Glacier Mountaineering: An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue, Revised Edition [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Andy Tyson (Author), Michael Kennedy (Editor), Mike Clelland (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Climbing Magazine; 2nd edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893682129
• ISBN-13: 978-1893682122
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,372,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Overall Guide Currently Available, August 31, 2005

By 

Mountain Meister "MtnMeister" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glacier Mountaineering: An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue, Revised Edition (Paperback)

This is a excellent book full of safe practices, practical tips, and clear illustrations. In my opinion, this book is much better than the "classic" texts such as "Freedom of the Hills" and Selters' "GT&CR." It is also better than the Falcon Guide "Glaciers".

What sets this apart is the terrific illustrations of very practical systems/practices. It also contains innumerable tips that I learned only as lore handed down over 20+ years of mountaineering. I now teach glacier travel and crevasse rescue within a Mountain Rescue unit, and this book will become mandatory for all such sessions going forward.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is THE Glacier Mountaineering Book!, November 14, 2008

By 

A. Pulsipher - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glacier Mountaineering: An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Andy Selter's "Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue" book has been the standard in that field for many years, but no longer. This Climbing Magazine publication by far is the most concise, articulate and informative text to date. Andy Tyson and particularly Mike Clelland are to be commended for tackling a very complex, difficult and dangerous subject and illustrating not only the problems posed by glacier mountaineering, but particularly sound solutions to specific problems and situations. It appears this book once again is out-of-print; I looked long and hard for a first edition, and was unable to find one. One of my climbing partners on Denali in 2004 had a copy that was very heavily referenced, and ultimately fell apart in the strain and moisture of a 3-week expedition. Fortunately, as a subscriber to Climbing Magazine, the second edition was announced and I quickly located the publishing house and bought my copy direct. With the excellence of this book, one would hope Climbing Magazine would do a third edition, and print sufficient copies that they don't run out so quick.

Mike Clelland's illustrations particularly makes this book useful because his concise drawings are understandable and informative. Pictures rarely do the job in such texts...Clelland has mastered the ability to articulate very complex concepts in a humorous but precise manner. As an editorial aside, it is interesting that Clelland often prefers to illustrate women in the "hero" climber mode, with dufus men usually doing the dumb stuff we shouldn't do on the glaciers...perhaps a bit of reverse sexism?? Being a dufus on a glacier certainly is not the monopoly of any one of the sexes...

I appreciate the fact that these authors, who are mountaineering instructors for NOLS (BBBRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUCCE!!!), are not afraid to give their opinion on specifically why skis are superior to snowshoes, the pros/cons of randonee vs. telemark skis, the technical aspects of moving with a sled, the need for running belays where they often are ignored (thus putting a rope team in a "mutual suicide pact"), etc.. Other so-called "expert" books tend to punt on such subjects, probably out of fear they will offend someone. I think it absurd that classics such as "Mountaineering: Freedom Of The Hills" STILL endorse the "mutual suicide pact" method of glacier travel...something perhaps only justifiable on a guided expedition. I think it refreshing that Tyson and Clelland actually articulate their professional opinions...in stark contrast to the milquetoast "expert" mountaineering series published by the Mountaineers who often punt and don't answer such questions.

Clelland has illustrated "Tech Tips" for Climbing Magazine for many years, and has numerous relevant illustrations which could and should have been placed in this book. Examples include the "Basecamping, glacier style" illustration from the April, 2004 Climbing, and the "Ultimate alpine kitchen" illustration from a subsequent issue (showing the use of a Megamid kitchen). Those illustrations were done in collaboration with other authors, so the omission of such illustrations is perhaps understandable...a third edition with all available mountaineering illustrations would be an improvement.

It would be great if Clelland could team with Craig Connally, the author of "The Mountaineering Handbook" to illustrate a subsequent edition of Connally's most excellent text.

In short, it you can find this book, buy it quick!!