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Annapurna: A Woman’s Place--In 1978, a team of 13 women became the first Americans to reach the summit of Annapurna I, at 26,540 feet the tenth highest peak in the world. Arlene Blum, the leader of the expedition, recounts the story of this historic achievement in her wonderful book, reissued this year for the 20th anniversary of the ascent. Blum’s clear, engrossing prose takes the reader from the early planning stages to the successful climb itself. The challenges faced by Blum and her team went beyond altitude, exposure, avalanches and exhaustion. The team encountered resistance to even the concept of women attempting such a dangerous climb.
At the time, women were not encouraged to be climbers. They were considered to "lack the emotional stability to withstand the psychological stresses of a high altitude climb". The American Alpine Club, whose approval of the proposed climb was required by the Nepalese before they would grant a permit to climb Annapurna, was extremely resistant. They were fearful of the bad press that would result should anything go wrong. Only four out of thirteen teams had ever placed climbers at the summit of Annapurna, and one out of every ten climbers that had attempted it never returned. Eventually the AAC relented and the result was worth all the hard work and sacrifice. "Women who are stronger or smarter or taller or better at things than men must often pay a price. On our expedition we were spared the price of being better than men, as well as the price of not being as strong, the doubts about whether we were carrying our share or going fast enough. We could be ourselves and do things at our own pace".
Arlene Blum’s account of her ground-breaking expedition has clarity, wit and intelligence, 
and is hard to put down. The reader trudges through the snow with Blum, solving Sherpa labor disputes, living with the constant threat of deadly avalanches, devastated by the loss of two women from the second summit team and experiencing the sheer exhilaration of the climb. Annapurna: A Woman’s Place is highly recommended--a fascinating and important book that will delight climbing buffs, feminists and armchair adventurers alike.
Paper, $16.00