is quite terse but effectively emphasises the important facts and makes this book an ideal reference for skiers of all levels of ability. It is full of useful information, ideal for individual revision before the next ski tour and should be on every ski tourer’s bookshelf.
Reviewed by Guy Beaumont |