Reddit mentions of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

If I could recommend one resource it would be "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills." Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594851387/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_a1fVzbRK7WTZR. Although honestly nothing can replace going out and getting outdoors in the mountains, either with a guide or a friend who knows what they are doing. Baker is a good starter mountain, but if you want to stay clear of crevasses, Mt. Adams is a really good option to learn crampons, ice axe and rope skills without the big risks. I'm on my phone or else I could go into much more detail, but feel free to PM me and I'd be more than happy to recommend guide groups, climbs, gear, etc. Welcome to the world of mountaineering, its beautiful!

I got into it through rock climbing, as many others have. The skills and tools of the rock climber are foundations for mountaineering. (Ironic, since I see much of rock climbing as a weekend sport created out of mountaineerss training.) Climbing is a very broad discipline that combines rock climbing technique, rope work, risk management, hiking and general athleticism to reach physical goals. (Mountain tops!)
As such, it can be transitioned into from a number of angles. I know a group from a yoga school that quickly excelled at rock climbing and eventually added two more mountaineers to the community. I also know several people from college hiking and outing clubs that have expanded into winter hiking and then mountaineering.
At some point, if you choose to pursue mountaineering and the more technical climbs to be found, you WILL find yourself in a gym or out on a crag rock climbing. Mountaineering is essentially rock climbing + winter hiking + OINK.

The fundamentals are learned from a lot of reading and studying the technical literature, and patient progression through practice. Other mountaineers (especially experienced ones) are invaluable, and a very important resource for learning and safety. I highly recommend getting involved with a community like MountainProject and looking for outdoor groups and climbing groups in your area.
The question is - what can you climb near where you live? If you're in Kansas, you're going to have a hard time of it. Seattle, Boston, Denver, Geneva, you're all set.
I live near the White Mountains of New Hampshire and am up there every other weekend pushing some new limit. A few years ago i did my first winter backpacking trip. Then, shortly after, my first winter hike on exposed summits with crampons and an ax. Last winter I bought ice tools and moved into multi-pitch technical climbing of ice, snow gullies and mixed routes. If you have mountains nearby to explore and practice on, there are years of fun to be had in them. Find local guidebooks. You'd be amazed how many cliffs and trails and gullies have been graded and compiled.
Lastly - buy a a couple books on mountaineering and start at home. The books are essential knowledge, you'll get an idea of what's involved, and they should whet your appetite and inspire you to seek out places to go and get your climb on.
Good climbing partners can be friends or people you get to know from the local climbing gym or forums. Having someone to learn and progress with and share the adventure is awesome. Finding like-minded people is surprisingly easy when all you need is passion and dedication. (And balls)

Depending on the situation traversing a ridge while roped up can increase or decrease your risk. If you are hiking on terrain that is exposed enough to warrant the use of technical equipment (harness, rope, belay device, etc...) you should probably get some training on how to use them properly. Merely connecting yourself to your partner is inviting disaster. Grab yourself a copy of Freedom of the Hills and head on over to /r/climbing or /r/alpinism for more info.

I do most of my hiking in the winter and solo quite often. Winter climbing has it's own learning curve. You have different gear, different conditions, and your body is going to act differently. So you have to adjust. As you know with climbing, the best way to learn while not getting yourself in a bind is to take it slow and read as much as you can. You might already have this book. The first half still applies even though we're not talking K2. I have a Shepard mix too, there will simply be days that your dog can't handle because they don't tolerate equipment as well as people do. Just get into it slowly. The problem with winter is not that it's terribly difficult - it can just be very unforgiving. Every mistake in rough weather you make compounds to make your problems worse and the longer you take to fix them the harder everything gets. Having a well oiled "machine" for taking care of everything will help you and that takes experience.

So I would start off pretty low key and use this time to figure out your system and take close attention of your dog's limits (picking up feet is the sign my dog is getting too cold and we need to adjust). Play it safe, always have an "oh shit" bag of things so you can survive if you get caught over night. And get a SPOT or PLB just in case. Sometime as simple as a broken leg can easily kill you in the winter.


