His mountain books were general guides to a selected region, with route instructions for the most well-known peaks in the area. The books followed those of the Abraham Brothers in being exhaustively illustrated with the author's own photographs (usually in black and white). His habit in later volumes of drawing the route of ascent in white on the photograph was considered by some to be a regrettable disfigurement of the image.

Poucher's guides include:

The Welsh Peaks (1962)

The Scottish Peaks (1965)

The Lakeland Peaks (1960)

The Peak and Pennines (1966)

The Magic of Skye (1949, new edition 1980)

Later volumes of these works, updated in consultation with his son, John, remain in print.

On the basis of the success of these guides, Poucher encouraged his publishers (Constable) to publish selections of rock-climbs in each area, in a similar photographic format. These were viewed with mixed feelings by the senior clubs who published (sometimes at a loss) detailed guides to the same areas.

Poucher was a research chemist by profession, working on the chemistry of perfumes. His 1923 monograph 'Perfumes, Cosmetics and Soaps' has been revised and reprinted over the years and is now in its 10th edition. He was reportedly given leave of absence by Yardley for part of the year to pursue his mountain photography. His profession caused some amusement in climbing circles, where he was occasionally described as "a perfume salesman who wears his wares".