New Rucksack Guides Launch

There are three new titles just out in the Rucksack Guide series of pocket handbooks which are designed to slip easily into a pack or jacket pocket for easily portable reference. The same principle, in fact, as the excellent Pocket Mountains series.

The books measure 10cm x 17cm and are about 1cm or less in thickness. They're very much miniaturised reference books rather than absorbing novels, but that's really what you want for this sort of application. That  means lots of tables, plus short, sharp lists of factual information and clear, easy to understand diagrams. Primarily they're all about nuggets of crucial info in a small, easily carried format.

There are three new books - above - all written by Alun Richardson, an IFMGA mountain guide with over 25 years of experience.

Rock Climbing is a compact rock-climbing handbook, that would be ideal if you're just starting out and might need an accessible and comprehensive aide memoir to the basics. Lots of technical information with diagrams covering the obvious basics like setting up a belay, tying on, using protection, abseiling and so on all in easily digestible form plus the basis of self rescue and aid climbing.

Mountaineering In Remote Areas of the World covers the sort of basics you need to know as a first time mountaineer in more off the beaten track areas like the Andes and Himalaya. It covers everything from the basics of coping with altitude to expedition food, camping on snow, river crossings and even how to cope with bear attacks and drifting pack ice, though not necessarily at the same time. Brilliant short cuts for anyone heading off to big, foreign mountains.

Mountain Walking and Trekking is a small but perfectly formed guide to pretty much everything you need to know to move safely in the hills from the basics of mountain weather and GPS use through to micro-navigation and rudimentary rope work and via ferratas. Another cracking little volume we think and the most useful of the three to the general walker and trekker.

All three books are out now, retail for £7.99 each and are published by A&C Black. More information see www.acblack.com