Description of DBA PawPrince Press The Chuting Gallery - A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains:
If you're coming to Utah and you're planning on skiing some serious backcountry, make sure you have The Chuting Gallery in your pack, right next to your beacon, shovel, and probe. This book's full title is The Chuting Gallery – A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains, and that couldn't be more accurate. In just over 90 pages, author/mega bad-ass ski mountaineer and Utah Avalanche Center veteran Andrew McLean provides an unparalleled reference to the hairiest, most aggressive lines Utah has to offer. Mixed in with McLean's sardonic wit are guided instructions for tackling descents with names like “Suicide Chute,” “Hypodermic Needle” and “Femme Fatale,” to name a few. Needless to say, actually skiing the lines McLean describes in The Chuting Gallery is not something most skiers should even contemplate…but if you stepped out of the loony bin this morning nailed down to some burly planks and toting an ice axe, well…have at it. Hope you make it back.
Bottom Line: Required reading and a reality check for any so-called “expert” skier.
It's hard to beat a classic, and this is no exception. Descriptions of lines and the rating system are great, as is the huge selection. My only beef is that the description of the approaches is a little lacking, but I think andrew apologetically addresses this in the into.
This book gives you the beta to ski some of the classics in the Wasatch. It has pointed myself and touring parties in the right direction when trying to hit an objective.
