Leading Out: Mountaineering Stories of Adventurous Women

by Rachel Da Silva, Arlene Blum (Contributor)

A collection of inspiring essays by over 25 prominent women climbers. The works include Bachrendi Pal's account as the first woman to climb Everest and the story of blind climber Colette Richard's ascent of Mount Tondu in the French Alps.

Genres: Short Stories

450 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a real mixed bag. Some of the stories, especially at the beginning, were a bit dull, encylopedic listings of first ascents. But others were completely fascinating: the blind mountaineer, the expeditions to Everest solely to clean up trash. Definitely recommend to any female mountaineers or climbers

[Peter McGinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of this book, and when it comes to the parts I didn't like as much, it had nothing to do with the quality of writing. For a long time, women were discouraged from climbing; indeed, the men thought they weren't capable of it. But some women did climb, and you will find the stories of many of them here, from the beginnings of recorded mountaineering to recent history.

The many chapters are written by different women on different types of climbing, so it would be surprising if a reader enjoyed every section equally. In my case, I mostly read narratives of alpine climbing, involving not just high altitudes but also snow, cold and iffy weather. I guess this is because I was led to books on mountaineering after a long interest in reading about polar exploration. So the rock climbing in warmer climates, while still an extreme sport, is sometimes less interesting for me. Plus I find I am less interested in the biographical history of climbers and more so in the climbs themselves, so in this book most chapters seem to have sections about childhood and how they started climbing.

But that is just a personal preference. If you are a climber or interested in becoming one, these aspects of the essays may well be the most interesting parts for you. In any case, in this male-dominated (though less so now) sport, this is a well-written, important and empowering book from the female perspective.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book from a recommendation of a true mountain woman- a SARS volunteer, and enthusiastic adventurer with a passion for the color orange. The stories range from some of the first women alpinists up to the early 1990’s and cover the evolution of women’s place in the outdoors- as told by women. Each story carries with it a unique voice and a unique writing style. The varying styles can be difficult to navigate if you are a reader craving a consistent flow; however, each story brings with it a different perspective of how women have claimed their place in the wild. This is a great read for anyone with a passion for the mountains and a desire to learn our origins to better help shape the future of climbing.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of short stories. Stories range from Very good to excruciatingly boring. The "brief" history on northwest women's climbing was especially boring. But if you skip, or fast skim, the boring chapters, this is a worthwhile read and very entertaining.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about it at first, but it is getting better.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of a solid two years of reading climbing book after climbing book. Inspirational!