Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Adventure

by Patricia Ellis Herr

When Trish Herr became pregnant with her first daughter, Alex, she and her husband, Hugh, vowed to instill a bond with nature in their children. By the time Alex was five, her over-the-top energy levels led Trish to believe that her very young daughter might be capable of hiking adult-sized mountains.In Up, Trish recounts their always exhilarating--and sometimes harrowing--adventures climbing all forty-eight of New Hampshire's highest mountains.  Readers will delight in the expansive views and fresh air that only peakbaggers are afforded, and will laugh out loud as Trish urges herself to "mother up" when she and Alex meet an ornery--and alarmingly bold--spruce grouse on the trail. This is, at heart, a resonant, emotionally honest account of a mother's determination to foster independence and fearlessness in her daughter, to teach her "that small doesn't necessarily mean weak; that girls can be strong; and that big, bold things are possible."

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Nature, Parenting, Outdoors, Biography

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2012

About the author

Patricia Ellis Herr is the homeschooling mother of Alexandra and Sage. She lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and holds a Masters Degree in Anthropology (Biological) from Harvard University.

Reviews

[Madriver (p/b) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Trish first told me she was writing a memoir about her hikes with Alex I just assumed it would be an extension of her trip reports that we all write from time to time where we record our hikes and then post them on various hiking boards for other hikers to read and critique. Little did I realize as I began reading that it would turn out to be so much more than just a chronicle of their hikes together, but her dreams and desires for Alex as she explores the world around her laced with its joys and sorrows that we all must experience in everyday life. Some parents try to protect their children against the perils that the world has to offer even to the detriment of the child who will learn late in life that the world is not fair. Alex will have no such handicap, for she was told and shown very early in life how the world can be a joyous place, yet has the capacity for cruelty as well. Each chapter becomes a classroom as Trish and Alex leave a trailhead and hike to a far off peak encountering some of nature’s wonders as well as her dangers.

Not every peak is mentioned in the book and I thought it odd why some were omitted; particularly the North Slide of the Tripyramids, which has turned grown men and women into sniveling puddles of humanity, yet Alex scampered up the slabs with the aplomb of a seasoned hiker. Once I finished the book I realized that UP is not a trip report, but a mother and daughters’ journey of discovery.

On a personal note, I have hiked with Trish, Alex and Sage on a number of occasions and have witnessed firsthand Trish’s gentle teaching style and I have no doubt both Alex and Sage will achieve whatever goals or aspirations they set out to conquer in life and this will be accomplished by no small measure due to their childhood filled with wonder and adventures guided by the loving hand of their mother. I love all three, yet Alex holds a special place in my heart for she is an old soul, one who has wisdom, poise, and grace well beyond her years and I suspect that she will be the one to scatter my ashes over West Bond when the time comes. Though don’t rush me on that last point.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to spend money on a book and not finish the entire thing. But I almost did just that with this book. The author spends the first part of this book convincing the reader what a perfect mother she is and what an exceptional daughter she has...hiking, home schooling, giving up her Harvard PhD, stay at home mom. Although she states otherwise, she seems pretentious and judgmental. Some of the dialogue between her and her daughter seems phoney. Yes the daughter may be extremely bright and precocious, but I've known a few bright/precocious kids and some of the dialogue doesn't ring true. She asks her daughter if she wants to hike "grown up mountains" then when out hiking they run into a man who apparently hates that her daughter is hiking and he asks why are they hiking "grown up mountains"? Does everyone in New Hampshire call them grown up mountains? How strange, maybe they all need to visit the Sierra's. Now there's some grown up mountains.

Half way through the book she talks about her husband's experience. I won't go into detail, just in case you decide to read it yourself. But at that point I enjoyed the story a little more and decided to finish. But in the end I think the message she taught was not that girls can do anything, but that she and her girls are better than others.

She seems to think she's among a small handful of parents that hike with children. Well, let me just say that in Southern California there are a lot of kids that go to public school, watch t.v., have working mothers and get out and hike with their parents. I've met them.

[Megan Palasik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished an "uncorrected proof" copy of "UP" that I received from the Amazon Vine program and I want to start reading it all over again!

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!

It made me laugh, it made me tear up a little and it showed me the kind of mother I hope to one day be.

Ellis Herr tells the stories of her daytime, and sometimes nighttime, peakbagging adventures with her 5-year-old daughter, Alex. They climbed the 48, 4,000ft and higher, peaks in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 15 months.

