(Part 2) Best mountaineering books according to redditors
We found 719 Reddit comments discussing the best mountaineering books. We ranked the 227 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
I've been researching this case for many years and don't believe this was natural phenomena.
Let's take a look at George's injuries. All the hikers had severe injuries just like George's.
Here's the field where Luda, Nicholas, Alexander, and Simon's body's were found. Luda and Simon had crushed ribs. These injuries have been blamed on a fall into a ravine. Yet, they were not found in a ravine. They were found in a field.
All nine bodies were found from a half mile to a mile from the tent. George, Yuri, Luda, Nicholas, Alexander, and Simon's bodies were a mile away. To get there they had to walk a mile, in the snow, at night, in their socks, and then climb a 15 ft. cliff. Here's a map of the area.
For reference, the hikers average speed during the days they were hiking was 1 mile per hour. Since their bodies were found a mile away, that means they walked for at least an hour in their socks or barefoot and climbed a 15 ft cliff. There was no sign of an avalanche. No trees were crushed, the hiker's footprints were found outside the tent- and not covered up as they would be from an avalanche.
Delicate items such as crackers, tins of food, and a cup of cocoa were undisturbed in the tent. There was a sandwich made and bits of a meal were laid out. These items were not crushed or out of place. Again showing there was no sign of an avalanche.
If the hikers heard an avalanche and panicked and rushed out of the tent, they would have turned around soon after. They would not have walked for an hour away from the tent. Not to mention, again the items in the tent show no signs of a panicked situation.
Most important of all is the histology test that was performed on Luda, Nicholas, Simon, and Alexander. Histology is the study of the microscopic structure of tissues. And in this case, the tissues were being examined to look for active bleeding at the injury site.
As already mentioned, Simon and Luda's chests were crushed. The histology test determined that those injuries happened while they were alive.
Both Luda and Simon were also found with their eyes missing. This histology test determined there was active bleeding at the time these injuries occurred. This means that Simon and Luda's eyes were removed while they were alive.
This, in and of itself, points to something more sinister than an avalanche or winds or ice slab or whatever.
I'm skeptical of this new investigation into the Dyatlov Pass mystery. In fact, it's a shame that the Russian officials want to pin this on weather or natural events or whatever. All those scenarios were ruled out almost immediately back in 1959. And there's still no sign of such events to this day. The evidence of the case is in complete contradiction to a natural event.
Edit: I'm getting PM's about the picture of George's injuries. I created that based on his autopsy report. I also did the same thing for the other eight hikers. I wrote a book about Dyatlov Pass and included those in there.
Edit: Here's a link to the original official reports.
Edit: Here's a link to the scans of the original official documents.
Edit: I hope I've been able to answer everyone's messages and replies. I apologize if I missed someone. If I have, then please let me know. I typed the OP out while babysitting my four year old grandson full-time, so I haven't been as attentive to this post as I'd like. Thank you all for your patience and time.
The person you're replying to did actually write a book on the topic, linked above: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Nine-Dyatlov-Pass-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07MSFVWS5/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1548951201&sr=8-4&keywords=dyatlov+pass
Amazon link
I don't think you're looking for XC. I think you're looking for backcountry touring in mild terrain.
A lot of the answers you're looking for now or will be looking for in the near future will have to do you with your local area and terrain.
To me, XC is more akin to road biking lonely country roads. It's about fitness, endurance...
backcountry touring is more exploring and discovering, but still requires a high level of fitness, if that's what you're after. Trust me, you will be able to get your heart rate up skinning up a mountain!
I'm a casual but very regular distance and trail runner and hiker. Once the snow falls, it's all about the the AT set-up on non-resort days. For me, backcountry isn't about finding the steepest because that involves more risks than I like to take, although it is often about finding the freshest. As you progress as a skier, you might find yourself appreciating that aspect of it more.
Sizable community - again, depends on your area. BUT, backcountry touring is best done with a partner, for many reasons. Get out find some people. They're looking too.
Lastly: you may find some people who say 'don't do backcountry until you're a better resort skier...' ... and it's not without reason that they say that. However, the basic skills of skinning are easy to pick up. You can walk? You can skin. If you choose your terrain wisely and carefully, it is not totally unreasonable to start touring as an intermediate skier. I'm very serious about that though – in the mountains, a wrong turn can put you in a bad place, and skills on skis is that will get you out there.
