Customer Reviews

Annapurna: A Woman's Place

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I'm not sure if Annapurna: A Woman's Place most appeals to the part of me that is a writer, an outdoorsman, or simply a human being. In a nutshell, it's the finest and most moving book I've ever read about mountain climbing.

Yet the book goes much deeper than merely being an adventure story -- which is why it captivates me on so many levels. Since I first read the book, I have been ordering copies to send to friends for special occasions. At first I just sent it to friends who also happened to be female, then realized that its message was too universal to be gender specific. The male friends I have given copies of the book to have been just as impressed, just as moved, and just as inspired as my women friends.

What the climbers went through -- not just the rigors of the climb itself, but the preparation, the determination, the obstacles, and, eventually, the sadness and pain -- has a universal connotation far removed from mountain climbing that all of us can feel at some level. Like the bumblebee, who doesn't know it can't fly, these daring women never fell back on their own limitations, as most of us are wont to do when the road seems unpassable.

I just can't find the words to express how much the book impressed me and what an inspiration it has been. Ms. Blum did a superb job of writing it. The book and the people come alive. I personally felt like one of her party and couldn't help but feel exalted at their success any more than I could keep from crying with them at the end.

I'll never climb a mountain like Annapurna, but this book should make anyone realize that life is full of mountains and that we can climb more of them than we think we can if we don't give up before we start.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books written about a specific mountain climbing expedition. This particular book is a lyrical and moving account of the the first women's expedition to climb Annapurna in the Himalayas. It provides great detail and insight into their two month odyssey in the mountain and chronicles the challenges that they faced in trying to reach the summit.

The leader of the expedition authored the book and her characterizations of her fellow expeditioners are interesting and engaging. Her description of life on an expedition is filled with a myriad of detail that will enthrall all armchair climbers, as well as climbing enthusiasts. These details make for gripping reading, at times, and her descriptive narrative is always evocative of another time and place. In reading it, one realizes just how far women have come in terms of acceptance in the mountain climbing arena.

Their time spent on the mountain is illustrated by photographs that beautifully resonate with the lyricism of the author's chronicle. The obstacles they overcame, their day to day travails, the bonding and alliances that formed amonst the different members of the expedition, all add to the beauty of the book. The photographs memorialize those moments in time that best evoke the nuances of what it was like on the expedition and, at the same time, give one a sense of the beauty and majesty of the mountain.

The success of the expedition in terms of their having actually reached the summit, however, is clouded by the tragic loss of two of its members on a second, ill-advised attempt to reach the summit. Nonetheless, the quest of the American Women Himalayan Expedition to reach the summit of Annapurna is a testament to courage and commitment. It is also a great read.

This is one of the best climbing narratives I have read. Arlene Blum gives us a glimpse into each climber's strengths and idiosyncracies. We are treated to an intimate look at how each member contributes to the team as a whole.

I enjoyed seeing how each member of the team overcame personal challenges with the mountain, whether it was to climb higher than she ever had before, or to make the summit. Sadly, two climbers met their challenges with the ultimate price -- their lives.

I was impressed with Arlene's leadership ability and organization. By the end of the book, Arlene's growth as a leader was obvious -- she made some difficult decisions (both good and bad) and learned from each of them.

Several times I was annoyed by the Sherpas' insubordination, but perhaps that was due to a clash of cultures, etc. It's wonderful to see how the times have changed in the climbing world today as compared to back then.

"Annapurna: a Woman's Place" leaves something to be desired as a title. This 8,000+-foot monster is not much a "Place" for any life form. It is about as stable as a bowl of jello with hardly a square foot safe from avalanches. It takes weeks (that is after you get as far as Katmandu) of walking to even get there. Annapurna is located in Nepal, near the China border.

Ms. Blum led a diverse 13 woman team on an almost three month adventure on the mountain. The women's ages ranged from 20-50, their nationalities from American to Polish to British (and a few I would just label as "extremely cosmopolitan"); their abilities ranked from zero to professional level climber level.

The author does an excellent job of relating her feelings, problems and insecurities as a leader. I was impressed at the cooperative spirit of all the women and their willingness to discuss emotional problems as they developed. I don't think 13 men would be as cohesive a unit. Of course, a man's team most likely would not have to worry about someone having a love affair with the cook, either!

The black & white climbing photos are excellent and nicely matched with the narrative. You definitely get a sense of the struggle, the cold, and the tensions that are never-ending on such an ambitious climb.

Ms. Blum imported five Sherpas as high-climbing support, hoping to ensure greater safety with their expertise. Was this a successful plan? Yes and no. The Sherpas were for the most part insubordinate (they had little confidence in female decisions) and temperamental. However, when the chips were down, they came through and displayed their much praised stamina and resolve.

The triumph of the two women who summited was a rousing adventure-read and showed that their accomplishment was indeed a victory for the whole team. The two women, one British and one American, that attempted the middle summit a day later and tragically fell to their deaths is still shrouded in mystery. I cannot help but think their decision making abilities were clouded by the high altitude. The risks were far too many, and the chances of success, but slight.

