RECOMMENDED READING:
The following books and maps are some of many we would recommend for reading before coming to the Canadian Rockies.
Some are what we would call 'background' reading, some are specific to the trip you will be doing, and all are excellent preparation and fun to read, counting the days before your holiday begins.
The books & maps are divided into following categories:
1: GUIDE BOOKS
2: TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
3: 'HOW TO' BOOKS
4: REGIONAL TITLES
1: GUIDE BOOKS
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2: TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
| MAP TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
When ordering one of the following maps online,
please use coupon id "ontop" to receive a 5% discount! |
Canada Centre for
Mapping, Natural Resources Canada
Banff 82-O/4
Scale 1:50,000
Contour elevations - 40 metres. Latest edition.
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Canada Centre for Mapping, Natural Resources
Canada
Canmore 82-O/3
Scale 1:50,000
Contour elevations - 40 metres. Latest edition. |
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Canada Centre for
Mapping, Natural Resources Canada
Castle Mountain 82-O/5
Scale 1:50,000
Contour elevations - 40 metres. Latest edition.
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Canada Centre for Mapping, Natural Resources
Canada
Lake Louise 82-N/8
Scale 1:50,000
Contour elevations - 40 metres. Latest edition.
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Banff Up-Close
1:35,000
GemTrek Publishing
Contour interval 25 metres. It combines state-of-the-art relief shading with contour lines, making it easier to visualize the mountain topography. On the back of the map are descriptions of sights, museums, scenic drives, biking trails, walks and day hikes in the Banff area. |
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When ordering one of the maps online,
please use coupon id "ontop" to receive a 5% discount! |
| MAP TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Banff & Mount Assiniboine
1:100,000
Gem Trek Publishing
Contour interval 50 metres. 2000 metre grid. It combines state-of-the-art relief shading with contour lines, making it easier to visualize the mountain topography. On the back of the map are descriptions of hiking, biking and cross country ski trails in the area. |
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Banff & Jasper
1:400,000
Gem Trek Publishing
This new map uses state-of-the-art relief shading, making it easier to visualize the mountain topography. Includes campground information and townsite maps, 32 points of interest, lodges and hot springs. Includes both Banff and Jasper National Parks. |
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Banff National Park
1:250,000
Gem Trek Publishing
A map and guide in one. National Parks Explorer Series. Folded map in card wrapper. 1:250,000 scale. 200 metre contour intervals. Wildlife, history, geology and highlights are included in this user-friendly guide to Banff National Park. |
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When ordering one of the maps online,
please use coupon id "ontop" to receive a 5% discount! |
| MAP TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Best of Canmore
1:35,000
Gem Trek Publishing
Contour interval 25 metres. Waterproof and tear-resistant paper.
Includes sights, museums, hiking, cycling, skiing trails. |
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Canmore & Kananaskis Village
1:50,000
Gem Trek Publishing
Waterproof and tear-resistant paper. Contour interval 25 metres. 1000 metre grid. It combines state-of-the-art relief shading with contour lines, making it easier to visualize the mountain topography. On the back of the map are descriptions of hiking, biking and cross country ski trails in the area. |
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Best of Lake Louise
1350,000
Gem Trek Publishing
Contour interval 25 metres. It combines state-of-the-art relief shading with contour lines, making it easier to visualize the mountain topography. On the back of the map are descriptions of sights, scenic drives, hiking and biking trails in the area.
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When ordering one of the maps online,
please use coupon id "ontop" to receive a 5% discount! |
| MAP TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Lake Louise & Yoho
1:50,000
Gem Trek Publishing
Contour interval 25 metres. 1000 metre grid. This new 3-D map combines state-of-the-art relief shading with contour lines, making it easier to visualize the mountain topography. On the back of the map are descriptions of hiking, biking and cross country ski trails in the area. |
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3: 'HOW TO' BOOKS
| BOOK TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Will Gadd and Roger Chayer:
Ice and mixed climbing
"This is simply the best book on ice climbing technique you will find[...]Will Gadd has done an outstanding job presenting the information in this book. He starts out at a very basic level and proceeds to cover everything from climbing easy ice to mixed climbing. The book offers many tips and tricks and stresses the need for safety... " (customer review, amazon) |
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Sean Isaac:
Mixed Climbing
A complete manual for learning the techniques of ice climbing. Falcon 'How to climb' series. |
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| BOOK TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Bruce Jamieson:
Backcountry Avalanche Awareness
This book has been published by the Canadian Avalanche Association, and covers every aspect and detail one needs to know in regards to avalanche safety before heading out to the backcountry, be it for skiing or climbing.