I haven't read it but maybe take a look at this book in the sidebar?
Anyways, the kind of thing you're asking about doing - 'hut routes' - often require more diverse and technical terrain than standard XC skis are made for.
TL;DR - ski touring is awesome, good luck, don't be stupid.
EDIT: Accidentally a word
The CLASSIC is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills - should provide some interesting info for you.
Trad Climbing+ is another option, but from a british perspective so some of the stuff might seem a bit strange to you...
Get a Supertopo climbing guidebook and look up the climber trails. These trails are unofficial climber maintained trails and are generally safe but more difficult hiking with frequent route finding by following rock stacks. The approaches to El Capitan, Washington Column, Glacier Point Apron, and Middle Cathedral offer some really great views most tourists don’t get to see. The hike to the base of Washington Column (look up the climb “Astroman”) puts you directly across from Half Dome. The hike up to El Cap (look up the climb “Pine Line”) is an easy 15 min walk. Once you get to the base of El Cap, go left and follow the base for 5 min. There is a gigantic ledge that looks strait up the Nose of El Cap. The Glacier Point Apron trail (look up the climb “The Grack”) starts at the parking lot across from Upper Pines campground and cuts into the forest to the base of Glacier Point. Once you get to the base, go left and follow it along the base.
The Mountaineers, like you already mentioned, may be your best bet. Washington Alpine Club is another option, though they are also passed the registration period for classes this year. You could certainly continue climbing and gaining experience on things you feel comfortable on, lots of snow climbing around here doesn't require glacier travel or even much experience, just use of ice axe/crampons and a love for long walks. Examples include Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens in early season, and basically anything in the Washington Scrambles book (highly recommended) during early season.
You could also try posting over at Cascade Climbers for partners - the only thing I recommend is being very upfront about your level of experience (or lack thereof). If you overstate your experience, trust me, your partner will know, and they'll likely decline to climb with you again.
My recommendation is that you should get your own systems dialed before asking for partners/team. You mention you have steep snow (and ice?) experience? I'm going to assume you don't have much glacier travel or crevasse rescue experience, and likely no alpine rock experience either. Lacking these skills, what you are asking for is essentially a free guide service, or someone to teach you all the technical stuff while assuming all the risk.
That said, my recommendation is to actually hire a guide for a 'skill session.' You can often find one, two, or three day crevasse rescue courses, and then supplement that hands-on knowledge with some old fashioned book reading, as well as tons of practice on your own time. Once you get everything dialed, then post on Cascade Climbers, and I bet you'll have good luck with someone willing to take you out.
Both of these are good.
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Rescue-How-Climb-David-Fasulo/dp/0762755334
https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Self-Rescue-Improvising-Mountaineers/dp/089886772X
It really depends on what type of climbing you enjoy: adventure, sport, mountaineering, etc.
Here are some of my favourites:
If you like alpinism and want to learn how pathetic and weak willed you are compared to Steve House, check out Beyond the Mountain. Great book. Dude has insane ethics that make me feel bad for clipping bolts.
If you're more into big wall climbing and how it fits in with life lessons, The Push by Tommy Caldwell is phenomenal. He really throws it all out there and gives you an insight as to just how hard he worked to free the Dawn Wall and all the lessons that came with it.
If you want a really well written account of one of climbing's most bizarre controversies, The Tower by Kelly Cordes was one of my favourites this year. It gives a back-and-forth history and insight into climbing Cerro Torre and really gives a glimpse into life in Patagonia and the history of climbing Torre.
If you're a big dreamer and history nut, The Bold and The Cold gives first hand stories of the first ascents of some of the biggest routes in Canada. From the Bugaboos to Robson, it's a fantastic read and really gets you longing to get out out there.
Eiger Dreams was a fantastic collection of unrelated short stories centering around climbing and mountaineer. Some big characters and bigger adventures that are well told by the same author (and climber!) that gave us Into the Wild.
And finally, I recommend The Calling by Barry Blanchard for no other reason than it's a really well written account of the life of a fading alpinist in the Canadian Rockies.
Hope this helps!
