Tents in the Clouds (Tr) [Paperback]

Monica Jackson (Author), Elizabeth Stark (Author), Arlene Blum (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

Going where no one had gone before, three women pooled their resources, sailed to India, flew to Kathmandu, and trekked the remote Jugal Himal, a far-flung, hitherto unexplored region of the Himalaya.

Written over 40 years ago, Tents in the Clouds documents this unprecedented adventure. Part travel journal and part historical account, it's a lively story of the expedition's achievements. Theirs was the first ascent of an unknown peak over 22,000 feet; and as they crossed daunting passes and pristine valleys, they investigated the flora and fauna and corrected maps of one of the least accessible areas of the world.

Available in America for the first time, this illustrated record comes at the peak of public interest in the sport of mountain climbing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This engaging firsthand account of an expedition by three British women to an unexplored area on the border between Nepal and Tibet in 1955, reissued by Seal Press, is likely to be a hit in the burgeoning adventure category. While the women's modestly stated goal was to explore the "uncompromising" Jugal Himal region, they succeeded in finding and climbing an unmapped 21,ooo-foot mountain peak, which they named Gyalgen in honor of their endearing Sherpa guide. Accompanying the two authors--a housewife and mother, and a speech therapist, respectively--was a Scottish physician, Evelyn Camrass. Experienced mountaineers all, they were the first female expedition in the Himalayas and a successful example of a leaderless team. The book's charm lies in the tangy juxtaposition of the authors' understated, matter-of-fact presentation of their accomplishments and their awe-inspiring bravery, resourcefulness and meticulous preparation. By today's standards, their equipment and clothing were primitive; they endured their share of frostbite, altitude sickness and discomfort. Yet they maintained a stiff upper lip while crossing shaky chain bridges, walking through a jungle fire, managing their native guides and otherwise facing potentially lethal danger and unforgiving weather. Rendered in fine, succinct language ("the snow was blowing blue and iron hard") and seasoned with good humor, their serene reflections on their "strenuous endeavors" are a delight. 35 b&w photos, maps. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In her foreward to this U.S. version of a book originally published in England in 1956, Arlene Blum recalls wanting to go on a guided expedition to Denali in 1969 only to be told women were relegated to cooking chores at base camp; but that didn't discourage her from leading the first American team of women up Nepal's Annapurna in 1978--a historical feat. Now turn the clock back to 1955 and read how three women climbers forged new ground in this inherently dangerous sport as the first all-women expedition to Jugal Himal, at that time still an uncharted section of the Himalayas with peaks over 20,000 feet. This book is a testament to women worldwide that mountaineering history occurred much earlier than most may think. The authors offer a refreshing perspective filled with humor and scrupulous details of the terrain. Readers interested in this region of the world and climbing history buffs will find this fascinating and marvel at the similarities and differences from 40 years ago. Brenda Barrera

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (WA); First U.S. Edition edition (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580050336
• ISBN-13: 978-1580050333
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,904,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Echo from Another World, January 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tents in the Clouds (Tr) (Paperback)

Imagine...It's the 1950s. Only two years since Sir Hillary's first ascent of Mount Everest. There is no Polartec. No GoreTex. No Polypro longjohns. No plastic bags! And you can't afford oxygen, or an altimeter that reads over 8,000 feet. And yet, you and your two best buddies decide to go treking in the Himalayas, leaving husband and boyfriends behind. Explore unknown, unnamed mountains, ascend over 22,000 feet, and return to tell the tale! That is exactly what three women did in 1955, in the first women's Himalayan expedition. Two of them wrote "Tents in the Clouds" when they got back, and what a unique, gripping, funny, amazing adventure they tell. Long out of print, the book has now been reissued, with photos, by Seal Press. When a copy fell into my hands, I stayed up all night reading it, then dreamed moutain dreams. It is an inspiration! Easy to read, sprinkled with humor, and capturing all the challenge of snow, wind, ice, bitter cold and thin air without being either whiny or macho, I hope it will reach an audience from here to Tibet and as huge as Everest. Take a step back from the world we live in and imagine...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WOMEN IN THE CLOUDS...A BLAST FROM THE PAST, August 20, 2000

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tents in the Clouds (Tr) (Paperback)

This is a chronicle of the historic journey made by the 1955 first all female expedition to the Himalayas. It is an amazing adventure for those Betty Crocker days. While it ocassionally reads like a buddy book, its flavor is somewhat anachronistic and reflective of its time. It makes for a very interesting read.

This expedition, a somewhat grandiose term for a group of three women and their Sherpas, endeavored to explore the remote and then uncharted area of Nepal called the Jugal Himal. Their journey and trek through Nepal makes for a travelogue of delightful descriptions and anecdotes.

Unlike many modern day expeditions, these three women exhibited nothing but synchronized teamwork throughout their journey. This was not an ego trip for them. They were motivated by a genuine curiosity of the world in which they lived and an appreciation of the different people and cultures with which they came in contact.

True adventurers, they climbed unexplored ranges and reached the summit of a 22,000 plus peak without supplementary oxygen. They did all this without any casualties. It was very important for this particular expedition to be successful, because there were many nay sayers at the time who would have been only too willing to jump up and shout that women were not fit for such a venture. Thankfully, they were able to prove them wrong. Wonen can climb and lead an expedition!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific reading for mountaineers and true adventure buffs., April 5, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tents in the Clouds (Tr) (Paperback)

In the spring of 1955, the Jugal Himal region of the Himalayan mountain range was an unexplored mystery when three women embarked on the first all-female expedition to the Himalaya. All three participants were obscure mountaineers unknown to the general public when they made their first ascent of a 22,000-foot peak. Tents In The Clouds: The First Women's Himalayan Expedition is a thrilling account of their adventure which is as stirring today as it was when first published in 1956. This new and revised edition includes nearly thirty stunning photographs, as well as a new foreword by renowned mountaineer Arlene Blum. Tents In The Clouds is secure in the annals of women's studies as both a classic of climbing literature and a testament to gender equality issues.