UP is not only about their hikes over roots, rocks, and streams, but it's about a mother-daughter bond. The chapters tell of lessons they learned along the way, and have titles such as "Ignore the Naysayers" and "Little Things Matter (a Lot)". Throughout the hikes, Ellis Herr explains to Alex all of the dangers they may encounter along the way and why they bring along the equipment that they have. She makes sure Alex understands all of the potential hazards and instills in her that safety comes first, even if you're only a few hundred feet from the summit. She also has some wonderfully narrated discussions with Alex on the trail covering topics such as feminism and why some people say hurtful things.

Each member of the Herr family has a story to tell in UP. Alex has a younger sister, Sage, who accompanies them on a couple of hikes. Also, Alex's dad, Hugh, who also used to be an avid ice climber before his tragic accident, shares his story with the girls. Even the way that Patricia talks to Alex, in an honest, adult, matter of fact way, is her story as a mother and vowing to not lie to her daughters.

I hope this book inspires parents and caregivers of young children to unplug from the TVs/computers/video games and get out and explore the world around them. While I don't have children yet, I work with toddler/preschoolers and their families on a daily basis and see so many watching hours upon hours of TV every day. You don't have to be near mountains to explore your surroundings and have adventures.

This book was a very quick read. Once you start reading, you won't want to put it down. I will be telling everyone I know about this beautiful book. It's a wonderful story/adventure and I look forward to following the mother's blog from now on.

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little people can do big things. That, in a sentence, seems to be Patricia Ellis Herr's theme behind "Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Adventure." The book is a memoir that traces author and her five-year-old daughter, Alex, as they attempt to join the Four Thousand Footer Club, ascending all 40-some of New Hampshire's 4K-plus peaks.

Herr makes it clear that it's all driven by Alex, and if the way the little girl is portrayed is accurate, then I buy that. Alex seems to have been born with an old soul, an abundance of energy, and no concept of the idea of limits. Very cool!

But I'm less sure that the idea behind the book is as altruistic. It wavers between parental advice ("...I think that children are for more capable than most adults realize. Sometimes they just need to be reminded of their own strength."), feminist treatise ("...Nothing much happens to boys who say sexist things to girls.") and love letter ("...Love for my child overwhelms me; it threatens to flatten me. I am so lucky to have this incredible, strong, intelligent little girl in my life!"). And all of that isn't bad, per se, but it does muddy the water a bit, as do the not-infrequent sidebarring into "Why I Never Finished my Harvard PhD" and "Why I'm a Stay-At-Home Mom." I honestly didn't care that much if she were a rocket scientist with a string of initials after her name or if she were a high school dropout. It's Alex who's the interesting one (sorry, Mom!).

The book succeeds when the focus is kept on the idea of mother and child accomplishing something together, and equipping your kids to reach their dreams. It falters when it takes on a preachy tone ("...Couldn't I be a proper modern-day woman, stick my babies in day care, and stay the course?"). The judgmental tone, intended or not, will alienate some readers unnecessarily. I had to bite my tongue more than a few times.

All the same, the book was well-written and an enjoyable, quick read. It definitely made me question the limits I place on my kids. And while I won't be joining the 4K club, I may tackle a hike or two this summer.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was interesting to read about the trails -- particularly in the second half of the book-- but honestly I'm not sure why UP was written and that's plagued me a bit as I've contemplated writing this review and tryed to sum up what the book means to me.

Now most of the mountaineering and spelunking books I have read thus far have been about the ascent, or descent where appropriate. They've been books written to clarify what happened during a particular climb of K2 or Everest or some other treacherous bit of earth, or else they have been written to expand the horizons of those of us who are more sedate. I didn't get the impression that UP was about that.

The first part of the book was about Alex. Or actually Patricia's great love and appreciation of Alex the young dynamo. We learn all about her precociousness and her high energy levels and perhaps this is what UP is about; parents love for their child and all the gifts granted her.

But then there's the bit at the end about how Ms. Herr's 'friends' and colleagues couldn't understand why she quit work to stay with her daughters. And that made me think that perhaps the climbing and book were merely an attempt try to justify a life choice to some exceedingly lame neanderthals who couldn't conceive of anyone making a choice different from the one they did.

If that was the case, then Ms. Herr is probably wasting her time. People either get it, or not. You can't forcefully open their hearts and eyes to the fact that their phony-baloney jobs are as important as other people.

