The Complete Guide to Climbing and Mountaineering

This is a comprehensive, full-colour manual providing a complete reference for climbers of every level and discipline. It covers all the skills, safety issues and equipment necessary for the key climbing disciplines: mountains, bouldering and climbing walls, summer climbing, winter climbing, big wall and expedition climbing. Extensively illustrated throughout with practical diagrams as well as inspirational and instructive photographs, it covers everything from basic safety, equipment and techniques to advanced-level mountaineering on some of the world's toughest ascents.

The book begins with fundamental information on technical equipment, from harness, rock boots and ropes to slings, karabiners and belay devices, including a detailed section on different types of knots with clear diagrams. It explains how to move on rock with various handholds, footholds and specific climbing techniques, explores the attractions of bouldering, and discusses the various types of climbing walls. The summer section details everything you need to know about traditional climbing, sport climbing, and Via Ferratas which are well suited for families new to climbing. The winter section covers avalanches, ice climbing, snow shelters, step kicking, step cutting and crampon techniques.

For more advanced climbers and mountaineers, the Alpine climbing, big wall climbing and expedition sections provide ideas, equipment information, techniques, and advice on overcoming problems in challenging scenarios. The appendices include essential information on climbing grades worldwide, as well as factors and forces. Written by Pete Hill (MIC, FRGS), an experienced and highly-regarded climbing instructor and author of the bestselling 'Mountain Skills Training Handbook', this is one of very few books on the market that is so comprehensive, internationally relevant and covers so many different types of climbing.