The More You Know: A review of the Art of Shralpinism. Lessons from the Mountains

From racing gates, riding massive heli-board lines to popularizing and making Splitboarding more accessible, snowboarding has a lot to thank Jeremy Jones for.  With The Art of Shralpinism. Lessons from the Mountains we get a personal insight into Jeremy’s journey to becoming the Shralpinist we all love. The book is a fantastic guide to Jeremy Jones’ mountain experiences, the people he has met and journeyed with, and the lessons he has learned along the way.

The Art of Shralpinism. Lessons from the Mountains

The first splitboard I ever owned was the first Jones Solution on the market. We drove from Vancouver to Portland to pick it up as there were none available in all of BC nor Washington by December. I picked up skins in Bellingham and then we raced down. I still have the board with all its chips, cracks and now poor alignment. 

There was no way I wasn’t going to read this book though I had no idea what to expect when “The Art of Shralpinism. Lessons from the Mountains” (hereafter known as The Art of Shralpinism) arrived. Was it going to be a how-to splitboard book? Was it going to delve into snow science and attempt to be the new manual for splitboard snow safety? Perhaps it was going to be Jeremy touting his own accomplishments and making the argument that he is the GOAT of splitboarding (there is no argument here, he is). 

In reality the book is an easy to read mix of life lessons learned on and off snow, guidelines to Jeremy’s approach to interacting with the mountains, personal art and shared life experiences. Broken into three sections, Wisdom, Science and Art, The Art of Shralpinism is not a technical manual on how to be wise on the mountains, but more a compendium on Jeremy Jones life and lessons learned along the way. 

Part One: Wisdom

The first section of the book speaks on Jeremy’s beginnings as a Grom and student to becoming the preeminent splitboarder he is today.  Each story, in its own way, relates to how Jeremy gained on-snow experience. From progression on the resort, relating to fear, pushing the limits and dealing with down days. Perhaps my favorite part of advice is, “ride with someone better than you.” 

Part Two: Science

Science delves into more than just a cursory look into how to read the snowpacks. 

This chapter takes into account objective and subjective hazards, the timing required for not just daily objectives but also seasonal hazards and terrain use based on timing. It further dives deeper into avalanche safety, health and fitness, gear and backcountry travel. 

Part Three: Art

Art nicely wraps up the lifelong Journey of Shralpinism that Jeremy has been on. According to Mr. Jones himself, Wisdom plus Science equals Art. That Art is life. PArt three does not outline how to put the most stylish line down the mountain nor whether grabbing behind or in front of the bindings is the correct way to grab method. Part three reads like the art of gracefully becoming who Jeremy was meant to be a. A splitboarder, a father, a friend and an environmentalist. 

The Art of Companionship. 

The three parts of the Art of Shralpinism are further broken down by journal entries, art, tips, and sage advice from other well known and even more accomplished mountaineers. Throughout the book is fantastic advice from the likes of Elyse Saugstad, John Krakauer and Canada’s own, Christina Lusti, has perhaps the best advice of all. “Have patience, take courses, have good partners, great mentors, do it because you love the adventure, have fun.” 

Overview

Jeremy Jones’ Shralpinism is a fantastic book. It is written such that it doesn’t need to be read from cover to cover nor do you have to even read it in order. Small pieces of info, pertinent advice, great art and easily relatible quotes from other mountain savvy folks make the book a fantastic book to read cover to cover or it can be picked up for five minutes at a time. Shralpinism is as much  for beginner backcountry enthusiasts as it is for experienced Shralpinists. 

If you are interested in picking up a copy of The Art of Shralpinism. Lessons from the Mountains then head on over to Mountaineers Books and pick up a copy. 

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Black Sheep Adventure Sports was provided a free copy of The Art of Shralpinism. Lessons from the Mountains. This in no way affected our review.