Book Review Part 2: The Art of Schralpinism - Jeremy Jones
Jones’s original artwork helps to illustrate an outstanding book on shredding big mountains, The Art of Schralpinism. pc jonessnowboards
“Experience is the hardest level of teacher… it gives you the test first and the lesson afterwards.”
– Oscar Wilde
A Golden Opportunity
Continuing with our book review from yesterday The Art of Schralpinism by Jeremy Jones Part 1 from yesterday and near the top of his game by his mid-20s, competitively racing and riding in top snowboarding movies, Jones suddenly took a new direction in the mountains, and without knowing it, snowboarding along with him.
After a life-changing descent on his first trip to Alaska, and now with his older brothers’ film company Teton Gravity Research gaining traction, Jones saw a golden opportunity he couldn’t pass up. So he dropped racing, embraced his passion for freeriding big mountains, and never looked back. After years of dedicated practice on the slopes of Stowe honing his technique (or maybe hammering away depending on who you ask) under coach Lowell Hart until he truly had, the skills of a champion.
A trusted source of mountain knowledge, The Art of Schralpinism. pc mountaineers
‘Live To Ride Another Day’
In addition to picking the right partners and working on your skillset, Professor Jones also shares his dictations on more intangible ideas like having an effective risk management strategy and what kind of mindset works best in the mountains. His most concentrated wisdom probably lands on a coveted checklist titled, “Live to Ride Another Day” which includes the 13 simple things he should always remember in the mountains. Some of my favorites include:
#2 – Don’t take an agenda into the mountains.
#4 – Don’t rush things… slow down.
#9 - Pay extra attention to the outrun.
#11 – Do whatever it takes to get a view of your line.
Jeremy Jones glancing up at his prize on the wall to freedom, Sierra Nevada backcountry. pc jonessnowboards
World Renown Guest Authors
True to his nature, modest and respectful, Jones invited a dozen or so world renown guests to give their sage advice on various topics. What a fun surprise to hear from legends like Xavier De La Rue talk about ‘Cultivating Fear’ and Jon Krakauer share his thoughts about ‘Minimizing Risk’!
Jones finished this treasure trove like most masterpieces should, giving away his best advice for others to benefit, yet another reminder why he’s been a noteworthy climate champion since founding Protect Our Winters (POW) in 2007.
Guest authors like Jon Krakauer & Christina Lusti take the knowledge to another level, The Art of Schralpinism. pc mountaineers
Right Brain Methodology
Fortunately for us, that’s not all he has to offer here. We get one last glimpse into that mountain brain of his with a unique and exploratory discussion about his creative process(es). I’ll save the details for your own read, but say it’s a method he learned from his father who painted daily. It’s a way to open up and get into the creative operating system of his right brain.
Jones refers to his career these days as a ‘Life of Glide’ where it’s more art than sport. I’ll simply call it sensational, if not inspiring. So it any of his mountain tools sound remotely interesting to you, I’d strongly recommend you not waste time any more time and grab yourself a copy. You’ll be thankful you did.
Knowing when to break protocol, is not always something taught, but Jones does a great job in The Art of Schralpinism. pc mountaineer
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Cool and helpful diagrams add to the reading enjoyment! The Art of Schralpinism. pc jonessnowboards
Jeremy Jones at work again. pc escapismmagazine