جایی برای زنان بر روی قله آناپورنا

by Arlene Blum, رحیم دانایی (Translator)

In 1978, 13 women set out to climb Annapurna I in the Nepal Himalaya, achieving the first ascent of the world's 10th highest mountain by an American and by a woman. By proving that women had the skill, strength, and courage necessary to make this difficult and dangerous climb, the 1978 Women's Himalayan Expedition's accomplishment had a positive impact around the world, changing perceptions about women's abilities in sports and other arenas. Twenty years later, Arlene Blum has republished her account, offering her story to a new generation. Blum writes in the introduction,

Annapurna has become for me a metaphor for difficult and important goals. Striving to achieve such objectives draws on all of our abilities and brings out the best in us. There are still many 'Annapurnas' to be climbed in the world--such as protecting our natural environment; decreasing the gap between rich and poor; providing basic necessities for everyone on this planet; and raising our children to live with love and good values.

Impressive black-and-white photos record the women's journey from Katmandu to the summit and back again. This book documents the personal triumphs and tragedies of these women with insights that only a firsthand account can offer. --Kathryn True

Genres: Nonfiction, Mountaineering, Adventure, Travel, Memoir, Climbing, Biography

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

From Wiki:
Arlene Blum (born March 1, 1945) is an American mountaineer, writer, and environmental health scientist. She is best known for leading an all-woman ascent of Annapurna (I), a climb that was also the first successful American ascent. She was also a deputy leader of the first all-woman ascent of Mount McKinley and the first American woman to attempt to ascend Mount Everest.

Reviews

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

That certainly goes down as one of the best climbing books I've read. Even on a simple basis it is a powerful story of a very challenging climb of one of the world's 8000 metre summits. The fact that Arlene had access to fellow climbers diaries allows the narrative to reflect various views. The telling of the tale is simple and effective.

The other dimension - the fact that this was an all women team - both adds to the power in places, saddens because of the treatment of female climbers and brings emotion into what is often a rather unemotional area of writing. The treatment of the climbers by the Sherpas, the climbers varying views on how the climb should be approached and Arlene's trials holding together the team and leading the expedition. An excellent read for anyone interested - 4.5/5 and happily rounded up.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arlene Blum and her crew of women climbers were the first Americans of any sex to scale the deadly 8,000-meter Himalayan peak of Annapurna in 1978. It was a monumental achievement, to be sure, and this account is a valuable one in the literature of mountaineering, particularly in its fulsome details on the frustrating difficulties of logistical and human-resource management, eg., the cultural and gender clashes between the native Sherpa guides and the Westerners. Also important is its delineation of the outrageous sexism that Blum talks about, mainly at the beginning of the book. In one case a male climber said he was OK with women being on the crew as long as they slept with all the men. Ugh. I remember a time when these attitudes were common, and they didn't even make me flinch, whereas now they are uber-cringe. The book isn't exactly the adrenaline rush provider that many mountaineering books can be, and at times it felt a bit meh and draggy, but its place in the story of mountaineering lit is secure. Any mountaineering fan needs to read it, even though it didn't entirely blow me away.

[Hippo dari Hongkong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kau tak akan pernah menaklukan sebuah gunung
Kau berdiri di puncaknya selama beberapa detik
Kemudian, tiupan angin menghilangkan jejak-jejak kakimu

SPOILER NIH KAYAKNYA...

Mendaki gunung dengan ketinggian 8000 meter dpl emang sulit, tapi gue ternyata baru tau kalo persiapan sebelum mendaki gunung ternyata sama sulitnya. Jauh lebih ribet dan bikin pusing malahan:D

Pada tahun 1978 sekelompok wanita tangguh yang dipimpin Arlene Blum berangkat menuju Nepal dengan tujuan mendaki puncak Annapurna I. Puncak tertinggi ke 10 di dunia yang terletak di pegunungan Himalaya. Tiga belas wanita mulai dari yang tertua Joan Firey (49 tahun) sampai peserta termuda, Margie Rushmore (20 tahun) pada tanggal 6 Agustus 1978 tiba di Nepal dan mulai memusatkan pandangan mereka ke puncak Annapurna.

