The Sky's the Limit: The Story of Vicky Jack and Her Quest to Climb the Seven Summits

by Anna Magnusson

At 8.15 am on 16 May 2004, Vicky Jack stood on top of the world. After seven gruelling years, she had fulfilled her ambition to climb the Seven Summits the highest peaks on the seven continents and now she had reached the top of the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. In doing so, she became, at the age of fifty-one, the oldest British woman to climb Everest and the first Scotswoman to complete the Seven Summits challenge. The Sky's the Limit is Vicky's story. Her desire to climb came from childhood walks and holidays in Argyll but it wasn't until her thirties that she began climbing the Munros. With them finished she set her sights on the Seven Summits and has since climbed all over the world - she's fallen off Mount McKinley in Alaska, nearly died in a blizzard in Antarctica, been chased by armed security men in Indonesia and with failing oxygen, had to abandon her first attempt on Everest. And all this from a woman who wouldn't call herself a mountaineer. She held down a high-level career in management during all her years of climbing and would say she is just a hill-walker. This book is the story of an ordinary woman who pushed herself to extraordinary heights.

Genres: Nonfiction

212 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Gracie! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book in my public library but since finding this book, my approach and outlook on life has been completely transformed. Women like Vicky Jack are a part of the reason I feel a sense of belonging in sports and optimism towards my own potential/capabilities and future. Even if you aren’t interested in mountaineering, this book is full of resilience and real life. A true testament to the importance of public libraries for inspiring and building a curious and resilient society.

“You can make a lot of noise and run along madly in life, and then, gently, the truth of who you are and what you want comes up to the surface, calmly and quitely”

[Jacqui Carrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring read. It made me think about how we limit our goals with our thoughts. I think the journeys up the mountains were more dramatic than the telling of the story which somehow reflects Vicky’s character.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past year I’ve followed climber Alan Arnette as he seeks to reach the highest summit on each continent--the aptly named “Seven Summits.” (Arnette is doing it to raise support for Alzheimer’s research.) In addition to following his blog, I decided to seek out a book about previous climbers who’ve attempted this feat. My local bookstore happened to have The Sky’s the Limit: The Story of Vicky Jack and Her Quest to Climb the Seven Summits.

More than any other climbing book I’ve read, this retelling of Ms. Jack’s adventure gets a light and life-affirming treatment. This book is highly congratulatory and inspirational, in contrast to other climbing tomes that focus on controversy. For a few chapters, I even worried this book would prove too watered down to be compelling.

In particular, the chapter on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro almost reads like a day trip—and climbing that African summit is no small achievement. So my one literary criticism would be that author Anna Magnusson doesn’t appear to have dug especially deep. However, like the heroine of the story, The Sky’s the Limit won me over. In fact, I read the whole thing in one marathon Saturday session.

As the book progresses, and as Ms. Jack’s climbs grow increasingly risky, the narrative likewise deepens and intensifies. This may not be an exhaustively researched biography, but neither is it skin-deep or forgettable. It is personable and engaging in ways that other climbing books sometimes lack. Plus, it’s quite fun to read. I relished the chance to unabashedly root for someone fulfilling her dream.

I would place The Sky’s the Limit alongside Touching My Father’s Soul , as a book that treats an almost mythical quest in a remarkably personal and life-affirming way. There are doubtless more prestigious accounts of climbing the Seven Summits available. But this book caters especially well to readers like me who aren’t mountain climbers. In particular, if you are looking for an adventure book with a worthy female role-model, The Sky’s the Limit is well worth seeking out.

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after seeing an event with Anna and Vicky at the National Library of Scotland. It's a tremendous read. From completing the Munroes, Vicky aims for the Seven Summits and, despite significant challenges, she succeeds. It's an inspiring story. I loved it!