Bonus recommendation: not climbing related, but a really great read for anyone who loves the outdoors: The Names of the Stars is a fantastic book that follows the personal account of a retired Park Ranger who spents 5 months alone in the wilderness of Montana watching fish eggs. It's a boring premise but the author is so vivid with his descriptions and shows the connection between us and the wild. I read it in a day, it was that good.
Escaping the belay from any type of belay is an essential skill to have. (Here's a famous example where the belayer had to escape the belay to rescue a fallen leader due to rock fall two pitches up.)
But as a leader you may have to escape the belay, fix ropes and rescue a follower. Of course it's easier to escape the belay when the belay is on the anchor but it's good to know what to do when you're belaying off your harness either from above or below. Here are a couple resources that may be helpful.
> I still need to state that I may shit my pants if I had to do a couple of these in a real-life scenario
Glad you can recognize this. Think of self-rescue as an integral part of being prepared to get on a multipitch route. Without having self-rescue skills you exponentially increase the risk of not being able to be rescued at all.
Good luck and have fun!
Edit: This book definitely helped me start to think about belays and rope management not as a series of steps to follow but as systems and how to adapt in all sorts of scenarios.
Read Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. It's one of the best books on alpinism that exists. Very detailed.
I like this theory, but it absolutely downplays the severity of their injuries. Here's a comment from u/wordblender that I think completely debunks this theory -
​
I've been researching this case for many years and don't believe this was natural phenomena.
Let's take a look at George's injuries. All the hikers had severe injuries just like George's.
Here's the field where Luda, Nicholas, Alexander, and Simon's body's were found. Luda and Simon had crushed ribs. These injuries have been blamed on a fall into a ravine. Yet, they were not found in a ravine. They were found in a field.
All nine bodies were found from a half mile to a mile from the tent. George, Yuri, Luda, Nicholas, Alexander, and Simon's bodies were a mile away. To get there they had to walk a mile, in the snow, at night, in their socks, and then climb a 15 ft. cliff. Here's a map of the area.
For reference, the hikers average speed during the days they were hiking was 1 mile per hour. Since their bodies were found a mile away, that means they walked for at least an hour in their socks or barefoot and climbed a 15 ft cliff. There was no sign of an avalanche. No trees were crushed, the hiker's footprints were found outside the tent- and not covered up as they would be from an avalanche.
Delicate items such as crackers, tins of food, and a cup of cocoa were undisturbed in the tent. There was a sandwich made and bits of a meal were laid out. These items were not crushed or out of place. Again showing there was no sign of an avalanche.
If the hikers heard an avalanche and panicked and rushed out of the tent, they would have turned around soon after. They would not have walked for an hour away from the tent. Not to mention, again the items in the tent show no signs of a panicked situation.
Most important of all is the histology test that was performed on Luda, Nicholas, Simon, and Alexander. Histology is the study of the microscopic structure of tissues. And in this case, the tissues were being examined to look for active bleeding at the injury site.
As already mentioned, Simon and Luda's chests were crushed. The histology test determined that those injuries happened while they were alive.
Both Luda and Simon were also found with their eyes missing. This histology test determined there was active bleeding at the time these injuries occurred. This means that Simon and Luda's eyes were removed while they were alive.
This, in and of itself, points to something more sinister than an avalanche or winds or ice slab or whatever.
I'm skeptical of this new investigation into the Dyatlov Pass mystery. In fact, it's a shame that the Russian officials want to pin this on weather or natural events or whatever. All those scenarios were ruled out almost immediately back in 1959. And there's still no sign of such events to this day. The evidence of the case is in complete contradiction to a natural event.
Edit: I'm getting PM's about the picture of George's injuries. I created that based on his autopsy report. I also did the same thing for the other eight hikers. I wrote a book about Dyatlov Pass and included those in there.
Edit: Here's a link to the original official reports.
Edit: Here's a link to the scans of the original official documents.
Edit: I hope I've been able to answer everyone's messages and replies. I apologize if I missed someone. If I have, then please let me know. I typed the OP out while babysitting my four year old grandson full-time, so I haven't been as attentive to this post as I'd like. Thank you all for your patience and time.
