Written for both beginners and advanced climbers, this completely revised and updated edition reflects current techniques and new and improved equipment. The book's four sections cover climbing and outdoor fundamentals; rock, snow, ice and alpine climbing; emergency prevention and response; and the mountain environment. Included are expanded treatments of belaying, leading and protecting on rock, glacier travel and crevasse rescue; wilderness travel; and a new chapter on first aid for typical mountaineering maladies. The new section on the mountain environment includes chapters on geology, the cycle of snow, and weather. This edition gives increased attention to the issue of climber impact on the environment, and presents methods to minimize this impact.