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Thread: Avalanche Books

  1. #1
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    Avalanche Books

    Looks for some good avalanche books to read on the commute. Open to anything, novel, non-fiction, whatever.

    My contribution:
    Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes Washington by Martin Volken
    My favorite book for finding new routes. Has a ton of good routes in Western Washington. He also wrote a book for Oregon, can't speak on how good that one is.

    Apologize if this is a jong but my search didn't come up with any results.


    Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

  2. #2
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    Snow Sense

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    If you want to learn something, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper is still the definitive book on the subject.

  4. #4
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    Annapurna by Herzog
    Snowstruck by Fredston
    Secrets of the Snow by LaChapelle
    Buried in the Sky by Zuckerman
    K2 by Viesturs
    The Snowy Torrents by Atkins
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Striker View Post
    If you want to learn something, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper is still the definitive book on the subject.
    Just finished this book. It was pretty good and I would recommend it, but not in the way I expected. It has a wealth of knowledge about snow science and some good information about human factors, but it just glances over terrain issues. My takeaway from the rest of the book was that relying on the snow science is a fool's gamble. In my novice opinion terrain choices are the #1 most important and only reliable way of avoiding an avalanche. The book says as much but it just spends a page or two on slope angle and anchoring, a paragraph on terrain traps, and calls it a day.

  6. #6
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    In the Path of an Avalanche, by Vivien Bowers.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by kootenayskier View Post
    In the Path of an Avalanche, by Vivien Bowers.
    Does the book focus more on the long term impact of the accident on those involved/related? Or is it an extended accident analysis with a laymans snowscience course thrown in?
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  8. #8
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    If you can find it....Montgomery Atwater= Real Avalanche Hunter
    Click image for larger version. 

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    “I have a responsibility to not be intimidated and bullied by low life losers who abuse what little power is granted to them as ski patrollers.”

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    Does the book focus more on the long term impact of the accident on those involved/related? Or is it an extended accident analysis with a laymans snowscience course thrown in?
    It’s the former, with lots of biographical detail, like an extended feature article you’d read in Outside magazine.

  10. #10
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    Deep Powder Snow: Forty-Years of Ecstatic Skiing, Avalanches, and Earth Wisdom - Dolores Lachapelle

    ACH has my copy I think.

    And search function
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by kootenayskier View Post
    It’s the former, with lots of biographical detail, like an extended feature article you’d read in Outside magazine.
    Cool! Added to my reading list thank you
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by snoqpass View Post
    If you can find it....Montgomery Atwater= Real Avalanche Hunter
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    Jelly!
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  13. #13
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    The avalanche handbook.

  14. #14
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    I like Allen and Mike's.

    Allen & Mike's Avalanche Book: A Guide To Staying Safe In Avalanche Terrain (Allen & Mike's Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762779993..._JWMdEbBFEWHGQ

    Check out their backcountry ski book too.

    Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book, Revised and Even Better!: Traveling & Camping Skills For A Winter Environment (Allen & Mike's Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762745851..._EYMdEbV27DT8W

  15. #15
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    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  16. #16
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    Snow Sense and the ABS's of Avalanche Safety are worth a read. Tremper's book probably has 95% of the stuff in these books, but the authors of both their own spin on things.
    When life gives you haters, make haterade.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lind3n View Post
    ...relying on the snow science is a fool's gamble. In my novice opinion terrain choices are the #1 most important and only reliable way of avoiding an avalanche. The book says as much but it just spends a page or two on slope angle and anchoring, a paragraph on terrain traps, and calls it a day.
    I think that's intentional. It's a foundation. Knowing enough to know when and why to say stop is the first step. Heuristics/human factors/threat and error management is really another topic best addressed by experts in that field. I don't have a good book on that to recommend, but there are bits and pieces on the net that are worth a look.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by sfotex View Post
    Snow Sense and the ABS's of Avalanche Safety are worth a read. Tremper's book probably has 95% of the stuff in these books, but the authors of both their own spin on things.
    ABCs by LaChapelle

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Striker View Post
    ABCs by LaChapelle

    Yeah? Tell that to George Zip.

    Been waiting to use that one on ya.
    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by snoqpass View Post
    If you can find it....Montgomery Atwater= Real Avalanche Hunter
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    Got a chance to read a copy last year. Great read.

    You can pick up your brand new copy for only $160 on Amazon.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bunion 2020 View Post
    Yeah? Tell that to George Zip.
    It was at that moment that I first realized Elaine had doubts about our relationship. And that as much as anything else led to my drinking problem.

  22. #22
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    Staying Alive in avy terrain

    Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Temper. Temper has worked with the Utah Avalanche Center for quite a long time at this point, and his book has a lot of super useful information for reading terrain and understanding the snowpack (as any good avy book should), and he gets more in depth into the science behind avalanche. More importantly,he talks about human/individual factors that are important in staying out of avy terrain altogether, reduce hazard, and avoid making mistakes/bad decisions. One of the big things I got out of the book is that avalanches in general are NOT unpredictable; any individual avalanche may be impossible to predict, but there is a lot of science that goes into forecasting/predicting avalanche conditions. A good read to help you understand what goes into avy forecasts.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by HJ5 View Post
    Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Temper. Temper has worked with the Utah Avalanche Center for quite a long time at this point, and his book has a lot of super useful information for reading terrain and understanding the snowpack (as any good avy book should), and he gets more in depth into the science behind avalanche. More importantly,he talks about human/individual factors that are important in staying out of avy terrain altogether, reduce hazard, and avoid making mistakes/bad decisions. One of the big things I got out of the book is that avalanches in general are NOT unpredictable; any individual avalanche may be impossible to predict, but there is a lot of science that goes into forecasting/predicting avalanche conditions. A good read to help you understand what goes into avy forecasts.
    JONGS are very predictable.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    Secrets of the Snow by LaChapelle
    This is my personal favorite of the several books I have.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  25. #25
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    AIARE Backcountry Decision-Making Guide: https://backcountryaccess.com/product/field-book/

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