This is a well-told tale, one of best of the high-climbing books. It is slightly marred by some feminine defensiveness, but this was 1978, and equality still had a long way to go!

One of the best books ever written about women's climbing. The author, Arlene Blum, the group leader, has written a wonderful book about the first Americans, and the first women, to climb Annapurna. They were also the first women to climb to 8,000 meters. In 1978, this international group, from America, England, and Poland, set out to climb one of the highest mountains in the world. They helped to finance their expedition by selling 15,000 t-shirts printed with an outline of the peak, and the motto, "A Woman's Place Is On Top." Contrary to some recent highly publicized climbs in the Himalayas, led by professional guides for substantial fees from inexperienced climbers, all ten climbing members were capable climbers who led some routes, carried full packs, and entertained dreams of summiting without Sherpa support. Arlene Blum, a professor at Berkeley, was chosen as the group leader, and she tells of the struggle to raise money and organize members and e! ! quipment. Once in Nepal, she had to deal with conflicts in the group, and with Sherpas who were dubious of women's ability to climb high. One center of conflict was the desire of some members to climb for the summit without Sherpa support. Blum, ever concerned with safety, prevailed, and Sherpas supported the summit effort. (Hillary, after all, had Tenzing Norgay.) A thrilling story, and thrilling photographs. A video of the expedition exists somewhere. A must read for any one interested in Himalayan climbing.

I don't know how you can't feel the call of the mountains after reading this book. I wanted to jump on the next plane to India. An excellent documentary style book on women's relationships with each other and men, the image women hold of themselves and how others perceive us, and a moving story illustrating that women can do anything. Excellent.

Arlene Blum brings this women's expedition to life. You really have a sense of the members both as individuals and as a team. Perhaps only a woman can write with this insight, which is coupled with a keen eye for the details of the expedition itself. It left me longing for even more details and more photos.

I was happy to see that many others enjoyed this book as much as I did. There are many mountaineering narratives such as this one but I think this one has been perhaps the most enjoyable.

This is far from a...we came, we saw, we conquered story. Rather its a moving story of how ten women (plus the base camp manager & film crew) came together in the face of adversity to achieve a common goal. Its told with a far more human perspective than you see in some mountaineering literature. The expedition leader Arlene never presents herself as all-knowing or commanding. Instead she constantly is trying to find the best way amidst all the challenges that the team faces.

As I stated in the review title, climbing Annapurna was but one of their challenges. The mountain rained down daily with one avalanche after another, with no warming or predictability. In many respects this peak is more difficult than everest. Climbing the mountain may have been the toughest physical obstacle but many other more complex problems had to be overcome.

For one you had ten women who didn't all know each other well, finally come together as a team. Given the wide variety of nationalities (american, british, polish, etc), ability levels, cultures, and approaches that existed its a miracle that they did come together. They had numerous problems with the Sherpas, equipment, weather. Couple that with the entire world scrutinizing their every move because it was an all-womens expedition and you are in for a truly special story of triumph and tragedy.

This inspirational story is a delight to ready. It captured me and didn't let me go, even after I had finished reading it. "Annapurna: A Woman's Place" is the thrilling story of the trials of climbing a mountain, from blizzards to avalanches to organization and teamwork. If you like a good adventure this is a story for you. However the mountain these women climb is not just a physical one. They face fears and frustrations and come through them triumphantly. They struggle with the unfortunate stereotype that women sometime face. Stereotypes such as, women are unorganized or they are not leaders when in fact women can and do accomplish great feats such as this one. We all have our mountains to climb in life and this tale with leave you with the strength and determination to climb yours.

Arlene Blum's compelling account of this historic climb of Annapurna is a valuable reminder that there was a LOT more happening in 1978 than disco fever!

Now that Everest has become the ultimate tourist destination of the rich and famous, it's refreshing to read a heartfelt account of the days when 8000 m peaks were still the domain of real climbers--especially this group of tough-as-nails women.

Having just read "Into Thin Air" by John Krakauer and the far more satisfying "The Climb" by Weston de Walt and the late Anatoli Boukreev (killed in an avalanche on Annapurna last December), I'd like to recommend that this anniversary edition of "Annapurna" be dedicated in part to the memory of Japanese climber Yasuko Namba--the most senior woman ever to summit Everest and a tragic casualty of the May 10, 1996 disaster. I'm still wondering whether Yasuko's gender and ethnicity didn't contribute to her abandonment in a storm on the South Col. Arlene Blum's account of how a team of ten women worked together to climb Annapurna is a precious reminder that these issues can be transcended by dedicated teamwork--something sorely missing from recent commercial expeditions.

The many women who now regularly summit 8000 m peaks are testimony to the courage and leadership of Arlene Blum and her team. Her book helps one to know what such a climb is *really* like, from packing to trekking to dealing with personal amenities at high altitudes.

If you know any girls (or boys!) who need some great role models along with a healthy dose of the history of feminism (lest anyone forget...), this book would make an *excellent* gift. If you've read "Into Thin Air" and are hungry for more, "Annapurna" will satisfy.