Which leaves us where? UP isn't a classic mountain book. It is sort of egotistical and gushy. Which is alright. It was an entertaining enough book, but I can't seem to justify more than 3-Stars because it doesn't break out into something more than a love-fest.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a bummer! Although the idea of taking your young children on peak-bagging adventures is inspirational, this book is a boring, pedantic, "holier-than-though" book to read. I know hiking in the Whites can be dangerous & scary (been there, done that), but she makes it sound as if these mountains are in the Himalayas! For goodness sake, I've taken a stroll up some un-remembered peak with boxes for collecting blueberries, a light jacket and a water bottle (before the days of everyday GPS). Not every mountain hike is an expedition. It was also interesting for me to read the words of a woman whose children have not hit double-digits preach about the "right way" to educate and raise kids. Didn't even finish the book, nor do I plan to.

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't slog through this whole book. The mom just rubbed me the wrong way. I hike with my daughter all the time, so thought I would relate, but she just felt so self-congratulating to me, I lost interest in her story.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the outdoors books I’ve been reading and posting about lately, this is my favorite.

I feel like I should dedicate this post to the jerk who recently told me that women are weak and shouldn’t go into the woods without a man. (Insert eye roll here). If I didn’t have enough evidence already that’s he’s so wrong, Patricia Ellis Herr offers up a wheelbarrow of backup with her tale of hiking New Hampshire’s White Mountains with her five-year-old daughter in “Up: A Mother and Daugther’s Peakbagging Adventure.”

Herr and her daughter Alex start hiking on a whim, but they’re soon addicted to the experience. After a few initial mis-steps (attempting their first peak with improper gear while there’s still snow at higher elevations), the pair are soon heading out several times a month to bag peaks. Soon after she turns six, Alex has climbed all 48 of the New Hampshire peaks over 4,000 feet. Her sister, Sage, is soon close behind.

The book is a quick and easy read, hitting highlights of their adventures instead of offering detailed descriptions of every single hike. Chapters are set up as “lessons.” Lesson 1: “Some Things Will Always Be Beyond Your Control.” Lesson 4: “Ignore the Naysayers.”

Herr found plenty of naysayers, both on the trail and in online hiking forums, many of whom worried she was exposing her young daughter to unnecessary risk or pushing her into an activity. But she and Alex also found plenty of supporters, particularly among those who actually met and hiked with them and realized that the drive for the hiking came from Alex herself.

Some of the conversations in the book between mother and daughter feel a little manufactured, but I don’t know many five-year-olds, so I will take Herr at her word that hers was smart enough and thoughtful enough to discuss sexism and being a stay-at-home mom. The discussions are part of Herr’s overall message to readers and to her daughters: that girls are capable of great things and that challenges can be met, one step at a time. She writes:

“What matters is that they know, from experience, that they can accomplish something big, something huge. What matters is that, for the rest of their lives, both my daughters understand that to reach a goal, they must put one foot in from of the other and persevere. They know that they must expect and prepare for challenges. They know to ignore the naysayers and, instead, to have faith in themselves and their abilities to learn what they need to know. Above all else, they know that little does not mean weak, that girls are indeed strong, and that practically anything is possible.”

Go girls!

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started by accident, almost: Herr's daughter was small, but she had boundless energy, and Herr thought hiking might be a good way to use some of that energy. So they climbed a mountain. They had some false starts (e.g., their very first hike, before Herr understood how conditions differ on and off mountains and before she knew what kind of clothing & gear they would need to be comfortable and safe), but one hike turned into two turned into three turned into...forty-eight, and then some.

Up is a pretty quiet book, but it's paced well. There aren't a lot of high-stakes situations to provide tension, but considering that two of the main characters were five and three for much of the book's events...that's just fine by me. (Wait, that sounds potentially terrible. I don't need adults in high-stakes situations either! But if anyone's going to be in high-stakes situations—which can, after all, make for nail-biting reads—better it be adults than kids.) Herr repeatedly emphasises that her kids were out hiking by choice, and that they could stop either a given hike or the overall quest at any point. It's a little repetitive in places, but I suspect she's so emphatic about this because of the criticism she received for taking young kids up big mountains.

Not going to set anything on fire, this book, but that seems about right. Solid, sweet, easy hiking read.

