Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life » (Reprint)

ARLENE BLUM has a doctorate in biophysical chemistry and has taught at Stanford, Wellesley College, and the University of California, Berkeley. Her bestselling book Annapurna: A Woman's Place was named one of the one hundred best adventure books of all time by National Geographic. She lives in Berkeley, California.

[Blum / BREAKING TRAIL bcc]

By the author of the bestselling Annapurna: A Woman’s Place

"A magnificent and compelling story . . . [Blum’s] inspiring story is as much about leadership as it is about living life fully and overcoming obstacles to reach one’s goals."—Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica

Arlene Blum defied the climbing establishment of the 1970s by leading the first all-female teams on successful ascents of Mt. McKinley and Annapurna, and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. At the same time, her ground-breaking scientific work challenged gender stereotypes in the academic community. With candor and humor, Blum recounts her journey from an overprotected childhood in Chicago to the tops of some of the highest peaks on earth, and to a life lived on her own terms. Breaking Trail is a testament to the power of taking risks and pursuing dreams.

"Compelling . . . Blum exudes possibility."—Los Angles Times

"Personal and disarmingly honest . . . [Blum] simply tells her nourishing and deserving story, quietly reminding us that a woman’s place is indeed on top."—New York Times Book Review

Arlene Blum is a leadership and intercultural trainer and author of Annapurna: A Woman’s Place, named one of the 100 best adventure books of all time by National Geographic and one of Fortune’s "75 books that teach you everything you need to know about business." She has a doctorate in biophysical chemistry and has taught at Stanford University, Wellesley College, and the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Berkeley, California.

 

 

 

The New York Times Book Review - Holly Morris

The romantic notion of climbing foremothers with cinched-up petticoats and loads of moxie is not one that applies to Blum. She simply tells her nourishing and deserving story, quietly reminding us that a woman's place is indeed on top.

Foreword     ix
Introduction     xi
A Slide down Mt. Adams     1
A Man and a Mountain     7
Higher and Higher     15
"A Woman? Never!"     27
Peru Adventure     34
Berkeley in the 1960s     47
Real Women Climbers     58
The Damsels on Denali     68
To the Summit of Denali     85
Out in the Cold     96
Avalanches     111
The Endless Winter in Africa     123
The Queen of Tenacity     141
The Endless Winter in Afghanistan and Nepal     162
Peak Lenin Bares Its Fangs     178
The Maelstrom     194
Tragedy on Trisul     210
Seduced by Mt. Everest     230
Annapurna: Women in High Places     253
First Up Bhrigupanth     279
The Great Himalayan Traverse, Part I     297
The Great Himalayan Traverse, Part II     313
Coming Home     331
Across the Alps with Baby     344
Peace and Love at Last     355
Epilogue: Mountains, Molecules, and Motherhood     360
Afterword     366
Acknowledgments     373
Index     377