The Art of Shralpinism

Lessons from the Mountains

288 pages
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 978-1-68051-330-1
Published: Oct 18, 2022

Mountaineers Members Discount

Description

"Drawn from decades of journal entries and years of experience, the book is full of stories and tangible tips about how to live and travel well in the backcountry"--Outside

2023 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in Outdoor Adventure Guides
2023 Banff Mountain Book Award finalist in Guidebooks

Includes stories, lists, and prescriptive guidance based on Jones’s experiences as well as those of other wellknown adventurers
Anecdotal and experiential approach for creating a resilient mountain life
Features original art by the author
1% of all sales of this book benefit Protect Our Winters

Not a technical guide on snowboarding but, rather, a very personal approach to how to think about mountains, snow, and adventure, The Art of Shralpinism reflects the remarkable journey of snowboarding superstar Jeremy Jones. Drawing on the hundreds of journals he has kept over the years, Jones offers intriguing snapshots of time and place that include his own on-the-slope stories and white-out moments, as well as those of other prominent adventurers such as Jimmy Chin, Zahan Billimoria, and Christina Lusti.

Shralpinism is a compendium of lessons hard won: quick tips, sound advice, and impactful stories. Learn which aspects of avalanche training are most crucial to absorb, ways to anticipate slope behavior or recognize clean lines, how to cut a cornice or develop safety protocols, how to build a fitness routine, the art of the turn, and keys to developing terrain and skills progression. Jones discusses the importance of mentors, the necessity and intensity of practice, the nature of risk, and the shape of failure.

But at its heart, The Art of Shralpinism revels in the power of experience, the impact of stoke, and the beauty that underscores all outdoor adventure.

Contributors

Details

288 pages
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 978-1-68051-330-1
Published: Oct 18, 2022

Reviews

While featuring plenty of concrete advice, The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains is more of a spiritual manual. Studded with stories involving fellow adventurers like Jimmy Chin, Zahan Billimoria, and Christina Lusti, the book will also teach you how to think about your time spent in the backcountry.
— Powder
There isn't a single section among the book's 288 pages that can't teach a snowboarder something useful about being safe and having fun in the mountains. Most books will teach readers something worthwhile, but it's rare that a book can deliver on every page.
— Jeremy Evans, Tahoe Quarterly
Once you dive into the book, you’ll find this instructional guide unlike any other.
— National Outdoor Book Award Judges
Ultimately, this is a book about managing risk, our most important work in the mountains. Jones has thought about this as much as anyone.... Jones begins the book with a quote from Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' My first impression was to judge this connection a reach. But I'm happy to say that these books belong on the same shelf. And you'll learn at lot more from Jones about how to live safely in the mountains than you will from Pirsig about how to tune your Ducati 900SS.
— David Stevenson, American Alpine Journal
You can learn from the superstar himself, as each topic serves as a snapshot from the slopes.
— Brittany Artwohl, Mountain Weekly News
If you’re an aspiring shralpinist, this is a must-read and if you have an aspiring shralpinist in your life the book would make an excellent gift. For this 30-something splitboard guide, The Art of Shralpinism was a great pre-season read to put myself in the winter state of mind.
— Aaron Diamond, The Avalanche Review
Having read this book now, I feel like in 20 years people will be quoting this the way Bruce Lee used to talk about water. His whole section about how the turns he made as a kid at Stowe return to him when he needed to shred an icy face in Nepal…the way he views his entire snowboarding life and every turn meaning something and what he does with it.
— Mike Rogge, BLISTER Podcast
The Art of Shralpinism is an insightful read for anyone who enjoys being in the mountains. While written directly for snowboarders (Jeremy Jones himself is a pioneer and luminary in the snowboarding space), skiers, climbers, and even armchair alpinists can learn from and be inspired by the stories, wisdom, and pieces of artwork Jones provides his readers.
— Ali Gray, The Mazama Bulletin
While I think it’s fair to assume that Jeremy’s intention was, first and foremost, to lay out more of an ethic or a way of life in this book than to (first and foremost) create some great work of literature that happens to have riding at the center of the story … there are numerous descriptions and passages in The Art of Shralpinism that hold up to the descriptions and passages of the writing of John Krakauer, Christopher McDougall, and even (dare I say it?) one of my all-time favorite authors — someone who, in his own way, was every bit as passionate about wild places and the outdoors — Henry David Thoreau.
— Jonathan Ellsworth, BLISTER
Of special appeal to readers with an interest in snowboarding, mountain climbing, and outdoors exploration, The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains is also nicely illustrated by author Jeremy Jones and should be considered a 'must read' for his legions of snowboarding fans.
— Midwest Book Review
Think of the book as part memoir, part manual for best practices in the mountains, part art book, and an ode to finding joy by making turns. Page after page, Jones exudes the glass-half-full ethos.
— Totally Deep
Drawn from decades of journal entries and years of experience, the book is full of stories and tangible tips about how to live and travel well in the backcountry, which we could all use as we think about our personal futures on snow.
— Heather Hansman, Outside
The Art of Shralpinism is like a handbook for mountain aspirants; there are many nuggets, some literal, some more mystical. Jones also peppers the book with not infrequent comments and advice from a who’s who of the mountain scene.
— Jason Albert, WildSnow
The Art of Shralpinism serves as a manual for those who learn by experience rather than a classroom. Truly, in essence we must all learn mountain sense in this way.... This is where the book shines. Jones helps elevate the base level of mountain awareness to a point where others after him can learn from the mistakes he and his contemporaries made along their journey, and hopefully empower the next generation of Shralpinists to go further down the road that they have paved.
— Steve Andrews, The Inertia
Equal parts autobiography, epic tale, and guidebook to snowboarding, outdoor adventuring, and survival—a beautifully conceived scrapbook from a masterful athlete, and a love letter to mother nature.
— Jacqui Davis, SnowBrains
[The Art of Shralpinism] is filled with insights and lessons from Jeremy’s long and storied career in the backcountry. From how Jeremy reads terrain and snow, to the importance of mentors and life lessons, it is all there.
— Black Sheep Adventure Sports Snowboarder's Gift Guide
In The Art of Shralpanism: Lessons from the Mountains, legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones has created an elegant fusion of memoir, manifesto and mentorship that is required reading for backcountry snow enthusiasts, but should also be given to every high school graduate.
— Meg Olson, Mount Baker Experience
A tasteful and creative how-to book for splitboarders all premised on the lessons the author has learned over the years.
— WildSnow
Part memoir, part skills guide, part almost motivational, self-help guide, The Art of Shralpinism provides a window into Jones’ evolution as an individual and an athlete. It gives readers the opportunity to learn from his lessons, lifestyle and wisdom.
— Tom Hallberg, Backcountry Magazine
[Jones] shares his accumulated wisdom in the new book The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains... “Shralpinism” is a portmanteau of “shredding” and “alpinism,” two pursuits Jones has combined with aplomb.
— Gregory Scruggs, The Seattle Times