Rucksack Guide - Alpinism

Rucksack Guide - Alpinism is your essential handbook when on the mountain.
It offers concise guidance and support for whatever situations you might find yourself in, including:
- Technical skills: tips and reminders on the key techniques
- The Alpine environment: dealing with hazards, altitude and avalanches
- Navigation: various techniques to help in a range of weather conditions
- Safety: essential procedures to ensure the safety of yourself, your party and others on the mountain
- Emergencies: guidance on what to do in extreme situations.
The book is colour-coded for easy reference and all information is presented in lists and tables, making it simple to understand in testing conditions.
The Rucksack Guide series is adapted from Mountaineering: The essential skills for mountain walkers and climbers, the definitive handbook for hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers.

Alun Richardson is an International Mountain Guide, the highest qualification for worldwide climbing, mountaineering and exploration. He is an experienced guide and tutor and regularly teaches at the National Mountaineering Centres, and internationally. He is also secretary of the British Mountain Guides Association.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
What is alpinism?
Climbing light
Clothing
Boots
Crampons
Crampon compatibility
Gaiters
Rucksack
Other equipment

Keeping warm
Clothes
Dehydration
The Alpine environment
The Alpine peak
Altitude
Acclimatisation
AMS
HAPE
HACE
Use of Diamox
Other problems at altitude
Alpine weather
Dangers on the ground
Thunderstorms and lightning
Navigation
Navigation differences
Altimeters
When and where to go
Alpine seasons
The best of the Alps
How to tackle an alpine peak
Preparation and planning
Alpine grading
Technical difficulty
The approach
Bivouacs
Bivvying
Emergency bivvying
Staying in huts
Hut living
Travelling on glaciers
What are glaciers?
Where glaciers form
Spotting hidden crevasses
Wet glaciers - the essentials
Rope usage
Connecting to the rope
Crevasse rescue
Principles
Arresting a fall
Getting to the victim
Assessment of the situation
Getting out of the crevasse
Assisted hoist
Unassisted hoist
Improving the hoist
Alpine climbing
Becoming an alpiniste
Moving together
Moving faster on pitched alpine routes
Descending
Abseiling
Rescue
Search and rescue
Helicopters

The Alps in Winter
Equipment
Alpine waterfall ice
Appendix
Winter climbing grades
Index
Rucksack Guides
Notes