[Jaylia3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do with a five year old daughter who is bouncing off the walls with energy? A daughter who you, of course, want to grow up happy, strong and confident? Careful, but willing to attempt large goals undeterred by the expectations of others? Author Patricia Ellis Herr’s daughter Alex was thrilled with the idea of trying to climb all 48 of the New Hampshire mountains that are over 4,000 feet. Mother and daughter achieved that goal in half the time they expected to and it became an ideal learning experience involving planning, preparing, pacing, learning from their own mistakes, discovering the joy hard work can bring, being willing to turn back when they ran into trouble, and dealing with people who thought a young girl shouldn’t be attempting anything challenging. In this chronicle of their achievement, Herr’s descriptions of trying to balance her natural but sometimes conflicting desires to protect but also encourage her child will resonate with any parent. The hikes gave mother and daughter the opportunity to enjoy beautiful vistas, bond over silly songs, and have serious talks about the ways of the world.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an excellent book! I loved this mother and daughter's story. It is truly inspirational to me. I feel inspired to try more things with my children, to persevere through difficulties, and to be a better example for my children of making goals and doing what it takes to reach them - whatever they might be. I'm also encouraged to keep working on our goal of going backpacking someday soon. May we reach that goal and have some fun!

[Rachel Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is amazing. It is a wonderful story of accomplishment between a mother and her young daughter. The goal of the two is to summit all 48 4K mountains in New Hampshire. Her daughter is 6 years old when they finish and as you are reading you will be completely inspired to get outside and get moving.
I would recommend this book for everyone. I read it in a day and was just completely caught up in their stories.
So glad her daughter encouraged her to write this book.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! This story of this mom and 5-year old daughter hiking team is amazing! 15 life lessons are highlighted. I must say I learned a few more life lessons as I read this book!

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!!!!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit conflicted about this book. There was quite a bit I connected with, as we are a super outdoorsy family that loves a challenge. But...

Things I liked:
- Mother-daughter adventuring
- Kids spending time outdoors
- Showing that kids are perfectly capable of big things
- The various anecdotes of their time in the mountains. The story of the grouse actually made me laugh out loud

Things I disliked:
- The holier-than-thou rationalizations about what she was doing
- The terribly dangerous situations she put her daughter in for no reason. This is a big one for me. I have absolutely no issues with the hiking, or pushing limits, or anything they did when well prepared. However, there was just some plain lack of preparation. Hiking a 4K mountain in April, and you're surprised that there's snow? Hiking above the tree line in the winter and not realizing that it would be windy and dangerous? Which would almost be forgivable if her husband wasn't also a child prodigy climber who would clearly know these things!!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes it abundantly clear that she speaks to her young daughters as adults, and Alex obviously gets irritated when adults talk down to her. Yet, as a reader, several times I felt the author was talking down to ME. For instance, how many times does she need to repeat her daughter's age? Or defend her decision to leave a Harvard Ph.D. program behind (gasp!) and home school her children because no other schooling is good enough? Or that girls/women are just as good as boys/men at anything they set their mind to?

Yet I enjoyed this quick read, and certainly admire Alex's ability to climb all of the 4Ks in the Whites. It's a huge accomplishment! I've climbed several of these peaks, in the company of my adult son, and can attest to the rigorousness and challenge of these trails. My first climb was to celebrate my 55th birthday, and I wasn't fully prepared for how difficult it would be. Yet it is exhilarating! And I keep coming back for more each fall. This will be our 6th year. If only I lived in the vicinity rather than an airplane ride away, I'd be peakbagging myself.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

While the adventure itself (hiking the forty-eight highest mountains in New Hampshire) was fascinating and a quick read, Ms. Herr is lacking in self-awareness and spends a fair bit of time excusing aspects of her life. She tells her daughter that the most important thing when you have a child is spending as much time with them as possible (as opposed to, say, being a strong role model of a woman with a career). She feels at a loss when her 5-year-old *isn't* hiking with her and she's alone. And I would feel awful if I were the second daughter, who isn't shown in a very good light and about who mother says, near the end, that she feels "distanced" from. There's more than a little hero worshipping by the mother of her first daughter.

I did appreciate the description of the trails - they were in line with my experiences with them.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I feel like I’m the exact target reader for this book though. I am a well educated stay at home mom to two little girls and we also love to be out in nature as a family. I only bring up my education because her chapter about people’s reactions to her choices concerning her family was incredibly relatable for me. The book was self-indulgent but it’s a book written by a mother about her experiences with her daughter; it’s going to be self-indulgent. I liked that it was a blend of anecdotes and descriptions of the trails/hikes. I didn’t need guide book details but seeing as I don’t know those peaks, the details were nice. Overall, it was a nice book to keep me reminded of my own love for sharing hiking, nature, the outdoors with my girls.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I too, love to adventure with my child. While I appreciate the gist behind the book, that kids can do incredible things, families can do incredible things, and they can have beautiful, wonderful shared experiences, this book was tough to get through. The writing style is very hiking guide, do this, don’t do this, look at how fantastic we are. It felt very much “information sharing” and I didn’t feel a lot of emotion or character development -I know these are true stories about the author and her family so it would have been nice to include some elements that help the reader feel connected to the story. To be honest it was a tough slog to finish this book- because it’s just pretty dry.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book has its flaws, it was a quick and enjoyable read.