Edit: I would start on a few sub 3k peaks when it's full on winter, then do something like cascade first because it has a good mix of everything you'll encounter (from snow, to ice, to wind). Start off sub 8 mile peaks and you should be fine.

this

A few pointers:

• Buy once, cry once. This is gear that your life literally depends upon. Do NOT cheap out here.
  
  
• Do some light reading followed by some heavier reading followed by some heaviest reading. FOTH in particular has a lot of good supplemental information on camp, clothing systems, reading terrain, etc.
  
  
• Read a little more if you end up getting more serious than toprope/bouldering/sport climbing. No one makes you go out there, and no one is required to risk themselves to bring you home. Personal responsibility is big here.
  
  
• Last but not least: Find out what YOU like. Do not buy cam brand X or rope brand Y or shoe brand Z because they look cool or your friend loves them. Try them yourself. There are pieces of gear I treasure that my partners hate and vice versa. Your gear needs will also vary by region. I use a completely different rack in the South West compared to the East Coast.
  
  
  Feel free to PM me with specific questions...I have over a decade of climbing/mountaineering and outdoor experience on everything outside of the Himalaya. Snowfields, Rock, Ice, Bouldering, Backpacking, summer, winter, poor weather, perfect weather...I've been there.
  
  As for costs:
  REI credit card may actually be worth looking into, and an REI membership is a one-time $20 fee that will pay literal dividends for life. Other than that, the standard online comparison shopping methods are your best friend.
  
  DO NOT purchase used life-critical equipment. Let me repeat that DO NOT purchase used life-critical equipment. You do not know how it has been stored, cared for, maintained and thus do not know if it will do it's job when you really really need it to.

Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills

This book is basically an outdoor bible.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1594851387/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1394070036&sr=8-1

For your first overnight hike, I (and Mountaineering and even Thoreau^1 ) would recommend using whatever you have. Not only do you not need anything fancy, you'll learn what you want to look for in a backpack before you go out and buy one. I'd actually use your day-to-day pack (if you have one) for any non-intense backpacking trip until you learn these things. Or at least start cheap...

[1] In Walden, Thoreau said he never buys new clothes for something until his old ones prove to be insufficient.

There are good answers already, mainly the use of climbing/rope skills and/or snow/ice skills is the difference.

The full range of mountaineering skills is covered in this book:
Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills

Freedom of the Hills is a good resource. Also r/Mountaineering. I'm not familiar with your area, I could point you to some good first peaks in Washington. But I'd recommend seeing if there is a mountaineering club around you that hosts classes and group climbs, and then use it to make some friends to hike with, and figure out where some good beginner snowfields and glaciers are. Get an ice axe and crampons and learn how to use them, and practice self arrests on a safe snowfield.

Freedom of the Hills is the bible

For anchors, John Long's Climbing Anchors

I would suggest reading up on mountaineering and perhaps taking some classes or guided trips.

http://smile.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-Books/dp/1594851387

That's pretty much a text book, so I would probably just focus on the techniques and tools that are applicable to your next trip.

I would definitely suggest picking up a copy of freedom of the hills http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-8th-Edition/dp/1594851387

I think you will have a difficult time finding a book that is extensive and detailed while also being small and lightweight.

That said, Freedom of the Hills is the gold standard. It is not small/lightweight but it is certainly detailed and extensive.

I attempted Vesper Peak a few weeks ago and couldn't get through the thick brush (90% Devil's Club) around the runoff during the approach. Park rangers recommended waiting a few weeks for the snowmelt to slow down.

Edit: Regardless of what peak you choose, you should be familiar with self arrest and recognizing dangerous terrain features. Spring is an especially tricky season to navigate as the snowpack is constantly changing. It'd be worthwhile to pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills and read through the sections on snow travel. Even better would be to take a class on it through the Mountaineers or a similar org, but that's not always schedule-feasible.