Tetapi "pendakian" mereka sesungguhnya dimulai bertahun-tahun sebelumnya. Perjuangan untuk mengumpulkan dengan cermat para peserta. Berusaha meyakinkan mereka yang skeptis ( pria umumnya ) yang meragukan kemampuan mendaki mereka. Tak kenal lelah mengajukan izin mendaki ke asosiasi Pendaki Gunung Amrik yang berkali-kali menolak permohonan mereka. Setelah izin keluar, mereka harus berjuang kembali untuk mendapatkan izin dari pemerintah Nepal yang "enggan" mengizinkan mereka mendaki Annapurna. Setelah izin keluar, mereka harus berjuang lagi mengumpulkan dana sekitar 80 ribu dollar untuk membiayai ekspedisi mereka. Hebatnya mereka membiayai sendiri ekspedisi mereka secara swadaya. Sebagian besar dana mereka diperoleh dari penjualan T-Shirt yang dihiasi gambar gunung dan tulisan yang menggelitik dan sedikit provokatif; "A Woman's Place Is On Top" Apakah setelah itu mereka langsung mendaki? blom atuh, mereka harus harus berlatih keras secara intensif selama dua tahun penuh!

Tiba di Kathmandu mereka kembali dipusingkan kembali dengan urusan izin selama enam hari. Yang paling sulit dan ribet ialah ketika mengurus logistik dan peralatan mendaki mereka yang beratnya ternyata mencapai enam ton! Mereka harus mendata dan menyortir kembali logistik mereka. Setelah beres perjalanan pun dimulai. Mulai mendaki? beloooom atuh. Perjalanan menuju base camp dimulai dengan menempuh jarak 124 km menuju kota Pokhara dengan menumpang bis butut yang kerjaannya pecah ban mulu. Setelah sembilan jam mereka tiba di kota Pokhara. Asiiiik! nyampe? nyampe? siap mendaki? BELOOOOOOM!!! Perjalanan berikutnya semakin berat karena mereka harus menempuh "sisa" 128 km menuju base camp dengan cara berjalan kaki! melintasi jalan setapak, menyebrangi sungai yang deras dan hutan selama tak kurang dari 12 hari dan kadang-kadang dibawah guyuran hujan lebat *bayangin tuh!* Diperlukan tak kurang dari 200 kuli angkut (diluar sherpa dan juru masak) untuk mengangkut logistik seberat enam ton itu *bayangin lagi tuh!* Ditambah ada kejadian lucu ketika seorang juru masak lokal yang dengan sotoynya mencampur sebotol betadine yang disangkanya kecap ke dalam nasi goreng pedas yang akan disajikan. Alhasil, beberapa jam kemudian mereka semua terserang wabah diare, hahaha.

Tiba di base camp para kuli angkut pun pulang. Disini perjuangan terberat 13 wanita beserta 6 orang sherpa dimulai. Mereka harus membongkar logistik dan mulai mengangkut logistik naik ke camp 1 bolak-balik ratusan kali selama berminggu-minggu *kapan mendakinya ya?* Kelak perbekalan ini terus dipecah dan diangkut sampai camp V. Masih berminat naek gunung Everest? :D
Pendakiannya sendiri seperti pendakian Everest yang lain, tidak mudah dan penuh dengan hambatan. Pertengkaran antar sesama anggota ekspedisi, cuaca yang sangat buruk, longsoran salju yang tiba2, pemogokan para sherpa, perdebatan tentang siapa yang berhak mendaki ke puncak. Perjalanan menuju puncak yang sulit karena harus berjalan melewati "bubur" salju setinggi pinggang dll.

