Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills: 50th Anniversary

by Mountaineers

• The Mountaineers Books
• A valuable guide to many of the world's top climbers including Mark Twight, Ed Viesturs, and Conrad Anker, this book is the climber's bible with more than half million copies sold
• This book provides a wealth of climbing information from climbing knots, equipment choice, rappelling technique, and expedition planning
• Contains in-depth revisions of the sessions on rescue, first response, aid climbing, waterfall, and ice climbing
• Complete with a chapter on conditioning never before seen in previous editions

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Review

If the mountains are my church, then Freedom is my bible. From early 5.4 leads to more than 25 years ago to present day, it has served me well as a base for exploring every facet of the mountains. As a very young climber I read it cover to cover, then dug trough it again and again for nuggets of wisdom. I still do. --Will Gadd

If there is only one how to book to read for the aspirant and expert alike, it is FREEDOM OF THE HILLS. In fact, it is fair to say that Freedom is the definitive guide to mountains and climbing and has influenced pretty much every climber. --Conrad Anker

I purchased my first copy of the FREEDOM OF THE HILLS in 1976 and consumed it several times, well before I ever set foot in the mountains. Through the years, my well worn copy became by guide and reference for the art of mountaineering. I would highly recommend this book as a must have for any aspiring mountaineer's library. --Ed Viesturs

Product Description

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE RENOWNED BIBLE OF CLIMBING AND MOUNTAINEERING.

With more than 600,000 copies sold, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is the acclaimed bible for climbers all over the world, and the new edition marks the 50th anniversary of this seminal title.
Since the publication of the first edition in 1960, Freedom, as the book is known, has endured as a classic mountaineering text. From choosing equipment to tying a climbing knot, and from basic rappelling techniques to planning an expedition, it is all here in this essential mountaineering reference. A team of more than forty experts, all active climbers and climbing educators, reviewed, revised, and updated this compendium to reflect the latest evolutions in mountaineering equipment and techniques. Major updates include a significant new chapter on conditioning, plus detailed and extensive revisions to rescue and first-response, aid climbing, and waterfall and ice climbing.

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches ; 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: 1594851387
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Rock Climbing
  • #4 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Mountain Climbing
  • #77 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, illustrations now available for Kindle March 9, 2012

By R. Giuliani

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great book, obviously, and has been the mountaineering bible for years. The Kindle edition, however, is a bad purchase. It lacks all of the charts that accompany the text! Want to view the Equipment checklist, figure 2.3? Think again! You're SOL. Feel like I was ripped off.

EDIT 4/1/12
Unclear if the publisher updated the book, or if I have an updated Kindle for iPad app, but all of the charts and illustrations now are appearing so purchase away, and I've changed my rating. Perfect timing too, since I'm going climbing in Denli National Park in June.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Without hyperbole, the greatest book on mountaineering in the history of human civilization! January 25, 2011

By Peter Norgaard

Amazon Verified Purchase

Someone once told me "Mountaineering is just like backpacking with less margin for error". Of course the reality is that there are additional skills, concepts, and so on that you absolutely need to know before hauling yourself onto a rock face or glacier. This book contains all of that - the accumulated wealth of knowledge based on the experience of more than 40 of the world's best mountaineers. What makes this book so unrivaled?

- Topics are effectively separated into chapters that allow you to find what you need fast
- Information is presented with photos and diagrams to clarify each and every detail
- The writing style is pleasant to read - neither frivolous nor obfuscating
- Everything you ever wanted to know (about mountaineering) is in the book

Buy several copies, sleep with one as a pillow in the hopes the information will naturally osmose into your brain, love mountaineering, be safe, and in your many travels please respect our natural resources!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The "bible" of Mountaineering April 18, 2012

By Eric Linxweiler

There's not much to say about this amazing work that hasn't already been said. However, it is important to recognize what goes into this work - particularly the 8th edition. This is the 50th year of The Mountaineers producing this work, but really started with the handwritten notes of Wolf Bauer (and later typed up by Mary and Lloyd Anderson - founders of REI) seventy five years ago. In that time it has helped launch the climbing careers of thousands upon thousands of mountaineers. Every time a new edition is crafted, a select group of volunteer climb leaders and instructors come together to gather the collective wisdom of everyone who used the previous edition and how to make it better. For new climbers, for experts, and for those who are looking to improve certain skills.

I keep a copy on my bookshelf, and very dirty and well used copy under the seat of my truck. Guess which one I use more often, and in more fun places?