Are you referring to lead climbing? Just because you are not on a toprope does not mean you are not on belay. The belayer is at the bottom, and feeds rope out as the climber goes higher instead of pulling slack in like a toprope belayer would. The climber places removable protection (called trad climbing) and clips the rope into that to arrest the fall. Or just clips directly into bolts (sport).
Meru (and El cap also) uses a technique called aid climbing, where removable gear is used to make progress instead of hands and feet. There is a belayer here also.
A good resource for this stuff is freedom of the hills. https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-8th-Mountaineers/dp/1594851387. If you Intend to keep climbing, I would suggest picking g up a copy, it's like the textbook for climbing 101.

1. The technical nature of the climb varies with the route. We did the traditional "Disappointment Cleaver" route which is somewhat non technical. We had to set protection on the way down and we briefly considered rappelling down an ice fall on the Emmons Shoulder. Beyond that, it's a lot of dodging crevasses and gasping for air. My partner and I are planning on doing the Kautz Glacier route next year, and that is currently completely shut down due to icefall atm. 2 weeks ago it was a 3 pitch technical ice climb though.
   
   
2. Weather depends on visibility, the condition of the route and most importantly, the WIND. It is always windy on Rainier!! During our failed attempt last year it was cranking in upwards of 80mph on the Cleaver: bad news. The distance, like everything else depends on the condition of the glaciers. It's fairly long right now due to heavy crevasse conditions on the Emmons and Upper Nisqually.
   
   
3. We left on Sunday morning around 8am with about 35-40 lbs on our backs. Gear mostly consisted of cold weather layering and ropes/harnesses/ATC/biners etc.
   
   
4. Generally on alpine climbs my partner and I run with 2 pickets a piece, and we set protection when one of us asks, or we are just feeling prudent. Better safe and slow, than fast and dead. You can always pick up a picket on the way down and webbing is cheap to leave in place for the next climber.
   
   EDIT Freedom of the Hills is a MUST.

This might be a little too technical and not really what you are looking for but this book is a must-have for anyone interested in mountaineering or even wilderness survival in general.

http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-50th-Anniversary/dp/1594851387

It has absolutely everything you will need to know about anything in the outdoors. I call it my bible.

Not specifically climbing but definitely a great resource for mountaineering is Freedom of the Hills
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594851387

Love my copy, teaches you about self rescue, navigation, all the different techniques etc.
Defs worth having on your shelf!

Pick up a copy of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills read through it.

Sign up for a mountaineering course. Start climbing and hiking and make friends. Use said friends to help you learn progressively more. Join a local Alpine/climbing/mountaineering club/organization.

I ordered a set of cams and met up with my friend who taught me what a good placement vs bad placement is. Then I lead 3 short routes and he asked which of my placements I thought was best and worst. We agreed on them and then climbed a 5 pitch spire the next day. I drove home (we live in different cities ~2 hours away) and taught my newb friend. my newb friend and I have had a sketchy situation or two but nothing serious.
****
Best thing I can recommend is two books

1. Climbing anchors by John Long

2. Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills.

The biggest thing you'll learn from them is that Rock quality is the thing that will get you killed. As in don't place gear in a flake or anything that is going to move.
**
Place gear around ground level and hang on it. Learn what works. Find a super easy climb and lead it, You're going to fumble with sizes for awhile. Don't get discouraged. Soon you'll fall in love. Trad climbing is sweet.

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. I do have a high degree of trust in the book as it is often refereed to as the bible of Mountaineering; however, as you pointed out testing it would yield better insights/improvements.
Here is a link to the book on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594851387

If you have your own gear (harness, shoes, belay device, chalk) you can start climbing on rock immediately if you find people who are willing to take you, and some of the gear I mentioned isn't strictly necessary (just suggested). I am sure there is a group of local climbers who will be willing to help you get climbing outdoors.

As for books, I personally like Rock Climbing: Mastering the Basics. Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills is also really good and comprehensive (though it covers much more than just rock climbing).