Are you in Vic or NSW? If you're in NSW your best bet will be to rent touring skis, skins and boots from Bruce at Wilderness Sports in Jindy. Most of our backcountry requires reasonably long approaches and trekking out there on snowshoes with heavy alpine boots and skis would be a nightmare.
I'm also going to advocate strongly that you at least introduce yourself to cocepts around decision making in backcountry terrain.
There is no harm in learning and practicing good habits even if you're somewhere that you think is safe. I've heard it plenty of times in Australia, where people say things like "i've skied this face for 20 years and it's never slid" but that sort of attitude leads to complacency and when avalanche conditions arrive people don't have the knowledge or experience to recognize and avoid them, (Like what happened here last year). I wouldn't go into the backcountry with someone who is happy to assume everything is safe, no matter where it is, and particularly if they or I weren't familiar with the area.
I'd suggest getting your hands on a copy of Tremper's Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, if for no reason other than its a good read and you'll familiarize yourself with some of the important stuff to consider.
Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering is another that will help with technique and advice etc.
If you have questions about the backcountry, or Australia's specifically, feel free to ask.
The master point can (and will) hang over the edge fairly safely as it shouldn't be moving much at all. It's when the rope hangs over the edge that you have an issue, since the rope will be moving as you top rope. The end of the rope dragging on a slab will be fine as there's very little weight or tension that low.
Near the anchor there will be a lot of tension on the rope (from the weight of all the rope below the anchor as well as the weight of the climber if they take a fall) and you're going to want to avoid the rope dragging across an edge or hard rock there as much as possible. As you get further down towards the bottom of the rope it matters less. Obviously every situation is different, and there might be situations where you'll want to leave a directional piece to keep the rope drag low, but that kind of knowledge comes with experience. If you want a good guide you can check out this falcon guide on toproping. I don't own it but I think it covers the topic briefly, and falcon guides are generally quite good.
Here
Edit: formatting
The books:
The classes will help ensure you get the practice in and actually read and understood the material correctly.
WTA is awesomel especially for the "trail report" section of each trail write-up: (usually) up-to-date info on whether to expect snow/trail closures/etc. Especially this time of year, it's worth checking before heading out.
Also check out some of the trail books from The Mountaineers (available at REI, Amazon, etc.). This one, for example, has a nice grid up front that sorts ~100 trails by length, difficulty, and season. I suspect some of their other books do this too.
Also, The Mountaineers have classes, organized group hikes, etc, so their website is worth a gander.
Welcome to Yosemite!
First of all, do you trad lead? You have to be able to climb on gear to get the full favor of Yosemite climbing.
When are you going? At this time of the year the Valley can be really hot. Bring a lot of water. Or consider climbing at Tuolumne, which is much cooler.
Get your crack skills and friction climbing dialed. They are almost like prerequisites for climbing at the Valley.
A double set of cams up to #3 and single set of nuts should take you a long way. Single 60m rope is fine but having a second rope can sometimes be handy for rappelling.
Get the Supertaco guidebook... they are the best for first-time Valley climbers.
Camping is a bitch... I usually spend the nights somewhere in the national forest outside of the park.
Routes: you gotta be more specific about what you want to climb. Are you thinking about single pitch cragging? Short multipitch? Or all day adventurous routes?
I learned a lot from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Glacier-Mountaineering-Illustrated-Travel-Crevasse/dp/0762748621 (despite the silly cover)
As I remember it covers considerably more than the freedom of the hills.
Personally I went outside and found a tree branch to practice hauling on. A gym will work but I found it easier to learn/practice without a bunch of other people around gawking.
I’m 140lbs 5’ 6” and I climb v7-v8 so your weight isn’t the problem. I would recommend getting the book “Training for Climbing”. It has tons of great information that has helped me on my climbing journey.
For your first time and at the level 7a, any guidebook that has decent directions to the sectors will be fine, for example, Fontainebleau Climbs.
I've been there many times, and still almost never use a guidebook except for finding the parking and blocs. Most of the time, you can just wander around the sectors and find amazing things to climb at just about any level. It's also more fun (for me) to climb without knowing the grades.
