Customer Reviews

Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue: Reading Glaciers, Team Travel, Crevasse Rescue Techniques, Routefinding, Expedition Skills 2nd Edition

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Crevasses are one of those things that many of us who climb wish we didn't have to deal with. Unfortunately many people go out and climb while totally unprepared. Indeed they choose to not deal with it, and take enormous risks.

In this book Andy will give you the scoop on everything you ever wanted to know related to glacier travel. He starts by explaining what glaciers are, then he gets more into detail on how to routefind, traveling as a group, and of course how to perform crevasse rescue.

My honest opinion is that this book is not, by itself, going to make you an expert on the subject. I really don't think any book can. You need to get some training, be it with an experienced friend or established school but this book will show you all the techniques that you'll learn. Plus if you already know it can help you brush up and possibly show you new techniques. Great book, very typical high quality stuff from The Mountaineers.

The first book you buy when learning to climb is Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills. Then you decide to climb something with glaciers. Sure, everything you need to know is probably in Freedom of the Hills but do you really want to bring the entire encyclopedia along with you? And, when you the rope lead are hanging in a crevasse, do you really want the second who didn't listen during your skills prep hike to be thumbing through 800 pages to find out how to make a Z-pulley? That's where Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue comes in.

This is a book you can study at the beginning of the season to review the key skills you only need about once every 10 life times. It's short, well illustrated, and gives you just what you need to know in a way that you can learn and remember it. All the glacier stuff is nice but the best part is how to tie into the rope with your rescue gear and how that silly Texas Prusik is supposed to work. And, when you do have the skills training hike two months before the big Rainier climb, bring this one along and make your second learn how to set up a Z-pulley.

You'll find all the toipcs in this book in any big reference book on mountaineering. However, adding this book to your library won't do any harm.

The book starts off with a lesson on physical geography. Then, the various techniques on routefinding, team travel and anchors are covered. Unlike many of the bigger books on mountaineering, this book covers the essentials and does not confuse the novice. For instance, the knots and ropework are all pretty simplified. I have tried them out on the field and they all work fine.

My only complaint is that the illustrations look a bit sketchy on some pages.

As someone who is fairly new to mouutainering and glacier travel, I found the wonderfully helpfulmin explaining important technequies, that are crucial to any body finding their adventures leading them to the mountains. I found it extermly helpful when I actually set foot on the ice.

As with many of these types of books, you read the whole thing, but only take away 'tid bits' of information.

Those 'tid bits' are worth it, however thre rest of the book's information can be found in "Freedom of the Hills".

Easy to read, covers essential knowledge for Glacier travel and rescue.

Let me begin by saying that I am not a mountaineer or a glacier hiker or climber. On the other hand, like many other hikers, I do occasionally come close to glaciers and have even walked on glaciers in Western Canada and in Alaska. This book gave me a new appreciation for the dangers associated with glaciers and winter hiking. Now, I will be more careful when I am tempted to set foot on a glacier. The coverage of the use of ropes, ice axes, crampons, force multipliers using ropes, and team effort, in facing dangers that can take your life or that of another is excellent. Even if you do not choose to venture out onto a glacier, the rope work and rescue techniques could come in handy should you need to self-rescue or help others in a rocky region or icy patch on a mountain hike.
In addition, if you travel with a glacier guide, this book will give you a better appreciation of what you are being taught and why the guide uses his or her equipment the way that they do. The treatment of crevasse hazards, glacier ice formation, reading a glacier, how a glacier moves, why crevasses form and more are covered briefly but intelligently. Now, instead of simply staring at the ice when I visit a glacier, I am prone to enjoy the knowledge imparted by this book. I look at glaciers and ice differently now and am able to better appreciate the resolve, know-how and technique depicted in movies about mountain climbing and glacier travel. Lots of photos and diagrams. Very interesting and a fun read. I am glad to have this book in my personal adventure library.