Snow Sense: A Guide to Evaluating Snow Avalanche Hazard (Paperback)

by Jill A. Fredston (Author), Doug Fesler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Avalanches are not acts of God. This valuable book details how to read terrain, snowpack, and weather variables to determine the possibilities of avalanche and how to save yourself in case of one. -- "The Outside Canon:A Few Great Books, Outside Magazine, May 1996

Here's a book you should have. I know, I know, everybody says that but this is different. This book lays out what avalanches are and how they happen, and it will save your life. Now notice I didn't say this is a book you should have on your bookshelf. This one should be in the top pocket of your pack. Simply put, "Snow Sense" is a pocket guide to safe snow travel, whether you're hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, or mountaineering in high risk areas.

Read it once. Read it again. Take it into the field and practice the skills it teaches. Every time I hear of another avalanche-caused death in the Rockies, I wish the victim had read this book. Ther survivors must read it. -- Mark Jenkins, Backpacker, May 1995

Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler are the best avalanche instructors in North America, period. No other teachers have more credibility or put as much effort into the curriculum, presentation, and teaching methods. Fredston and Fesler's multi-day courses are lively affairs, insightful blends of theory, practice, fieldwork, humor, and thinking on your feet. Bruce Tremper, director of the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center, calls them "artistry." Their book "Snow Sense" is by far the best material available on staying alive in avalanche country. And their non-profit organization, the Alaska Mountain Safety Center, is one of the highest-regarded outfits for avalanche forecasting, mitigation, and hazard evaluation. -- Powder Magazine, Steve Casimiro, March 1999

Product Description
"Snow Sense" is the best-selling, easiest to read, most informative avalanche safety book available. Intended for skiers, snowmachiners, snowboarders, climbers and others who work and play in avalanche country, "Snow Sense" is written to help backcountry travelers learn to recognize, evaluate, and avoid snow avalanche hazards.

Avalanche accidents do not happen by accident; they happen for particular reasons. "Snow Sense" addresses the critical terrain, snowpack, and weather variables that make it possible for a slope to avalanche along with the human factors that allow most accidents to happen. If you don't want to become an avalanche victim, read this book.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Incorporated; 5th edition (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964399407
• ISBN-13: 978-0964399402
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #134,328 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review in Backpacker Magazine, May 1995, March 10, 1999

By A Customer

"Here's a book you should have. I know, I know, everybody says that but this is different. This book lays out what avalanches are and how they happen, and it will save your life. Now notice I didn't say this is a book you should have on your bookshelf. This one should be in the top pocket of your pack. Simply put,"Snow Sense" is a pocket guide to safe snow travel, whether you're hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, or mountaineering in high risk areas.

Avalanches don't simply explode out of nowhere. The ones that kill people are usually started by the victims. This book will teach you that such catastrophes are avoidable. You can learn to recognize and evaluate avalanche hazards. You can learn to "read" the snowpack, "read" the mountains, and save your skin. "Snow Sense" is a hands-on, explicit, clear-thinking, hard-hitting field guide that teaches you how. By studying the book's "bulls-eye" clues to snowpack stability, hardness tests, shear block tests, weather analysis, simple physics, and hazard checklists, you'll come away with all you need to know about avalanches and how to avoid being caught by one.

Read it once. Read it again. Take it into the field and practice the skills it teaches. Every time I hear of another avalanche-caused death in the Rockies, I wish the victim had read this book. The survivors must read it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Backcountry Magazine #19, 1999, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

Used by avalanche professionals as a base for avalanche education classes. Small size but HUGE on concise information for learning to recognize, evaluate, and avoid potential avalanche hazards.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "big little book", January 30, 2000

By	K. Melling (Eagle River, Alaska) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a longtime Alaskan, I feel fortunate to have had both Doug and Jill in many courses. The book Snow sense is now the required reading material for all Nat'l Ski Patrol avalanche courses, and rightly so. I read it at the begining of every season. True avalanche professionals. If you ever have the chance, come to Alaska and take one of their courses.