Terlepas dari semua itu. Pada tanggal 15 Oktober 1978 pukul 15.30 waktu setempat, dua anggota ekspedisi, Irene Miller dan Vera Komarkova berhasil menjejakkan kaki mereka diketinggian 8.078. Yep, mereka berada di puncak Annapurna 1, puncak tertinggi ke 10 didunia. Horeee! Congratulation ladies! Bravo! *keplok-keplok sendirian* Sebuah pencapaian yang luarbiasa. Keteguhan, komitmen, semangat pantang menyerah dan kekompakan adalah kunci kesuksesan mereka untuk tiba di puncak Annapurna. Meski keberhasilan mereka harus dibayar dengan harga yang amat mahal. Dua anggota tim harus kehilangan nyawa mereka dalam upaya menuju puncak. Vera Watson (46 thn) dan Alison Chadwick (36 thn) *diperkirakan* terjatuh dilereng menuju puncak kedua dan tak pernah ditemukan lagi. Hanya jaket merah milik Alison yang berhasil mereka temukan. *nangis bombay*

Sebuah buku yang insprasional. Bravo untuk Arlene Blum dan kawan-kawan!

Tambahan: Ada satu kejadian yang terus terang bikin gue sebagai kaum testosteron ketawa geli. Begini, saking sibuknya membuat rencana pendakian dan belanja peralatan dan makanan yang bejibun itu tak seorang pun diantara mereka yang ingat untuk membawa suatu benda yang sangat penting buat kaum perempuan, yaitu... ehm.. tampon! *cekikikan* Mereka kelimpungan sendiri di Kathmandu ketika mereka menyadari bahwa tak seorang pun dari mereka yang membawa tampon. Semua toko di Kathmandu di obrak abrik demi mencari barang yang maha penting itu, gak ketemu juga. Pelayan toko malah bengong ketika di tanya tampon, "Tampon? Apaan tuh?", rupanya orang2 Nepal sama sekali gak tau apa itu tampon.
Catatan: Sebetulnya sebuah perusahaan tampon terkemuka sudah mensponsori ekspedisi ini dengan sumbangan berupa uang yang lumayan besar tapi mereka justru lupa nyumbang tamponnya dan perempuan2 ini juga saking sibuknya ampe lupa untuk memintanya. Gue udah yakin kalo di kepala bagian advertising perusahaan ini sudah menari-nari kalimat buat iklan di koran jika kelak ekspedisi ini sukses menaklukan Annapurna.. "Tampon buatan kami berhasil mencapai ketinggian 8000 meter" *cekikikan lagi*

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a book I couldn't put down in forever. I was reading this as often as I could and even woke up early (I eagerly sacrificed sleep as a mother of two toddlers-- a testament to its quality). I did not know the story of this climb before reading and recommend that you go in blind if you don't, as well. At points, it was as gripping as any thriller. Arlene did an amazing job capturing what feels like a balanced and honest view of peoples' experiences leading up to and on the mountain. Learning about the logistics that go behind a climb of this magnitude was fascinating all on its own. I will be thinking of this book for a long time to come (and purchasing my "Women belong on top" t-shirt right now).

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for anyone who thinks great mountains can be climbed without a price. Mountains are dangerous places in general, and 8,000+ meter peaks extraordinarily so.

Arlene Blum's account of the first succesful American expedition to the top of Annapurna is full of marvelous details about the extraordinary hard work and constant danger. If you ever wondered why it takes weeks and weeks to climb these things, then this book shows you why. Massive snowstorms. Constant avalanches. Perilous traverses. All the while inching supplies ever higher in order to support a summit attempt before the weather turns and the jet stream lowers itself onto the summit for the winter.

And death in the blink of an eye.

The mountains don't care about your gender, and neither should the AAC. Great book. Very inspiring.

And sobering. This isn't Everest with porters and sherpas to carry your gear for you. There are a handful of sherpas on the expedition but everyone is lugging load after load of gear and supplies up and down the mountain. This is mountaineering.