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P.A. Schaerer, P. Schaerer:
The avalanche handbook
"....This book provides a thorough introduction to avalanche theory. The book is divided into chapters which build a solid foundation (weather systems, snow structure) through snowpack basics (snow strength and deformation, snowpack structure) and well into more advanced concepts (snowpack analysis, avalanche prediction, search and rescue, and even control with explosives, etc.) " (reader review, amazon)
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Bruce Tremper:
Staying alive in avalanche terrain
"...I own 6 of the most popular books on avalanche safety; this is by far the best. The core information needed to assess avalanche risk is given in some detail but the explanations are presented in "everyday" terms and are quite easy to understand...."
(reader's review, amazon) |
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Andrew Selters:
Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue
"This superb primer is now larger and sports new photos and excellent drawings that illustrate the technical aspects of travel in glacier country." (Back Country Magazine)
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David Seidman, Paul Cleveland:
The Essential Wilderness Navigator
This book has the best ratings by far for all orienteering/navigating books. All skills are explained in a language everybody can understand, and covers meticously all assetts of orientieering with a compass/map. The book does talk about GPS and how to use it, but is not a specific book for navigating with a GPS. |
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| BOOK TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Mark Houston, Kathy Cosley:
Alpine Climbing
Mark and Kathy are both IFMGA certified mountain guides from the USA. The couple now lives in Chamonix, France, running their own mountaineering company.
They have extensive experience climbing and skiing all over the planet, and the book shows it. From nutrition, equipment, navigation, decision finding, it has it all.
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4: REGIONAL TITLES
| BOOK TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Glen Boles, Roger Laurilla,
William L. Putnam:
Canadian Mountain Place Names
The towering peaks of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains rival the European Alps in fame. When travelling or climbing, hiking or skiing in these areas, have you ever wondered where the names of the peaks, rivers and lakes came from, or who named them and why?
Originally published as "Place Names of the Canadian Alps", this new edition is completely revised and updated. (Synopsis, Amazon)
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Chic Scott:
Powder Pioneers
"...Discover the rich ski history of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains with award-winning author and historian Chic Scott. He covers all aspects of the sport, ranging from the ski jumpers at Revelstoke in the 1920s to the birth of ski lodges and ski resorts to the heli-skiers, loppet racers and snowboarders of today..." (Rocky Mountain Books. For more books on the Canadian Rockies: www.rmbooks.com) |
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Chic Scott:
Pushing the limits
"...Begin the trek through Canada's climbing history…
Learn about Swiss guides who ushered in the glory years of first ascents. Continue through to the turn of the twentieth century when British and American climbers of leisure found themselves hampered by the difficulties of travel through the Canadian wilderness. Learn about the European immigrants of the 1950s who pushed the limits on the rock walls, and the American superstars who led the search for frightening new routes on the big north faces." (Rocky Mountain Books www.rmbooks.com)
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| BOOK TITLE |
USA |
CANADA |
UK |
Mary Schaffer:
Old Indian Trails in the Canadian Rockies
"...Mary T.S. Schäffer was an avid explorer and one of the first non-Native women to venture into the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where few women - or men - had gone before[]Full of daring adventure and romantic depictions of camp life, set against the grand backdrop of Canada’s mountain landscapes, the book introduces readers to various characters from the annals of Canadian mountaineering history..."(Rocky Mountain Books: For more books on the Canadian Rockies: www.rmbooks.com)
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Jack Bennett:
Not won in a day
"...An adventure story and guidebook in one, this is the tale of Jack Bennett's extraordinary effort to become the first person to climb all the high points of Canada's provinces and territories. From a fire tower in New Brunswick to a remote mountain in Nunavut, this is a story of hardship, triumph and sheer singlemindedness..." (Rocky Mountain Books: For more books on the Canadian Rockies: www.rmbooks.com)
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