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The TraditionalMountaineering Review of Freedom 7
A friend gave me my first copy of Mountaineering - The Freedom of the Hills. He said that if I was going to climb with him and his buddies, I would have to know more! He said I could learn more from this book. At the time, I was a strong hiker and I did not know there were certain subjective and objective dangers in mountain climbing, much less how to (in part) avoid or mitigate them.

Freedom set me free!  I have always been an Analyst. (I know, check the spelling!) I like to break things down and study them. I learn things really well that way and I can have fun helping others.

Freedom 7 covers traditional mountaineering from basic to advanced. How to handle a blister, the trots, a high altitude headache are covered in Freedom 7. How to belay (correctly), rappel (self belayed), how to pull a friend out of a crevasse with climbing rope, pickets, biners and rescue pulleys (yes, I stepped into one on Rainier but they just yarded me out), how to ice axe self belay and self arrest (know the difference?), how to lead trad, all about protection, how to cook in summer and winter, how to get water well, what to wear and what to carry in your summit pack, day pack and back pack and a lot more good stuff, are covered in Freedom 7.

The Classic Ten Essentials (introduced by The Mountaineers in 1961) has evolved into the Ten Essential Systems in Freedom 7.  Four of the classic items have been combined into two systems, Navigation and Fire. (Can you guess what they are?) Nutrition, Hydration and Emergency Shelter are added Systems.

Leave No Trace environmental principles are covered and the practical applications now include the Poop Tube and Crevasse Burial in Remote Locations.

Aid climbing and waterfall ice climbing are included. (I love to study these complex systems and read about this waterfall stuff.)

I have added Freedom 7 to my bookshelf and passed along earlier versions to our public library.  I wish I had kept Freedom One. It should be worth something as a classic first edition. (Actually, Freedom 7 is not on my book shelf right now. I have my copy stashed where I can peruse a few pages every morning ;-)

--Robert Speik, www.TraditionalMountaineering.org
Former Chair of the Mountaineering Training Committee, Sierra Club's Angeles Chapter

Ed Viesturs reviews Freedom 7

"I purchased my copy of Freedom of The Hills in 1976 and consumed it several times well before I ever set foot in the mountains. Through the years my well-worn copy became my guide and reference for the art of mountaineering. I would highly recommend this book as a 'must have' for any aspiring mountaineer's library." -- Ed Viesturs, high-altitude mountaineer

Facts from The Mountaineers about Freedom 7

**Best-selling mountaineering book of all time
**New chapters on waterfall ice climbing and mixed climbing, physical conditioning, access issues, techniques for minimum impact on the land, and more
**415 completely new illustrations
**Includes a new glossary of climbing terms

"Since publication of the first edition in 1961, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills has endured as the classic mountaineering text. Novice climbers use it as a primer; veterans use it to review their skills. Translated into five languages, it has instructed and inspired more than half a million climbers from all over the world. The fully updated seventh edition maintains the same high standard for complete, authoritative instruction in an easy-to-use format. 

From choosing equipment to how to tie a particular knot, from basic rappelling technique to planning an expedition, it's all here in this essential mountaineering reference. Continued evolution of the sport ensures that climbers who own previous editions will need to "upgrade" to the new seventh edition. The chapter on aid climbing, for example, has been substantially rewritten to include new aid techniques and equipment. A new chapter has been added to meet the rising popularity of waterfall ice and mixed climbing.

The more than thirty contributors to Freedom 7 are all active climbers who regularly use and teach the skills about which they write. This book is the resource trusted by climbers the world over.

The Mountaineers Club, based in Seattle, Washington, was founded in 1906. It is now the third largest outdoor recreation club of its kind in the United States, with nearly 15,000 members. The Mountaineers sponsors both classes and year-round outdoor activities, which include hiking, climbing, ski touring, snowshoeing, kayaking, canoeing, and more."

Do you have a first edition of Freedom?

Chessler Books
Item #: OP428B, August, 2008
MOUNTAINEERING, FREEDOM OF HILLS Manning 1961 1st edition with Dust Jacket
By Manning, Harvey
Price: $145.00

Detailed Product Description:
Seattle, 1960, 1st edition, 1st printing. 430 pp, ills. This is by far the best selling and most influential mountaineering technique book in the second half of the 20th century. It has sold over 1/2 million copies since 1960. Its fun to collect all the editions, and I have even seen a collection of every printing of every edition.

This first edition is the scarcest because it was probably only sold in the northwest, so few copies ended up in climber's hands until the 2nd edition. Hardcover, the clear plastic DJ is taped on the spine and rear, and has small chips, but the areas where the title is printed on the DJ spine and front cover are whole and intact. Book itself is Fine with no writing or marks, overall Near Fine.

http://www.chesslerbooks.com/eCart/viewItem.asp?idProduct=7347

Note: I loaned my first edition copy to a friend about 30 years ago. Sadly, I do not remember his name, so I can ask for its return. Now, this is the only edition of "Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills" that I lack. Send me your 1960 copy and I will pay the shipping!
;-)) --Webmeister Speik

    WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can in part, be mitigated

Freedom 7 cover detail

Read more . . .
A bibliography of traditional mountaineering books
Book Reviews

  About Alpine Mountaineering:
  The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
  Climbing Together
  Following the Leader 
  The Mountaineers' Rope
  Basic Responsibilities 
  The Ten Essentials