And finally I really enjoyed experiencing all of it through a woman's eyes/experiences. So many mountaineering books are by men, which is a key point by the author.

Once again. Excellent. Highly recommend it.

[Marie Lund Alveberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denne beretningen berører. Kanskje ikke så mye på grunn av sin prosa, men heller med sin øyeåpnende fortelling om et lag med kvinnelige klatrere på 1970-tallet, som mot de fleste odds sammen bestiger ett av verdens høyeste og farligste fjell 🏔️

Klatring i store høyder er fremdeles en mannsdominert idrett, selv om mye har endrer seg på 50 år. Derav også en omfattende sakprosasjanger av fjellberetninger, først og fremst fra mannens perspektiv.

Sett i lys av dette, skriver Arlene Blum oppfriskende og med stor omsorg for sine kvinnelige ekspedisjonsmedlemmer. Hun skildrer med øye for enhver detalj laget møter på sin lange ferd mot Annapurnas topp, men også med fengende beskrivelser innover i sinnets irrganger.

Undres om dette kan være fjellfeminismens spede begynnelse i skrevet format? Anbefales ❤️

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long story, short – read this book for inspiration.

I didn’t even know there had been a new release of this book. I just happened to pick up my copy from my bookshelf –of the first release in 1980 – to re-read. And I am glad I did.

For what’s it’s worth my husband and I summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in our 60’s – unimpressive when you realize we were led, were fed, and were provided all logistics to help us succeed.

Reading this book—looking back all these years—documented that such treks were actually done by – really done by – the climbers themselves. They did all the logistical planning. They did all the procurement. They did all the actual work on the mountain. It was jaw-dropping.

Also, reading this book—looking back all these years – made me remember why I had bought the book and why I had reveled in the success of the climb team at the time. They had broken a barrier and had proven what women can do. The group ranged in age from their 20’s to their 50’s. As a woman in my mid-70’s now, it’s a feeling I can relate to and remember very well from that era.
My words are inadequate to describe my feelings about the story and experience described in this book. All kinds of adjectives about the women and the experience come to mind – mostly really positive such as tough, resourceful, committed, caring. I also found myself (again, all these years later) saying “You’re doing what?!” Because the details of the enterprise and the judgment calls they have to make along the way are mind-boggling.

[Kyle Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of all the mountaineering books, Annapurna: A Woman’s Place is worthwhile for many reasons. At this time in my life, Arlene Blum’s introspective account of leading the first all-female American expedition to the Himalaya registers. Though not everyone is in this position, she provides a really intimate portrait of being a leader and learning to lead. She describes many of the challenges as being more difficult because she had to go against how she was raised: to be nurturing, friendly, and careful of hurting others feelings. She describes these as qualities many women are raised to adopt. I think I connect a lot with Blum because those are qualities I was raised to adopt. And yet she still has challenges that demand she ignore one or more or this trifecta of natural principles. Some of the challenges arise from labor disputes, often requiring Blum to be more assertive to avoid acquiescing to every demand. Others come from the climbing members, who often have strained relationships with their Sherpa porters and, at times, each other. Dealing with these challenges often require Blum to be decisive, confident and headstrong. These qualities do not come naturally to her at all times; I relate with this a lot. The story is not just about leadership, and I am sure women readers gain added meaning, but it is a fascinating and really detailed story that any reader would enjoy.

[Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just awed by these women who climbed Annapurna. Following their trek in the book was thrilling to me.

