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Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills?
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18 reviews of this product found across Reddit:
You need a load bearing hipbelt, you really should have a dedicated avalanche tools pocket, and no, 32L is not big enough for overnight even during the summer let alone during the winter with avalanche gear. Don't try cut corners with winter backcountry gear.
Pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills and read it if you are serious about this kind of thing. You really shouldn't be doing a winter overnight in the backcountry if you have to ask this kind of stuff. I mean that with safety in mind, not to be a jerk.
Strength training and running keep me busy while I'm working now.
Read Freedom of the Hills, it'll likely take a year.
1.5 years is a really long time though. If you prioritize it, getting on trail is totally doable in that time frame. Being a weekend warrior is definitely a skill that takes time to learn and perfect.
Still highly recommend acquiring "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills". Read the parts that interest you first, and then eventually, read the whole thing. The book is 600 pages long and will teach you safety and skills. https://smile.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N2B4Y2MS4FF0&keywords=mountaineering+freedom+of+the+hills&qid=1664170043&sprefix=mountaineering%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1
lol these comments are so salty.
Go pick up Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. This book is going to give you a LOT of detail on gear and how to use it, but it's only theoretical. You need to find someone with more experience than you, be it a formal teacher, or a guided climb, or someone from a local climbing group to show you how to do everything in practice.
First buy “Freedom of the Hills” it’s the mountaineering bible. If you don’t know how to use your tools they are worthless and will hurt/kill you.
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510045/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VCJbEb7DY60AZ
I use the black diamond raven Ice axe. Go to Rei and find the right size. Hold the axe by the head with your arm relaxed down your side.
The spike at the base of the axe should touch your ankle bone.
Whether you use a leash is personal preference, I use a leash.
Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe with Grip, 70cm, Anodized Light Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AQNUD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jFJbEbJ9CY551
These are the crampons I use
Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampon, Polished https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YHI57M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.FJbEb3AGDS63
A helmet is REQUIRED there is a ton of falling ice and rock on Baldy and you will want a helmet. Use a rock climbing helmet NOT a bike helmet.
Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet - Denim - S/M https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXZ133N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oHJbEbF8TEEPJ
For boots you need a stiff no flex waterproof mountaineering boot or your crampons will fall off.
I use La sportiva GTX cubes but those are pricey, you should be able to find suitable boots for $200-$300
You will want soft shell pants (water resistant/water proof. Ski/snowboard pants are not good for mountaineering.
This is a pricey hobby to get into, but don’t buy cheap knock-off gear when your life depends on it.
Edit: you’ll also want gaiters, these are ok to buy cheap $15 dollar ones on amazon. They just keep snow from getting in your boots/pants.
You should pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510045/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SeUWBbTQDT8PX
Also THIS book. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510045/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CcPzBbC0F76C4
Winter really isn't "beginner friendly" in general, especially not in remote mountainous backcountry terrain. And winter conditions are definitely present in the Catskills. That's not to say that you can't do it safely... but you're going to need to do a lot more prep work and research than just posting a thread on Reddit soliciting advice. A partial list of considerations you need to be thinking about:
To start with- make sure you've got the 10 essentials. It doesn't matter what season you're headed out in- these are the things that you absolutely need to have on you for every hike that isn't just a "walk in your local town park."
You both definitely need snowshoes and microspikes. Crampons aren't usually necessary, but be prepared for the small (but non-zero) chance that you'll need to turn back if you don't have them. You'll also need to figure out a way to attach the snowshoes to your packs while using the microspikes (bring webbing).
Please, please, please do not hike through deep snow without snowshoes. This is called "post holing," and best case scenario, you'll end up tiring yourselves out pretty quickly. Worst case scenario, you'll tear up the trail and should you do it during a thaw-freeze cycle (such as the one coming up this weekend), you'll result in an uneven icy surface that can actually be pretty dangerous for hikers to try to traverse after you. And if you end up snowshoeing through deep snow, expect the going to be very slow- you may move even less than a mile an hour.
Read up on proper layering of clothing for winter hiking. In a nutshell- more thin layers is often better than a few thick layers. You want to stay warm, but not too warm- if you overheat, you'll sweat more, and you'll end up getting colder in the long run. Generally speaking, most are fine while moving with just base and shell layers, but some like to wear a thin insulating layer, especially on the down hills. Extra insulating layers in your pack to use while taking a break (or in the event of an emergency) are essential. For peaks, you may also want face protection (scarf, balaclava, ski goggles).
You also need to think carefully about footwear. For most hikers, un-insulated boots aren't going to cut it for hikes in winter conditions. And waterproofing is an absolute necessity for hiking in the snow.
Be prepared to be out overnight in an emergency situation. You don't necessarily need to carry a full overnight setup, but a few extras (extra dry base layers, extra insulating layers, emergency blankets and/or a bivy sack, extra high-calorie food) can go a long way.
You'll also need to think about how you're going to keep your water from freezing. Some will use a couple of thick socks around their water bottles; you can also buy commercially-made water bottle coozies for Nalgene bottles. A thermos so that you can have hot drinks with lunch can also make a huge difference in terms of comfort.
Look up the early warning signs of hypothermia and frost bite- and how to respond. With hypothermia especially, there's often signs (the "umbles") hours in advance of incapacitation that any hiker well-equipped for cold weather hiking should be able to identify (not just in others, but in themselves also) and respond. Regarding hypothermia prevention: In a nutshell- hydration and calories are important. Winter hiking is no time to be "watching your waist." For even a relatively moderate intensity climb, 3,000+ calories consumed that day isn't unreasonable.