Freedom of The Hills should anwser most of your questions, FYI the tallest peak in Arizona takes no montainneering experiance, via weather ford Trail, so you'll only need regular hiking stuff. Do you have any far out goals? It might be easier to give better advice based on your goals.

Read Freedom of the Hills, it's your textbook for everything mountaineering. Just start hiking and camping a lot and start climbing easy peaks and progress to bigger, higher, and more difficult ones. You might want to move somewhere with bigger mountains, like the western US to have better local training ground for the big mountains. Learning to ski or snowboard is a good way to get used to winter in the mountains and from there it's easier (and more fun) to progress to climbing steep snow and doing some actual mountaineering and dealing with things like avalanche danger. Also learn to rock climb and how to use ropes, and ice climbing is good too if you really want to get into hardcore mountaineering. Really you just have to progress little by little starting with hiking easy peaks picking up all of the skills along the way. It doesn't take as long as you would think if you dedicate a lot of time to it and love getting out there and learning. I was just doing very easy hikes 3 years ago and I already have plans to climb a few of the biggest peaks in the lower 48 next year, granted I've been skiing and hiking and camping for a long time.

I've never read this book, but my friend references it all the time. It's pretty thick and may seem overwhelming, but it's a good reference type book. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594851387/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

For me, I do see it as simple. But I see it because it's something you dedicate yourself to, aspire as a life goal. Yes it does cost money, and it takes a TON of sacrifice. But look at it this way, even if you never get to climb Everest, just by taking the alpine courses and learning the skills, you are opening yourself up to a whole new range of possibilities in your climbing. Learn everything you need to know first. If you ever get to that point where you are ready to tackle it than go for it. But have fun along the way.

Also, this is your bible: http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-50th-Anniversary/dp/1594851387

I'm not an expert by any means, but if you have any inclination to do mountaineering activities as well you should check out Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. It has a section on types of water purification/filtration. Link to the book: http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-50th-Anniversary/dp/1594851387

One guy that comes to mind, big on safety, started at 50. I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

Find a mountaineering club, and jump in to whatever classes they have. Also, there is a great book to get.

http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-8th-Edition/dp/1594851387

El libro Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills es considerado la biblia del tema.

I have to agree with this. There are plenty of other websites that are dedicated to climbing instruction and FAQs. Frankly, I would just point everyone to read Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. Keeping a running 'best of' or FAQ is a ton of work and people should just use the search if they care to see if something already exists. Hell, most of these questions have already been answered 100 times over on other climbing forums.

Every hobby subreddit has this same issue and I've yet to see a good solution for it. The only thing that has come close is a "New to climbing" section that has links to instructional websites, books, videos, manufactures, and other climbing related stuff.

Read this

And make sure the people you're going with know what they're doing.

Also, Leave no Trace

Oh, make sure someone not on the trip knows your plan/route/schedule. And have fun.

I should have mentioned the book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. About a third of it is useful for winter camping and navigation and the rest is for climbing, alpine skills, glacier travel and some avalanche basics. It's the bible of mountaineers and will be extremely useful if you decide to go all out in the Sierras during winter.

Freedom of the Hills is pretty much the textbook for outdoor climbing!

https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-8th-Mountaineers/dp/1594851387

There's other much more experienced than me here in this subreddit, but I'll post the two books that are always recommended for training tips and for learning more about mountaineering:

Training for the New Alpinism

Freedom of the Hills

Besides gaining experience from the bigger mountains, it's also a good idea to do some rock climbing, to gain experience with handling rope, knots, anchors, secure climbing etc.

Going to an indoor climbing center or heading out with some local rock climbing club if you have that nearby would be a great way to gain experience with those skills.