[Akhila Ashru · Rating 5 out of 5]

ಇದು 70ರ ದಶಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊಟ್ಟ ಮೊದಲು ಅನ್ನಪೂರ್ಣ ಪರ್ವತಾರೋರಣ ಮಾಡಿದ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರ ಅನುಭವಗಳ ಕುರಿತಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ. ಅವರು ಹೇಗೆ ಫಂಡ್ ಕಲೆಕ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಿದರು ಅನ್ನುವುದರಿಂದ ಹಿಡಿದು ಪರ್ವತಾರೋರಣ ಮುಗಿಯುವ ತನಕದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪುಟ್ಟ ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಇದರಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಾಗಿದ್ದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅವರು ಎದುರಿಸುವ ತಾರತಮ್ಯ, ಪರ್ವತಾರೋರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ದೈಹಿಕ ಹಾಗೂ ಮಾನಸಿಕ ಸವಾಲುಗಳು, ಸ್ಥಳಿಯರೊಂದಿಗೆ ನಡೆಯುವ ಒಡನಾಟ ಮತ್ತು ಮನಸ್ಥಾಪಗಳು ಇದರಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಎಷ್ಟೆ ಮುಂದುವರೆದರು ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯೆದುರು ಸಣ್ಣದಾಗಿ ಕೈಕಟ್ಟಿ ಮಾನವರು ನಿಲ್ಲ ಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಸತ್ಯ ಅರಿವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಪರ್ವತಾರೋರಣದ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಅದು ಕಲಿಸುವ ಜೀವನ ಮೌಲ್ಯಗಳು ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಲೇಖಕಿ ನಿರೂಪಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇಂದು ಪರ್ವತಾರೋರಣ ಹೇಗೆ business ಆಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಅನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು into the thin air ಪುಸ್ತಕದಿಂದ ತಿಳಿದು ಕೊಂಡರೆ ಅದರ ಹಿಂದೆ ಪರ್ವತಾರೋರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಇದ್ದ ಕಷ್ಟ, ಬದ್ದತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಗಿ ಬಂದ ಹಾದಿ ತಿಳಿಯಲು ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಅನುಕೂಲವಾಯಿತು. Pandemic timeನಲ್ಲಿಒಂದು ಚಾರಣದ ಅನುಭವ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲೆ ಕೂತು ಪಡೆಯ ಬೇಕೆಂದರೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದ ಬಹುದು. ಕೊನೆಯ ಭಾಗ ಓದುವಾಗ ಭಾವುಕವಾಗಿದ್ದು ಸುಳ್ಳಲ್ಲ.


#bookquote

“You never conquer a mountain. You stand on the summit a few moments, then the wind blows your footprints away.”

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know the first thing about this sport and was instantly riveted by the author's first hand account of the incredible challenges, both on and off the mountain, that theses women experienced.

[Lauren D'Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arlene Blum's account of the 1978 all-women's expedition to Annapurna I, the tenth highest mountain in the world and the deadliest of the mountains over 8000 meters tall, is a fascinating look at what it takes to organize a climb of a dangerous, remote peak. Blum was expedition leader to the group of thirteen American women, all determined to prove to the climbing world that women were just as capable of mountaineering as men.

Few of the mountaineering books I've read or films I've watched go into the real details of what this takes; more focus on the climb itself. Blum does almost the opposite: if you're expecting a riveting adventure tale of climbing mishaps, near-death experiences, and dramatic rescues, you will not find that here.Rather, Blum provides the much more realistic depiction of one simple yet daunting word: logistics.

The climb took years to plan. The thirteen women and countless other volunteers raised thousands of dollars to fund the expedition - which are always very, very expensive - by fundraising and selling t-shirts that said: "Annapurna: A Women's Place Is On Top." The group underwent psychological training, group therapy sessions, intensive physical training and stress testing.

In Nepal, Blum had to organize the nightmare of logistics for the trip. Making sure they had enough food to feed not only the members and Sherpas for the entire climb, but enough to also feed and house and clothe and satisfy the veritable army of 250+ porters who they had to bring along for the eight-week journey from Kathmandu to base camp. Blum navigated seemingly constant conflicts among the Sherpas, who seemed unhappy at every turn, demanded more money or clothes from the group, were disrespectful to the group (perhaps) because they were women, and even organized a mini-strike in the middle of the climb. Blum planned out the entire schedule of setting up camps, having members and Sherpas ferry loads up and down the treacherous mountain between camps one and five, all in order to facilitate a team of two climbers and two Sherpas making it to the summit.