Enjoyable: tales of trekking through the woods and mountains of NH and some of the cool sightings, views, experiences, and humans that are encountered. Also, I know the feeling I had as a kid that I wanted to do “grown up stuff” and saw myself as perfectly capable. Nice that the parents support this in their kid.

Flaws: mom-young daughter convos that don’t ring true. I get the mom talks to the daughter respectfully as an adult, but no. The 5.5 year old kid doesn’t converse like an adult. Also, mom, no need to tell me about your parenting travails and that you dropped out of a Harvard doctoral program. Book isn’t about that.

Liked the MadRiver character too. Cool dude.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super fast read with fun stories about a mom and daughter's adventures. Less "how-to" and more "here's what we did". It was a little hard to relate, as our kids are soooo not like her daughters. (I'm sure our camping adventures would be a lot different if they were!) She was careful not to judge other people's parenting, but it's easy for a reader like me to see that kind of privilege and get disheartened so I'm glad she takes the time to acknowledge that 'your mileage may vary' as my friend Mike says.

[Beth Neu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable and quick read and it's not just for hikers. Patricia Ellis Herr tells of her adventures with her young daughters (mostly Alex, her oldest) as they strive to hike 48 of the 4K + peaks of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Herr gives vivid descriptions of the people they meet and some unexpected encounters with animals. Both mother and daughter make new friends and gain a new appreciation for the natural beauty and danger of mountain hiking. An enjoyable vacation read.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected. When I started reading, it was because I am also trying to do the 48. All though Trish did talk about hikes and the beauties of them, it was more about the relationship with her daughter, Alex. Trish spent so much time with Alex, sometimes it felt like she didn’t have another daughter. Sage was not in the book as much, and it didn’t seem right that Sage wasn’t there for so many parts in the book. Other than that, congratulations girls! You did all 48 and that is an amazing accomplishment. Keep doing what you’re doing you are all amazing!

[Lauren Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun Mothers' Day selection. While I have no penchant for hiking, let alone mountains, I appreciate the grit and the life lessons from unconventional parenting. I felt like it could have used some disclaimer or acknowledgement of this family's privilege for its lifestyle, but then, we don't expect that from celebrity memoir, so I'll just say it: can't relate to the financials. Moving on, it's really a sweet unfolding of the quest and certain encounters & challenges along the way, and I'm happy for them. Mother Earth is an ideal classroom, to be sure.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somehow I feel bad that I didn't like this. It seems like something I'd be interested in, given that I hike quite a bit with my own kids, so I think the writing was just a turn-off. There weren't any "profound" life lessons here (hiking safety, maybe?) and no major tension, so I was about as enthusiastic to read this as I would be looking at someone's vacation slides. Way to go, though, for reaching a hiking goal with your young daughter; it is certainly an accomplishment.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter describes a lesson Trish and her daughter Alex learn as they hike the 48 4K mountains in New Hampshire. I enjoyed reading her story and the way she empowered her daughter while hiking and in daily life. The writing is a little choppy in places, but overall, this book inspired me to hike more.

[Mr. Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this, as Patricia and her daughter Alex hiked the 48 four thousand footers in New Hampshire's White Mountains and I am currently in the throes of also accomplishing this feat as well. Her insight was good, and Alex doing these mountains at 5 and 6 years old is incredible. Very encouraging!

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I wasn't necessarily expecting to. The anecdotes were engaging and entertaining, the lessons were things I could relate to as a mother, and I liked that the author was not pushing a lifestyle but rather just sharing an incredible experience. This book has motivated me to find a passion in each of my children and encourage it, support it, and share it.

[Mary Dancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I wasn't necessarily expecting to. The anecdotes were engaging and entertaining, the lessons were things I could relate to as a mother, and I liked that the author was not pushing a lifestyle but rather just sharing an incredible experience. This book has motivated me to find a passion in each of my children and encourage it, support it, and share it.

[Jean Dupenloup · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great memoir of a mother and daughter team climbing the 48 4,000-foot peaks of New Hampshire.

Having hiked up the 48 myself in 2015 and 2016, I had a special interest in this book.

It was a pleasure to revisit the familiar trails and hikes, and to witness the characteristically human willpower of even the smallest among us.