In addition to these resources and taking a snow safety class from your local avalanche professional, we recommend that you read some of the excellent books out there on snow science and backcountry safety. Although there are many good ones (see below), if we had recommend just, Snow Sense by Jill Fredston & Doug Fesler is great introduction to avalanche safety for new splitters.
The list of available books on backcountry skiing and riding, wilderness travel, guidebooks, and snow safety is large and always growing. We couldn’t possibly list every book of interest, but below is a listing of some of our favorites (admittedly from a western US/California bias)
Avalanche Safety
Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper – Avalanche safety by one of the best.
Snow Sense by Jill Fredston & Doug Fesler – A great little book that fits in your daypack.
Guidebooks
Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra – The guidebook that sets a new standard for what a guidebook should be. Written by splitboard.com forum member Dan Mingori and his friend Nate Greenberg.
Backcountry Skiing in California’s High Sierra by John Moynier – A lifetime of outrageous tours and descents in one nice compact book.
50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California by Paul Richins – Some overlap with the Moynier book but every California splitboarder should won both.
The High Sierra: Peaks and Pases by R.J. Secor – The bible of the High Sierra. Loads of great reference photos for some of the best splitboarding terrain on the planet.
Backcountry Snowboarding in the Northern Sierra by George Hurchalla – A must-have guide to some of the great Tahoe stashes by our friend George Hurchalla.
The Chuting Gallery by Andrew McLean – Wasatch steep skiing guide by celebrated skier and all-around funny guy also known as AT Apostle on the internet.
Backcountry Skiing Utah by Tyson Bradley – More beta for the mountains of Utah.
Dawson’s Guide to Colorado Backcountry Skiing by Lou Dawson – The Colorado backcountry bible by one of the sport’s best.
Climbing the Cascade Volcanos by Jeff Smoot – More of a climbing guide but a great resource for the volcanos of the Cascades nonetheless.
Cascade Alpine Guide by Fred Beckey – A must-have reference for splitboarding in the Cascades.
100 Classic Ski and Snowboard Routes in Washington by Rainer Burdorfer
Backcountry Ski Oregon: Classic Descents for Skiers and Snowboarders by Christopher Van Tilburg – A great list of some of the Oregon classics by splitboard.com forum member, docwild.
Oregon Descents: A Backcountry Ski Guide to the Southern Cascades by David Waag
Wild Snow: 54 Classic Ski and Snowboard Descents in North America by Lou Dawson
Tips and Instruction
Backcountry Snowboarding by Christopher Van Tilburg – Not splitboard specific but a great introductory book to snowboarding in the backcountry.
Allen & Milke’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book by Allen O’Bannon and Mike Clelland – A really cool book chock full of great winter camping tips, sweet illustrations, and classic humor.
Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills – The classic text of mountaineering know-how; a must on every splitboarder’s bookshelf.
Magazines
frequency – The Snowboarder’s Journal – Snowboarding’s coffee-table bible.
Off-Piste – magazine for backcountry enthusiasts.