Of course, the mountain is extremely dangerous - now noted as the deadliest peak above 8000 meters for how many climbers have been killed on the way up. The avalanche danger is incredibly high here, and Blum tells stories of the constant thundering of avalanches at all hours of the day on Annapurna and in the entire valley. The "Dutch rib" of the mountain between camps 1 and 2 was a steep, severe avalanche zone, and climbers were in constant fear of being trapped in an avalanche, but they all nearly missed death several times over. However, even through this danger, Blum focuses more on the mission, the organization, the logistics, and what it would take to get to the end goal. I think this is a great read for those studying leadership as well, because Blum skillfully navigated through conflicts that could have ended the trip at any point, as well as negotiated interpersonal issues, adapted her leadership style to fit the needs of the group, and kept everyone together as a cohesive unit.

Overall, this was not a thrilling read, but nonetheless an interesting glimpse into what is left out of most traditional (male) climbing stories. It's a tale of struggle and honesty and valiant leadership - all done by women in a time when women were hardly taken seriously in an industry/hobby group so dominated by men.

[Don Libes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has amazing ratings here and at Amazon so I'm compelled to explain why I was not as enamored of it. But I'll start by saying that the author does make her case: 1) Women are as good (and in some ways better) than males at high-altitude climbing. 2) Women are not shown respect by male climbers. I also enjoyed reading about the interactions with the Sherpas. So those were the strengths of the narrative.

However, I felt it difficult to learn much about the women individually and so, even though they had different names, the names weren't very useful for 90% of the book. Only near the end of the book as each gave up or had some sort of medical issue did they become recognizable and memorable individuals. However, even the remaining women that summitted seem indistinguishable. For example, it wasn't clear which were in great shape and which were in denial of their terrible condition.

In that sense, the book seemed like it was written more for friends (who already knew some of the women) than for complete strangers.

I would have liked a lot more detail. For example, there were several incidents of frostbite however the coverage of these were too brief. Similarly, there was very little explanation about use of oxygen tanks. And almost no coverage of high-altitude sickness. Even the summit episode was too brief.

The book became rather confusing after reaching base camp, particularly where each person was on the mountain. Would have been nice to have diagrams on each page showing which women (and sherpas) were at each camp at that moment. (The book had huge margins - plenty of empty space that just went to waste could have been used for illustrative purposes.)

On the other hand, there were things I really enjoyed. The coverage of the planning and management of the climb was very good. The incident with the geese was a nice touch.

One comment that really has nothing to do with the writing. The description of the frequent avalanches on Annapurna convinced me that the women were completely nuts. It was like they were rolling the dice with their lives. (Did they not research this before selecting this route up Annapurna?) Several other topics also had me questioning their rationality such as the idea of rescue by helicopter. I've read enough other books to know the problems with that.

In summary, I wasn't too thrilled by this book and wouldn't recommend it. There are thousands of books written by climbers. (600 books alone just about trips up Everest!) This is far from the best although if the all-womens nature of it is compelling, then this is the book for you.

[Ridel · Rating 4 out of 5]

High Minded

Arlene Blum recounts her inspirational expedition in Annapurna, where she and twelve others proved that women had the physical and psychological aptitude necessary to conquer 8000’ers. The death of two team members darkens the successful summit, and the weakest part of this book lies in that narrative. Every minor detail foreshadows danger, and every emotion warns of impending doom. If only they had acted on their instincts! The patina of ass-covering is unpleasant, and every team member has reasonable excuses for a lack of care. Yet the Sherpas aren’t painted with the same brush, exposing the inner turmoil the author must have felt. This raw recounting is the best part of the book, providing an honest look at conquering the great peaks while documenting the conflict between foreigners and locals.