A bit late here... Please don't concentrate only on gear! Rainier is a VERY dangerous big mountain and don't let the fact that there are hundreds of people going up it at any time fool you into thinking otherwise. One of our team mates punched through a crevasse waist deep while following a trail that dozens of people went over before us that same day. Practice self arrest, crevasse rescue, rope work, team dynamics, route finding, etc. Next time you walk on the street, just pretend for a few feet that the ground could collapse under you at any second and you fall to your death unless you're prepared. 95% chance you will great weather, nothing will go wrong, and you will have the best experience of your life in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Please be prepared for the other 5%.
Some great resources:
http://www.amazon.com/Glacier-Mountaineering-Illustrated-Travel-Crevasse/dp/0762748621/ref=pd_sim_b_2
http://www.summitpost.org/mount-rainier/150291
Feel free to PM me and I would be happy to talk to you about our trip (unguided) and talk to you as much about gear as you can stand since I'm a gear whore.
Edit: sorry for the mean sounding post... more people than usual in the mountains this year and every incident weighs fairly heavily when you read about people dying while doing the same thing that you do.
Nothing beats taking a class from a professional, and getting days of experience under your belt (ideally with someone who knows what they're doing to guide you)
​
But I found this book to be incredibly helpful - it starts from the true beginning and runs the gamut in terms of core knowledge. At the very least, it will give you a good understanding of the kinds of things you should focus on learning in class/when you're out there.
You haven't been around much, have you?
(https://www.amazon.com/High-Sierra-Peaks-Passes-Trails/dp/0898869714)
I forgot to add, there are some great books out there that are super inspiring and useful.
Climbing Anchors, 2nd Edition, by John Long
Self-Rescue, by David Fasulo, Mike Clelland
Big Walls, Paul Piana
Performance Rock Climbing by Dale Goddard and Udo Neumann is another great reference for improving your mental game.
Here's the thing: if you are bouldering at or near your limit, those thoughts telling you that you can't do it--and by "do it" I mean send the problem clean from start to finish--those thoughts are usually right. Bouldering is hard. So, for me, it's less about switching off negative chatter and more about developing a positive response to failure. Because if you challenge yourself in bouldering, you're going to be failing. A lot.
One thing that's helped me is learning to appreciate the process of unlocking even just a single move on a hard boulder. Try different beta. Feel out all the micro-adjustments you can make that change the movement. Celebrate each little improvement along the way, from getting closer to doing one move, to doing that move, to doing multiple moves in isolation, to linking multiple moves into a sequence, and eventually to doing the entire problem. That way you build up a habit of giving yourself positive feedback throughout the entire process of working a hard problem rather than only at the very end when you finally send it.
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
Because it's written by a consensus of experienced people, because it's comprehensive, because it's revised all the time to be current on gear and facts, and because it can save your life in more ways than any other book in existence. Too bad it weighs 3 pounds.
I spent my first day in font being annoyed at climbing much below the level i thought i was. From day two onwards, we shifted to a child like happiness roaming around, climbing whatever looked fun (including some trees), getting freaked out on top outs, scraping our knees and elbows, and never wanting to leave. Best advise is ignore grades. Takes crash pads, towels to clean your shoes, lots of food and water, and definitely a guide book (i have this one and it was helpful https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fontainebleau-Climbs-Finest-Bouldering-Circuits/dp/1594857709/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526124649&sr=8-4&keywords=fontainebleau+bouldering).
Edit: plus make a good effort to warm up properly. Less easy to do than in a gym, but try not to ignore it
Eiger Dreams is an excellent book.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1599216108
Maybe look around the area and see what gyms there are and get her some day passes to them.
Honestly though, the best support you could probably give her would be to climb with her. Then you too could become addicted!
For $9 there is no reason at all for anyone doing multipitch not to read this.
To be proficient at getting yourself out of trouble you have to practice it but at least having an idea of what you could do is better than having no clue at all.
Vogel's Book is very comprehensive and has most routes. But if you're not going to spend weeks there, the best climbs book is really great for finding the classics.
How to top rope by Bob Gains is good if you are starting out.
http://www.amazon.com/Toproping-How-To-Climb-Series/dp/0762770325
He also has a book on anchors and setting other pro if you are interested in working on leading.
http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Anchors-How-Climb-Series/dp/0762782072/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
John long is also a great author as u/jdevver suggested.
