There is something extraordinarily special about sliding on snow that has excited generations of snow sports enthusiasts. Add to this the dimension of travelling through the mountains and the result is a recipe for some of the best outdoor activity days you could ever imagine. I have been fortunate to share some of these adventures with Henry Branigan: Skiing off the summit of Mount Blanc at dawn or, equally enjoyable, skiing under the northern lights from hut to hut in Norway, still my all-time favourite way of travelling through the mountains. A complete guide to alpine ski touring, ski mountaineering and nordic ski touring sets out to provide the fundamentals about going off piste and then journeying through mountain terrain, in a logical, easy to read format. Adapting ski technique for various off piste conditions is an essential skill that makes all the difference between surviving and savouring adventures off piste. The book also covers the fundamental mountaineering knowledge including navigation, weather and avalanches that are essential before venturing beyond the confines of a ski area. Equipment and planning a tour are covered, whether it is in an Alpine or Nordic environment. All in all this is a very comprehensive and valuable resource for anyone aspiring to venture into the mountains on skis. Bob Kinnaird Principal Glenmore Lodge National Outdoor Training Centre

This book is about Alpine ski Touring and takes you through a step by step guide on everything that you need to know to get you from a novice ski tourer into the professional. It covers all the salient points for moving on skis and explains how the technical equipment should be used including all the skills that are required to start touring as well as leading a group. It can also be used as a guide for off piste skiers and snow boarders as well as Telemark and Nordic tourers. Each chapter has its own topic as the book takes you through well laid out progressions from your first steps uphill to longer tours moving from hut to hut over glaciated terrain. The photographs complement the text in every way giving a clearer picture of what the equipment looks like and how it should be used. Nothing has been left out and some of the chapters explain all the points to be considered when planning a tour, or overnighting, as well as emergency procedures. And to make the tour safer there are chapters on avalanche awareness and weather. By the time you get to the end of the book you will be armed with all the skills, techniques and knowledge needed to go out and enjoy the sport of ski touring.

* For intermediate-to-advanced backcountry skiers* Includes trip planning, navigation, fitness, and avalanche safety information, in addition to techniques*Provides advice on how to make well-informed backcountry decisionsMartin Volken and his co-authors provide skiers with all the tools and knowledge they need to safely and successfully travel in the mountain backcountry. The guide features intermediate-to-advanced techniques for ski touring and ski mountaineering, from planning backcountry trips to perfecting turns in rolling terrain and mastering uphill climbing. For those skiers ready for a more technical, high alpine environment, they draw on traditional mountaineering skills, including roped climbing, setting protection anchors, using ice axes, climbing on bare rock, and more. In addition to mastering techniques, Backcountry Skiing also features information on recent evolutions in ski equipment; avalanche safety tips; a primer on mountain weather and glaciers, trip planning tools, a discussion of emergency situations, nutrition and fitness advice, and winter camping basics.Throughout this guide, a special emphasis is put on being well-informed and making good decisions - whenever you strap on your skis and skins and head out into the backcountry.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHAPTER ON "BASIC SKI SKILLS" NOW FROM CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) * Technique demonstrated in step-by-step photos * Special learning activities reinforce instruction * Sidebars for trouble-shooting common problems and matching technique to terrain and snow conditions * Tips for engaging the family From the first time you step into your bindings to mastering the stride, the glide, and the skate: Steve Hindman has you covered. As a certified instructor, he's introduced hundreds of people to the sport; he also wrote the study guide for the Professional Ski Instructors of America certification exam. Here he shares the same techniques he teaches on the snow, whether you're setting out for a city park, looking for family fun at a groomed ski area, or heading into the backcountry to set your own track. This comprehensive guide covers equipment and accessories, waxing for grip and glide, training and conditioning, snow camping, route finding, and avalanche awareness. It will take you from how to fall (and how to get up again), through the classic and skate skiing basics (including stance, poling principles, and downhill tactics), to effective racing technique. It also takes up more advanced variations of the sport-freeheel, telemark, and ski mountaineering.

Updated for the first time in ten years, the "bible of Eastern backcountry skiing" returns with an all-new edition, fully revised to reflect the latest and greatest off-piste lines--as well as the trove of newly created and rehabilitated ski glades in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, and Massachusetts.

CLICK HERE to download the chapter on "Uphill Movement" from Backcountry Skiing (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) * For intermediate-to-advanced backcountry skiers * Includes trip planning, navigation, fitness, and avalanche safety information, in addition to techniques * Provides advice on how to make well-informed backcountry decisions Martin Volken and his co-authors provide skiers with all the tools and knowledge they need to safely and successfully travel in the mountain backcountry. The guide features intermediate-to-advanced techniques for ski touring and ski mountaineering, from planning backcountry trips to perfecting turns in rolling terrain and mastering uphill climbing. For those skiers ready for a more technical, high alpine environment, they draw on traditional mountaineering skills, including roped climbing, setting protection anchors, using ice axes, climbing on bare rock, and more. In addition to mastering techniques, Backcountry Skiing also features information on recent evolutions in ski equipment; avalanche safety tips; a primer on mountain weather and glaciers, trip planning tools, a discussion of emergency situations, nutrition and fitness advice, and winter camping basics. Throughout this guide, a special emphasis is put on being well-informed and making good decisions -- whenever you strap on your skis and skins and head out into the backcountry.