Book: Ski Mountaineering for Dummies

Quite a few action sports around southwest Montana—ice climbing and whitewater kayaking, to name two—have high barriers to entry. Learning the necessary skills, safety considerations, and inside beta are things that take time. Not so with ski mountaineering, as demonstrated by Hugh Jiddiot’s latest book, Ski Mountaineering for Dummies (Dereliction Books, $15). This 50-page guide, illustrated in the style of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, contains everything you need to know to scale a massive peak and ski down a 50-degree, ice-covered couloir—from avalanche awareness, to knots & ropework, to the best choice of summit beer. More of a bedtime reader than a technical tome, the book’s minimal text (no more than three sentences per page) and extra-large font make it accessible to every level of attention, experience, and intellect. Impressively, Jiddiot manages to convey his decades of presumptive alpine prowess, such that you could easily read the book, grab your skis, and head to Gallatin Peak tomorrow. Or heck, maybe the Grand Teton—why not go big, right off the couch? Just don’t forget a headlamp, to bone up in your bivy sack before the big summit push. And remember to share—your buddy will want to see the pictures, too.