Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain

I have to agree with what I believe to be the majority - those who state that this is THE book to purchase if you buy only one book on Avalanches.In the review title, I state that the book makes a complex topic intelligible. You have to understand that this isn't simple material. Any book on avalanches should be read with the attention that you'd give any textbook. It's your life, after all, and even the experts are learning on a day to day basis. To think you could flip through a couple of hundred pages and know it all is unrealistic at best, and delusional at worst.Having said that, Bruce does a great job at making the learning "stick". I already had the first edition and purchased this second edition to get current on updates. Snow science is evolving.There's no substitute for hands on training (e.g. Level-1 course given by a certified AIARE provider - http://aiare.info/), but a book like this is an excellent companion ... to be read both before AND after your course.

This book cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about avalanches (most likely triggers, survivability etc). I expected a somewhat tedious book full of tables, but it turned out to be quite readable and easy to understand.While the book does give you some quick checklists, it also presses home the point that evaluating avalanche risks reliably requires years of experience (and even then can fail you), so you definitely can't accuse the author of leaving you with a false sense of security.Part of the book was a bit too detailed for me (e.g. a dozen different ways to test snow stability), though it might be handy when doing a practical course (which this book obviously does not replace).Throughout the book there are great pictures, some of them chilling. I'd have liked to see more pictures (e.g. terrain examples, snow crystals) and in better print quality, even if that had increased the cost of the book a bit.I'm not an expert, and this is the only book I've read on the topic, so I can't judge the accuracy of this book. However the list of reviewers in the acknowledgments section looks like a who's who of avalanche research, so I'm reasonably confident that the information in this book does represent the current knowledge accurately.

Great book! Very informative and seems to include all of the basics with decent depth. I am getting into backcountry skiing and had a last minute trip to wyoming planned so I did not get a chance to do a level 1 course ( instead I did an intro class). After discussing the book in depth with the trip mates. A majority of information from the classes is covered in the book. The Intro class also included many of the same diagrams and photos (the book was recommended and used as a source). It's a great book but it can clearly not make up for the hands-on training from a level 1 class or from experience in the field which I do not believe can be replaced by books.

If you plan to go into the backcountry, where the snow might move under your feet , this book is worth the read. Extreme skier/snowboarders should heed what they read. And for those who can’t go anywhere without an engine under them ,the stats are not in your favor. Don’t be too cool for school in the backcountry. If nothing else , think about precipitation in all its various forms as it falls to the face of this planet..... especially when it might freeze.

Words can't describe how valuable this book has been in my personal search for Avalanche knowledge and tips for staying safe in Avalanche terrain. This book can't replace the hands on experience of an Avalanche course, but it will teach you pretty much everything else you'll ever need to know about backcountry safety. Bruce Tremper is a true expert in his field, and a great writer too. I've read this book cover to cover three times. I'd read it again if I thought I had anything more to gain from this wealth of knowledge. 5+ stars. Buy this book.

Written well and informative! Now go take a class and start skiing with experienced and educated friends!

Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper is all that I hoped it would be and more. I have perused a number of avalanche texts over the years, and I have found many to read like textbooks. Tremper's approach is more accessible and yet not condescending. He uses apt analogies and down-to-Earth examples that resonate with the recreational outdoorsman or outdoorswoman. There are abundant graphs, illustrations, and images that support and enrich Tremper's reasoned presentation. His tone is one of respectful caution, perhaps borne of his losing friends and colleagues to avalanches - a reality that he mentions repeatedly. If all I learn from this book is that sobering fact then it was money well spent.

I've been living in Salt Lake for two months. I've had this book recommended to me at least five times. Even though I read the book before moving here, I see why it is so highly recommended. The whole book is sobering and, in my opinion, does a great job of impressing on the reader the danger.

Incredibly well-written, practical and accessible advice. The author's experience and expertise is evident but also is his humility.Tremper's style is almost avuncular, not foreseeing horrible death at every turn - he wants you to get out into fresh untracked snow, and tells you how best to do it. 'Staying Alive...' covers not only the wind, weather and other situational aspects of avalanche forecasting, but most importantly devotes a good 5 chapters' worth to dealing with the human influence, the major cause of avalanche accidents.I have ploughed through a lot of very heavy, serious books about this subject, written by the living experts in the field, yet this book is the only one I would recommend to any skier or snowboarder looking to explore the backcountry.

An important and excellent book on avalanches. A fresh, more casual elaboration than is typical but with some very important new work on the human factor in the avalanche problem. All the significant basics are dealt with very well but it is Bruce Tremper's handling of the human factor that is really illuminating. Those who get avalanched often start the avalanche themselves, are experienced in their sport and probably know a fair amount about snow. So why do people with this profile tend to become avalanche victims? The book handles this exceptionally well and is a wake-up call for all of us - experienced and novices alike - who go to play on the snow.The best quote? At the head of Chapter One:'Life is short, the art long, opportunities fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult.' (Attributed to Hippocrates)(Has to be the best precis of how humans struggle to come to terms with snow stability and hazard evaluation.)

A thorough introduction to the topic. Tremper lays out all the key concepts and issues well. But he really scares the shit out of you as if you’re not really interested, many of his anecdotes involve someone dying and you could leave this feeling disempowered. As he’s American and personally I only ski the alps I also wondered he relevant some of it was give Europe gets half the snowfall of Canada say...

Best in english so far. Would recommend book by Tirol avalanche control guys, Lawinen, by Rudi Mayer, in german.

Awesome book - the Avalanche bible.