2 Hours there's not a ton of choices, there are few more places 2-4 hours away near Bend, but still most of it will have longer approaches, until April-may, that's when those volcanoes become accessible. In Washington 3-4 hours away there's tons Touring at Snoqualmie pass Area, Stevens pass, and some stuff in the Olympics. Here's a book for Oregon and southern Washington:, has most of the Hood routes. This one is forWashington There more Washington books to choice from. Here's one for just Snoqualmie pass which is about 3h without traffic, It's not imprint anymore, only pdf. Here you can find other routes, and people to tour with.
There's a really good series of cartoon books about lightweight backpacking and mountaineering by a few guys from NOLS which really helped me adjust what I thought was "necessary".
Mountaineering
Ultralight
General Backpacking
I had a really solid mountaineer once tell me that the key to success on the mountains is camping like a champion. If you're poorly rested, poorly fed or angry with your partners because of a crappy camp setup, you're less likely to achieve your goals.
I mostly do ski mountaineering with some summer stuff thrown in for kicks (I'm in the Canadian rockies so "Summer" is relative). Typically I'll have my ski touring day pack 35L+ and my wife carries a 45L+ bag (she tends to carry but not wear more layers) on any trip where I'm based out of a base camp or hut. We'll drag our gear in on a pull sled or we'll both bring our 65 or 85L bags (depending on trip length) to camp, then ditch em.
Great book: "Performance Rock Climbing" by Dale Goddard & Udo Neumann
"Handbook for experienced climbers covers all the physical and psychological aspects of climbing training."
Bonus: Udo Neumann Interview Excerpt. A really nice guy.
You shouldn't ever accept an anchor that isn't redundant. In practice, people use single point bomber tree anchors all the time, but it isn't the best practice, and is riskier than taking a small bit of extra effort to incorporate another point into the anchor (like another tree, in this example).
I'd strongly recommend getting a book on anchor building for top rope situations, like: http://www.amazon.com/Toproping-How-To-Climb-Series/dp/0762770325
Having an experienced friend or guide go out with you your first time or few times and evaluate your anchors is a good thing to do, as well.
I love hiking and climbing mountains in the Sierra. There are literally hundreds of peaks over 10K ft that can be done in a day depending on fitness.
The best resource, IMO, is R.J. Secor's guide book "The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, Trails." His book gives a high level overview of everything that's out there.
Any trail in the foothills.
EDIT: Here's a sweet book that is exactly what you are looking for, LINK, they also sell it at REI.
I bought this and have enjoyed it: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Hikes-Dogs-Colorado-Savage/dp/0898869684
https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Scrambles-Best-Nontechnical-Ascents/dp/1594858403
Kaleetan Peak is a good one. Lots of good stuff in the Enchantments.
Warm weather beta for Fontainebleau?
Hi All, I'm super excited to have the chance to go to font for a few days next week. I've never been before and have been told "everything's great" whenever I ask which bits to go and see, which is really exciting but also super daunting because there's far too much stuff to be covered by one guidebook. I have this: https://smile.amazon.com/Fontainebleau-Climbs-Finest-Bouldering-Circuits/dp/1594857709?sa-no-redirect=1 but even just looking in there there's literally no way to choose!
Does anyone have any recommendations for: a) places which are particularly well-shaded (it's going to be ridiculously hot) b) specific climbs in the low-mid 6s which you just don't think anyone should miss? c) Specific circuits which tend to be shady and interesting (and probably don't go above 6c)
I'm really exciting and sure I'm going to have a great time regardless, and I have no expectations about breaking into new grades given the weather, but any recommendations just for "somewhere to start" would be hugely appreciated! Thank you!
Not sure if my comment was coming across as mean-spirited, but I didn't intend it to be so. I genuinely appreciate what you're doing. My story about the guidebook happens pretty often to me in southern CA, I'll show up someplace with a ticklist of high rated <V4 problems, only to find they are highballs or have landings full of rocks / down large hills.
I wish more route developers had a keen eye toward noobs. I own this book, and if books like this existed for other areas, I would definitely pick them up.
This is what it's really all about- having fun! And, geez y'll, this is literally the route featured on the cover of THE book for JTree climbing (https://www.amazon.com/Best-Climbs-Joshua-Tree-National/dp/0762770198). Bravo dude. Keep being cool and having fun.
