I’ve accumulated quite a few ski and snowboard books over the years. Some I bought because someone recommended them, some were gifts, and a few were probably the result of being snow-starved in summer.
I used to have a much longer list on this site, but going back through it recently I realised I wouldn’t confidently recommend half of them anymore. Some I no longer own. Others were fine, but clearly hadn’t made enough of an impression to survive on the bookshelf.
So I’ve cut it right back.
Six of the seven books listed here are mine and still on the shelf. The one exception is The Man Behind the Maps. A friend owns it, I’ve spent plenty of time flicking through his copy, and it’s too good — especially as a gift — to leave out.
I’ve mixed skiing and snowboarding together too. A good mountain book is a good mountain book. I’m sure snowboarders can survive seeing the word “ski” on a cover.
These are the seven I’d recommend.
Quick Picks
My favourite: The Art of Shralpinism
The one I like most here. Loads in it, but you can also just pick it up and read a few pages without committing to the whole thing.
Best for trip ideas: 100 Slopes of a Lifetime
Basically a dangerous book if you already spend too much time planning ski trips.
Best gift: The Man Behind the Maps
The nicest thing here to actually hand someone as a present. Big, beautiful and properly impressive in person.
The Books I’d Recommend
1. The Art of Shralpinism My Favourite
This is the one I’d keep if I could only choose one.
The Art of Shralpinism is written by Jeremy Jones, so yes, there’s plenty of snowboarding in it. But skiers really shouldn’t be put off by that. A lot of the book is about mountains, risk, decision-making, fear, getting older and generally figuring out why we keep doing this stuff.
It’s also not really a book you have to sit down and read cover to cover. I’ve done that, but I still end up picking it back up and reading a few pages here and there. There are stories, sketches, little bits of advice and thoughts from years spent in serious terrain. Some sections are practical, others are basically Jeremy thinking out loud.
That format works really well. It never feels like a textbook, and it doesn’t disappear up its own ass trying to be some profound mountain philosophy book either.
I particularly like the sections on risk and decision-making. There’s useful stuff in there even if your idea of a big day is nowhere near the sort of terrain Jeremy rides.
Mine has earned a permanent spot on the shelf.
2. 100 Slopes of a Lifetime Best for Trip Ideas
I bought this expecting another glossy coffee-table book. It is that, to be fair, but there’s a lot more to it than I expected.
100 Slopes of a Lifetime jumps around some of the world’s best ski and snowboard terrain, with a mix of famous resorts, big mountain lines and places I’d barely thought about before picking it up.
I’ve been to a decent number of the places in here, which probably makes it more dangerous. You start flicking through somewhere you know, then twenty minutes later you’re looking at flights to somewhere completely different.
The writing is fairly short, which suits it. I don’t really want an essay on every resort. You get enough to understand why each place made the cut, then the photography does most of the work.
It’s one I tend to dip into rather than read properly from start to finish. Very good for wasting an evening planning ski trips you probably don’t need.
3. The Man Behind the Maps Best Gift
- Over 200 hand-painted ski resort trail maps
- 292-page hardcover coffee table book
- Italian art-quality printing, heavier weight matte coated paper
- Lay-flat binding
- 11.5" tall and opens to a 24" spread
Every skier has unfolded one of James Niehues’ maps at some point, even if they didn’t know his name. This book brings them all together, and it’s beautiful in a way that’s hard to explain. Each map feels familiar, like a snapshot of places you’ve been or hope to go someday.
What stands out most is the care that goes into every detail. He doesn’t just draw mountains, he captures the rhythm and feel of skiing them. The light, the lines, the flow of the runs – it’s all there.
This is the one book here I don’t own. A friend has a copy and I’ve spent plenty of time flicking through it, usually looking for resorts I know or places I still want to ride.
It’s also the best gift on this list. It’s big, looks brilliant, and feels like a proper present rather than just another ski book.
I still need to buy my own copy (unless someone in the family sees this before Christmas).
4. Fifty Places to Ski & Snowboard Before You Die Best for Bucket Lists
This one is exactly what it sounds like: fifty ski and snowboard destinations picked out by people who know them well.
Each chapter is short, which is probably why I’ve ended up dipping into this one so much. You can read about one place in five minutes, then flick forward until something else catches your eye.
There’s a good mix too. Some of the obvious big-name resorts are in there, but there are also plenty of places I hadn’t really considered before. That’s probably the best thing about it — it’s less about telling you where you should ski and more about giving you another fifty reasons to disappear down a travel-planning rabbit hole.
It’s not the deepest book here, but that’s not really the point. It’s an easy one to leave lying around and pick up whenever you’re bored of looking at actual work.
5. Powder Days Best Proper Read
Powder Days is probably the most conventional book on this list, in the sense that you actually sit down and read it rather than flicking through pictures of mountains.
Heather Hansman digs into ski-town life, seasonal workers, housing, money, ageing, burnout and the slightly strange people who keep structuring their lives around winter.
That sounds heavier than it is. It’s very readable, and there’s enough familiarity in it that anyone who’s spent much time around ski towns will recognise bits of the culture immediately.
I liked it because it isn’t trying to sell you the dream. There’s plenty of love for skiing in there, but also a fair bit about what happens when the whole lifestyle starts getting harder to sustain (which happens to us all!).
If you want an actual book to read rather than something to leave on the coffee table, this is probably where I’d start.
6. Ski Bum A Bit Different
Ski Bum is a bit of an acquired taste.
It follows Colin Clancy bouncing around ski towns and living the sort of life that sounds amazing when you’re twenty and slightly more questionable once you have a mortgage.
It’s funny, scruffy and not especially polished, which is probably why I quite like it. There’s a lot of skiing, but mostly it’s about the people, bad decisions and general chaos that comes with trying to build your life around snow.
I wouldn’t give this to someone looking for a glossy mountain book, and it definitely won’t be everyone’s thing. But if they’ve ever talked seriously about quitting work and becoming a ski bum, this is a pretty good one to hand them.
7. Snowboard Wisdom For Snowboarders
Skiers can probably skip this one. I’m all for cross-discipline harmony, but I know most skiers aren’t going to become emotionally invested in a book called Snowboard Wisdom.
It’s very much a snowboard book, built around short bits of advice, stories and lessons from riders rather than one long narrative.
That makes it easy to pick up for ten minutes at a time. Some of it is genuinely useful, some is more reflective and some will probably land more if you’ve been riding for years and recognise the situations being talked about.
I wouldn’t put it above Shralpinism, and it’s nowhere near as impressive physically as the big coffee-table books, but I enjoyed reading it. It feels like something written for snowboarders, rather than a generic mountain book with a snowboard slapped on the cover.
Definitely one of the more niche picks here. If you’re buying for a snowboarder, though, it makes a lot more sense than trying to convince them they secretly want a ski book.
Which Book Is Right for You?
If you only want one, I’d go for The Art of Shralpinism. It’s the one I’ve got the most out of and the one I actually go back to.
If you’re buying a present, The Man Behind the Maps is the showier option, but 100 Slopes of a Lifetime also makes a brilliant gift – especially for someone who’s always planning the next trip.
The others are a bit more niche, but I’d happily recommend all of them.
Got a ski or snowboard book I’ve missed? Send it my way – I’m always looking for another excuse to add to the shelf.
Great article and all great skiing books. Ordered the top 3!