Recommended Mountaineering Books
- Alpinist (http://www.alpinist.com)
- More of a literary journal than a magazine, this well respected publication is laced with excellent photos, trip reports, and chronicles by the world’s foremost journalist, explorers, and photographers.
- Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine by Eric Simonson
- Chronicle of the 1999 search for the bodies of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on Mount Everest.
- Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue: Reading Glaciers, Team Travel, Crevasse Rescue Techniques, Routefinding, Expedition Skills 2nd Edition by Andrew Selters
- Guide for the beginning mountaineer wanting to learn about the sport or the expert looking to brush up on his/her knowledge and skills.
- Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
- Classic book describing a catastrophic ascent of Mount Everest by one of the world’s top adventure writers.
- The National Outdoor Leadership School’s Wilderness Mountaineering Guide by Phil Powers.
- Everything you need to know guide about mountaineering from leaving no footprints, surviving on your own, what to do in emergencies, what to wear, and how to navigate. An all-in-one survival guide.
- Seven Summits by Dick Bass, Frank Wells, Rick Ridgeway
- Account of two men who know little about climbing that attempt to be the first to climb the seven summits.
Useful Websites
General
- Mountain Zone (http://www.mountainzone.com)
- All around mountain sporting site with great details and topographical maps on specific peaks around the world.
- Peakware (http://www.peakware.com)
- This highly visual resource is an encyclopedia of the world’s mountains. A good place to start when planning a mountaineering trip if you have general regions in mind, but not exact peaks.
- Rock & Ice Magazine (http://www.rockandice.com)
- Online home of a popular climbing magazine. Gear reviews, trip reports, features, forums, news, jobs, and much more.
Asia
- Nepal Visitors (http://www.nepalvisitors.com)
- Nepali tourism website with basic background information including a trekking section outlining where to trek, how to get permits, trip grading, visa information, and timetables
Europe
- Hiking Switzerland (http://www.switzerland-rando.ch)
- Geared toward hiking and nature lovers of the Swiss Alps with regional information, hiking hotels, and links to clubs in several languages.
North America
- American Alpine Club (http://www.americanalpineclub.org)
- Club for American climbers around the world. Membership fee.
- National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov)
- Homepage of the US national park service with video features, trip planning, park stats, and news.
- Peakfinder (http://www.peakfinder.com)
- Great source of background information on mountain peaks of the Canadian Rockies.