For gear, here's one interesting site I've found useful, Weigh my Rack: http://blog.weighmyrack.com/how-to-pick-the-best-carabiner-shape-for-rock-climbing/

[Freedom of the Hills] (http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-Books/dp/1594851387)

or

[Mastering Basic Skills] (http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Climbing-Mastering-Mountaineers-Outdoor/dp/1594858624/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1F3Y0RQEJJM0214JA5FV)

I strongly suggest to pretty much anyone interested in climbing outdoors to read up on climbing rescue and self-rescue. Once you have a solid grasp on the techniques, test them out in a gym setting. Knowing how to properly lock off a belay device, take the tension off of it using a friction hitch above it, then escaping the belay to ascend the rope can literally save a life. I've heard that if a climber is unconscious and upside down, in general he has about 15 minutes to live. This means that a good grasp of these techniques is critical to ensuring the survival of the climber is such situations.

Suggested reading:

• Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
  
• Climbing Self Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situations
  
  Be safe out there!

This man (or woman) speaks truth. Read it cover to cover. Pretty much all of us (who climb outside regularly) have.

Also, this is the newest edition.

Definitely pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills.

While this isn't a book I recommend you carry around on a backpacking trip, it is an amazing reference for anyone that backpacks, climbs, or mountaineers.

Cheers.

The first thing you should buy is 'Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills'. It is an excellent resource that will guide you through every step of the way.

First things first, go out and buy a copy of Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills.

That book will be a fantastic primer on all things mountaineering and alpinism, it's widely considered the bible of mountaineering and has been updated several times by top alpinists and guides. It should get you comfortable with climbing some less technical peaks near you. To find some peaks to climb and route information look at Summitpost.
And lastly for training for mountaineering buy a copy of Training for the new Alpinism. The book was written by Steve House, world renowned alpinist, and Scott Johnston, his training coach. The book only covers how to train your body to prepare for climbing and covers everything from diet, to mental training, to sports science.

Lastly, see if you can join your local mountaineering club and find a mentor.

Be safe. Have fun. Don't die.

The question of how warm is a bit of a variable depending on the individual and circumstances - weight, temperatures, fitness, duration and intensity of activity etc.

I'm guessing you mean the base layer items from Target or Costco? As long as you feel it suits you for the conditions, go for it. Although it should be noted that its always nice to have the option of taking off layers in the event its too warm rather then be stuck without additional layers if you're too cold.

Generally, as long as you keep moving, especially given that you're in snow and ascending, I find it much more challenging to avoid sweating then any issue with cold. Alternatively, if you're in a situation where you're belaying or taking an extended rest, the cold can pose a real danger.

If you're able to, check out this book - Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. Considered a fundamental of mountaineering, very comprehensively written with a section dealing specifically with optimal attire for different circumstances

Ya, I grew up in Colorado so climbing has always been a part of me. If you're looking to get into mountaineering I recommend you pick up this book, it taught me everything I didn't already know plus its nice to have around.

The outdoor walls at Sandpoint and Marymoor are good starting places to practice lead. The style of climbing in Northbend is good for beginners as well. This book covers everything pretty well, it's worth reading through the rock sections at least once when learning.

Take a class from a certified mountain guide.

No, seriously. Take a class.

Failing that, find a partner who has 1) many many years of mountain experience. Offer to belay them anywhere and everywhere. Learn from them. 2) REALLY has many years of experience. There are quite a few folks who present themselves as experts but know fuck-all - it's terrifying.

Read read read and practice practice practice. Some good books are:

Moutaineering: Freedom of the Hills

How to Rock Climb! - John Long

Climbing Anchors - John Long

More Climbing Anchors - John Long

Training for Climbing - Eric Horst

Climbing Self Rescue - Tyson and Loomis


It is very important to realize that these skills should be second nature to you. When you are tired, cold, or frightened you should not be trying to remember how to rig a clove hitch on an equalette or set up a 3-to-1 to haul your partner over the crux of the 2nd pitch, in the dark. Buy gear, watch videos, read books and practice at home. Be confident without being over-confident.