Udo Neumann and Dale Goddard cover this in Performance Rock Climbing (chapters Flexibility and Flexibility Training).
The chapters are included in the Amazon preview here: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Rock-Climbing-Dale-Goddard/dp/0811722198/
(It's quite an old book, so I'm not sure if there are new insights already)
May is still fairly early season, the vast majority of ascents happen in July and August. Since it's early season and PNW weather is what it is, you're much more likely to have bad weather than if you waited a few months. Depending on how long you'll be here you may get a great weather window or could have a week+ long period of low visibility and rain.
Would you trust your friend to rescue you from a crevasse without any assistance? If not, they're probably not the best partner to take on this climb. While many of the crevasses will still be snow covered in May, they may be starting to melt out and thin snow bridges won't be as apparent. Mt Rainier is not a 'technical' climb nor is it especially high, but it certainly is a test of fitness and has its fair share of objective hazards.
Depending on conditions, any of those routes could be the right one for you. All are relatively easy as far as glacier climbs go.
I'm not going to go into depth on the other questions - you can do your own research there. RMI and IMG are local guiding companies that can provide resources and make recommendations.
Washington has a huge selection of hikes, from PCT section hikes through the Cascades to long loops in the Olympics. WTA is a great resource for finding the right one for your trip. I'd recommend Washington Scrambles as a good book for non-technical summits in the area.
Ya Bear Grylls does not do shit for real. His show is infotainment only. If you tried the shit he does you would most likely end up dead or very, very sick. For a better start pick up a copy of a real survival guide. See link below...
http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Wilderness-Survival-Ultimate-Outdoors/dp/0974082023
https://www.amazon.com/Trad-Guide-Joshua-Tree-Favorite/dp/0972441395
That's what you want then for sure! Just good clean fun.
Here's a couple of resources that I found helpful:
http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/pdf/How-to-Build-a-Home-Bouldering-Wall.pdf
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Your-Own-Climbing-Wall/dp/0762780231
Check this book out: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Your-Own-Climbing-Wall/dp/0762780231
It has so much good info.
I am thinking of this guide book for our short time there? http://www.amazon.com/Best-Climbs-Joshua-Tree-National/dp/0762770198/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1383061620&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=joshua+tree+climbing
For training purposes, Performance Rock Climbing. It's old but certainly not outdated. Really well-written and easy to understand.
edit: typos
My maps show ~4.5mi to Second Lake, after which maybe ~1.5mi up to Contact Pass (maybe a little longer depending on route finding).
The book would be Secor's The High Sierra: http://www.amazon.com/The-High-Sierra-Passes-Trails/dp/0898869714/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=1CM9B8Y051EQPXBNRFEW . He has a short description of the route you describe in there, just in case you're curious.
A good guidebook is super helpful as well. Washington finally got a good one this year: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594856567
I've also started a little website to compile backcountry tours in Washington: http://powderlin.es/. It only has 3 tours right now but if anyone is interested in adding more let me know! The source is on Github: https://github.com/bobbymarko/powderlines
I'd recommend you take a Avy class, read back issues of Backcountry mag (detailed reviews of beacons, tele and AT gear), and:
http://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Skiing-Touring-Mountaineering-Mountaineers/dp/1594850380/
http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=2&amp;sid=f95e83bc2fbb682de1dd53544543b0ab
(possibly too much info http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/
The stuff everybody knows about: topos, skins, shovel, probe, beacon and practice time with beacon.
If you get caught out: 2 meter radio, LED headlamp, batteries, leatherman/knife, static rope/Perlon line, tarp, space blanket, water filter, power bars, stuff like that.
Here is the mobile version of your link
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Your-Own-Climbing-Wall/dp/0762780231
I bought this book that has some great multi-day suggested routes, you could easily chain a few of them together with the info listed in the book. I personally like it, but I haven't hiked any of them yet...I plan to this summer though.
Awesome- you are a quick reader, though. which one are you reading? If you are reading No Picnic on Mt. Kenya, be sure to read the forward by the author (or if you didn't get a version with the forward, try to find it in the library or online) because his life is fascinating.