Concerning navigation, popular trails- such as the trail up Slide Mountain from the Frost Valley/Oliverea side (Route 47) are usually well traveled and easy to follow, with the possible exception of immediately after a major storm that dumps a lot of snow. Less popular trails, however, get little (if any) use during the winter- and these ones may be a significant challenge to navigate.
While much of the rest of the book is admittedly overkill for winter hiking in the Catskills, the first bunch of chapters (1-8) in the book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills are nevertheless a solid introduction to hiking generally, with also some good information on how to stay safe in winter conditions (regardless of the intensity of the planned hike).
To be clear- this is not an insurmountable challenge even for someone with limited hiking experience generally, much less in winter. Depending on your access to gear, Monday might be a bit too soon for a peak like Slide Mountain- but if you can at least get your hands on snowshoes (outdoor gear stores will usually rent them) and microspikes, and put together a solid layering system of clothing (with warm footwear), and generally ensure that you are properly prepared, one of the smaller fire tower peaks might work well for you- perhaps Overlook (which has far better views than Slide Mountain anyways).
At the very least, take this online awareness course about avalanche terrain and forecasting. It’s even free right now. online avalanche awareness clinic
Also reference the Colorado Avalanche Information Center for current statewide conditions, and understand how to read the forecasts. These two things on their own will help you get a very basic understanding of terrain and avalanche reading. I’d encourage a purchase of the book Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills I suggest theirs because you said you want to get into it, implying more than a one time thing. This is cheap, important knowledge. You won’t need everything in the book, as it’ll go into way more technique than you’ll ever need just snowshoeing, and way more gear that isn’t relevant, but it talks about trip planning, snow travel, avalanche avoidance, snow cycles, general weather predicting and really great general knowledge. It has more specialized sections on climbing technique and most of the ropework which isn’t terribly relevant for where you’re at, but learning about basic things like a deadman anchor is useful knowledge for even basic exploring. Snowshoeing is great fun and a great way to start exploring the backcountry, just start the cycle of gaining knowledge and learning how to mitigate risk. Things go south in the winter fast. Just recently two people went on a casual snowshoe in Summit county and got wiped out by an avalanche.
Here a good starting point:
Also:
I have a sizeable collection of mountaineering books. I even have a few that tries to learn "how to mountaineer" most notably Freedom of the Hills which I suppose is the book always being recommended. I believe that most of these books are written by committee and in general are very dull reading. Personally I can't learn how to walk with crampons from reading a book. Rather I have to put them on, tear my gaiters and learn from that experience. Also, how you do "stuff" in mountains vary from country to country and area to area. I have the Norwegian Breboka ("the glacier handbook") which is written by a Norwegian committee and they insist on using chest harness on glaciers which otherwise is quite unusual at least from my experience in the Alps. Freedom of the Hills is American and I'm sure a British book would provide slightly different advice and techniques.
In my experience the best use of these books is to look up something like how to tie a specific knot or how to equalize a belay etc. so a book with good illustrations is the best choice.
So while you certainly can pick up useful information from these books for me at least the best way to learn is "learning by doing". There is a continuous learning path from "just" hiking to climbing mountains that you can pursue by doing your own hikes of increasing difficulty. How much elevation difference can I comfortably do in a single day? Am I OK with walking what is described as a "safe but very exposed path" or did I have to turn around? Do I enjoy an impromptu bivouac?
For me some of the best books are those that inspire me to hike and climb in the mountains like The High Mountains of the Alps or the more recent Alpenglow - The Finest Climbs on the 4000m Peaks of the Alps. First step might not be to do the climbs described in the books but just hiking to a vantage point where you can enjoy those mountains perhaps even more now that you have know some details about them from these beautiful books.
+1 to the scrambling course. They teach safe off-trail travel - both on rock/snow. https://www.mountaineers.org/courses/course-overviews/scrambling (They're closed for 2021)
The course can be pretty time intense and expensive. It also depends on how much off-trail travel you're planning on doing. If you're looking to up your outdoor game and start doing more technical (non-hike) stuff, it will be worth it.
Freedom of the hills has a couple of chapters on rock travel too.
Nothing beats being taught in person and/or learning from experienced folks on a few trips though.
Check out mountaineering layering systems. There's great equipment that can keep you comfortable in conditions like that.
https://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers/dp/1680510045
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1680510045/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Ni8IFbKEYRFZH has lots of useful things. This is THE reference manual
Pick up a copy of Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills. Some of the chapters you can skip, but if you want to go into the mountains in the winter, this book is indispensable. It will answer every question you have in addition to the ones you don't even know to ask, but really should be asking (I can think of several already). It really is a phenomenal resource, and in winter conditions in the mountains, you should not be relying on what people online are telling you to bring. That's how people die out there.
Also, you should take an avalanche safety course if you plan on going anywhere that has a snow pack, or at least read Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. It doesn't need to be deep snow to be dangerous--a thin snow pack is actually the most dangerous and most likely to avalanche, and crazy steep slopes are NOT the most dangerous. It's the mild 30-40 degree slopes that are most likely to kill you, even if you are 100 yards away from them on flat ground. One thing you start noticing when you go out in the winter in the same places you went in the summer is that the winter routes are NOT in the same place as the summer trails, mostly because summer trails are in avalanche danger zones. You NEED to know how to read the terrain in a very different way than you would in the summer.
As an easy very first thing to do, read Freedom of the Hills cover to cover.
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