Mountaineering (in all its forms) is a long slow progression of skill and judgement.

there aren't any stores in freedom of the hills, i'm not sure what you are referring to. nor is it expensive, in the grand scheme of climbing gear.

http://www.amazon.ca/Mountaineering-Freedom-Of-Hills-Anniversary/dp/1594851387

I echo the trekking poles suggestion (they're a lifesaver for me), and I'd say that practice will help you build confidence. I'm not sure where you are, but if scrambling is what you're interested, there might be courses that give you instruction and techniques to better move over rock and snow. I took my alpine scrambling course through the Mountaineers in Washington state, and it did wonders for my confidence on snow (I already felt pretty good on rock). A lot of the material covered is in the Freedom of the Hills book, which might be an interesting read, though it goes into alpine climbing and more advanced subjects as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-8th-Edition/dp/1594851387/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415152306&sr=8-1&keywords=mountaineering

Yes, it's a mountaineering book, but it covers all of the basics you'll need to get started camping, and then some. A friend got it for me when I started and I'd recommend it to anyone just beginning in hiking/camping.

Start hiking in the mountains in NJ, NY, MD and further in NE or down in the Apps. Find a rock climbing gym and get in as much time as you can there. Colorado rules, I live in Denver and don't ever want to leave. Moving here just because you want to climb mountains without experience, not a good idea. Start reading and training. Once you feel ready then decide where to move. Best book you will ever find for helping you in your quest for mountaineering is here. http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-8th-Edition/dp/1594851387

Here are the best resources I've found. I will say this though: Find a solid climbing mentor to teach you all the safety basics (belaying, knots, anchors, etc.). I've only been climbing a little over a year, and I've seen some of the dumbest/craziest stuff outside already. It's good to read books and watch videos, but always have someone who knows that they're doing to check and double check that you're safe. Ask lots of questions--you only have one life and you don't want to die (or kill/hurt someone) from a dumb mistake that could be prevented.

• The Self-Coached Climber - This is a great book on movement. It comes with a DVD that shows you drills to improve your footwork and technique. (Here's a link to some of the drills.)
  
• 9 Out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes - This book I read and re-read constantly in the bathroom. There are no pictures, but he has little advice and thoughts about training and climbing that really help. I've found it more helpful the longer I've climbed.
  
• How to Climb 5.12 - Excellent training advice for climbing. How can you argue when this guy's ten year old son put up a first ascent of a 5.14a in Maple Canyon?
  
• Rock Warrior's Way - This is a great book for mental training for climbing. It will help more if you ever get into lead climbing/trad.
  
• Freedom of the Hills - This is the Bible of climbing/mountaineering.
  
• Climbing Anchors - John Long's book is one of the best. Make sure you have a good mentor though to help you and check your systems.
  
• Improve Your Climbing with Neil Gresham - Great video for technique on overhangs. The full version is worth watching too if you can find it online.
  
• Mountain Project's School of Rock - Lots of general info and videos.
  
  Stay safe, find a mentor, and ask lots of questions.

You should probably buy Freedom of the Hills which will answer most of your questions.

Hiya Michnation.

Assuming you have the usual shoes, harness, belay device, etc...

You will need a rope, quickdraws, some cord/slings/webbing, and a handful of carabiners.

More importantly you should probably check out Freedom and Anchors.

These two books have taught generations of climbers how to climb. A huge part of climbing outside is being comfortable and confident in your own skills. My personal opinion is that you will become a better climber through a lot of time spent learning techniques and practicing them, than if you spend money on a couple guided days. But thats IMO.

Another one you could look at would be the Mountaineers. The Basic Alpine course for the Seattle branch should be listed fairly soon and begin around January. As for getting prepared I would read Freedom of the Hills, start hiking where you get some elevation gain and checking out a rock gym in the metro area.

I went through the Basic Alpine course earlier and while I recommend it you should expect to spend around 1-2k for the course and gear.

Nols offers a whole line of books on outdoors skills, most of which are pretty decent.

Also, it's probably a bit advanced for someone who is just getting into hiking, but at some point you're going to want to invest in Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, published by Mountaineers Books. It's more or less the mountaineer's bible...

And finally, since you live in the Northeast, I highly recommend Forest and Crag, which is a history of hiking and recreation management NY and New England. Very informative and interesting read.

Read the Mountaineering Bible