If you like Krakauer's writing style, I recommend his other mountaineering book Eiger Dreams
some other good mountaineering writers to check out: Joe Simpson, Maurice Herzog , Ed Viesturs, Anatoli Boukreev, Nick Heil, Beck Weathers, and Dave Breashears
For backcountry:
Take AIARE level 1. AAI, as well as a bunch of other outfits, offer this class.
resources for backcountry travel:
There are tons of guidebooks for Josh. Depends on what you want though as some are more just a list of climbs without much commentary.(even gear!) Some are more of a best of which I would recommend. I have the "trad guide to josh" which has 60 climbs from 5.5 to 5.9 that the author recommends. It's good but I'd probably get this one instead; in fact I just picked it up.
Tahquitz only has one really
malibu creek has sport climbing the santa monicas is ok. but nowhere near the quality of the color pictures and descriptions of the josh ones.
hidden treasures east covers holcomb valley. You can get a lot of info from the mountain project page too.
Red rock is way out of the way but tons of amazing climbing. this is really the defacto guidebook. I am hesitant to say that I have seen a better guidebook anywhere.
There is some hard sport at the riverside quarry(though some really easy stuff too but not a moderate destination crag by any stretch of the mind). You can get the second edition of louie's guide book directly from him. Full color and very good.
I generally buy a 5 pack at Climb Nashville, rather than the membership - since I have a hard time committing to regularity. I don't have my grip endurance built up, so normally I can't hold onto the wall after more than half an hour. I'll generally try to tie in some cardio, a class, or some lower body stuff so I feel like I get my time and money's worth.
What I love most about climbing is the strategic part to it. Sure you can power up a wall, but it takes strategy and finesse to be able to stretch your endurance.
Performance Rock Climbing is a great book I read in high-school when I started climbing. It really helped me work on technique.
Both East and West have great routes from 'just more challenging than a ladder', to 'I don't think a nickel counts as a foothold'. They're all marked, so its easy to realistically challenge yourself.
How to Stay Alive in the Woods - everything from trapping animals, to building forts, to making an emergency pair of snowshoes
http://www.amazon.com/How-Stay-Alive-Woods-Self-Preservation/dp/1579122213/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312860088&amp;sr=1-1
Camping and Wilderness Survival - HUGE book (1075 pages) with EVERYTHING you need to know with tons of pictures.
http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Wilderness-Survival-Ultimate-Outdoors/dp/0974082023/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312860190&amp;sr=1-1
There are lots of books about Edible and Medicinal plants - I have two about plants in the Western United States.
[Here you go] (https://www.amazon.com/Toproping-How-Climb-Bob-Gaines/dp/0762770325)
This should cover all your top roping questions. Also check out the AMGA single pitch book as well.
I've mostly been practicing it as I go along. The only books I own on the subject are the above and Glacier Mountaineering - travel and rescue
google "school board" by moon climbing.
look on MP.com and here.
heck, there are books at MEC that detail how to do it.
http://www.amazon.ca/Building-Your-Own-Climbing-Wall/dp/0762780231/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1406652766&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=build+climbing+wall
About two weeks into climbing, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this book in one of those give-and-take bookshelves in a local coffee shop. Reading it helped me a lot, way more than any online resource I've found. It will help you come up with a clear plan for improvement and teach you about how to think about climbing. You're gonna have to put in the work at the end of the day - it's not a shortcut by any means. But if you take the advice this book gives seriously, I think you will be surprised by the results. Before you throw money at a coach, consider reading up more.
Pick up a book called, "Backpacking Washington." https://www.amazon.com/Backpacking-Washington-Overnight-Multi-Day-Routes/dp/1594851107
I'm planning the same thing with my wife and two pups (2.5 y/o border collie mix & 1.5 y/o lab mix) in June. We live in AZ but are planning a 2-3 week trip to CO over the summer. I'm starting to get both the dogs and my wife used to hiking and camping now, so that by the time of our trip everyone will be prepared!
Edit: we also just got this book, we have the AZ version and love it
These are mostly moderate climbs and great resources:
https://www.amazon.com/Yosemite-Valley-Free-Climbs-Supertopos/dp/0967239141
https://www.amazon.com/Tuolumne-Free-Climbs-Greg-Barnes/dp/0976523574
Since onion valley was brought up:
https://www.amazon.com/High-Sierra-Peaks-Passes-Trails/dp/0898869714