There’s always been tension between relatively wealthy mountaineers compared to the near-subsistence farming life of the rural Nepali. This is no different from tourists who splurge freely after saving for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, but their tour guides can only see someone spending many local years’ worth of income. This difference is more stark when hiring Sherpas to carry loads up mountains, asking them to risk their lives. The author recalls the many arguments and strikes, while honestly reflecting on the feeling of being cheated or scammed. Were the locals negotiating in bad faith? Or maybe it was cultural differences?

Perhaps such honesty comes easy when describing Nepali haggling tactics, as the author regularly suffered the greater indignity of being seen as less capable because she was born female. Americans and Nepali both display callous sexism. Their passive-aggressive comments are downright villainous. Such belittling attitudes are the true antagonists of Annapurna, because gender made no difference in the author’s expedition. There’s no special equipment or extravagant training regimes, and the team dynamics of an all-women crew are as ego-driven as any other documented ascent. The author doesn’t address how women overcame the mountain because there was nothing to say. It’s this absence that is evidence that man or woman, the Death Zone makes no distinction.

Recommended.

[Susan Liston · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. I realize this book was written almost 40 years ago, but it reads more like an article written for Good Housekeeping or something. You would never guess how tough these woman would really have had to be. Annapurna is one of the most dangerous mountains in the Himalaya because of its avalanche danger, and they act at one point like they didn't know that....even musing about how perhaps they should have picked a different mountain. ! ( Then two of them "avalanche-shame" a third who is too afraid to continue. News, ladies, if an avalanche does hit you are all equally dead, whether or not you were afraid) I guess the other climbing books I've read have been a little, I don't know, grittier, maybe, or more suspenseful? And it is not as if nothing went wrong here, two members of the team were killed. Not a favorite in my complete-lunatics-on-mountains category, but could just be me, I see it has generally good reviews.

[Mac Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1978, Arlene Blum led a woman's team in an attempt to reach the summit of Annapurna. The path just to make it to the mountain was almost as hard as the climb itself. There was plenty of push back from the climbing community. She was even told the permit to climb should go to the "real" climbers (aka men). And even though her climbing team was all (remarkable) women, she wasn't able to realize her dream of having female sherpas accompany them. Blum's writing is lyrical and emotional. We get to know each climber, including the sherpas, as an individual with quirks and strengths. When she describes the climb, you feel as if you are there. When she was describing crossing a dangerous rib under the constant threat of avalanche, I held my breath until the passage was over. This goes on my list of all-time favorite books.

[Ambar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book show the leadership of the American Woman team in Annapurna. Arlene as a leader facing difficult situation pre, during and after expedition. Very touching account as she is a fighter for woman climbing equalities.

[Tracy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional story. I didn't like the sort of carefree, always smiling sounding narrator as it just did not fit this genre or the story at all, but was not otherwise unpleasant if you just focus on the subject. Suggest reading with your eyes if you are able.

[Anvesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book as a suggestion on Amazon as I had previously read books on mountaineering expeditions on himalayas. This one caught my attention as it described expedition of an all women attempt on Annapurna (most fatal 8K peak, although it wasn't widely accepted so in 1978).

This was written by expedition leader Arlene Blum, where she takes us into details of expedition starting from challenges in raising funds, getting permits and arranging logistics owing to prevalent attitudes in society (both mountaineering community) and outside at that time. This expedition was a great attempt to challenge that perception that women aren't strong climbers and can't summit 8k peaks. Considering that context, this book occupies important place in mountaineering literature.

Arlene Blum being the main author describes challenges she faced as leader to organize such an expedition and takes us through the account of how they were able to raise funds, identify the strong climbers for this expedition and finally managed logistics support with help of sherpas through out the journey. She also captured details from diaries of other climbers from the group which helps the book paint a realistic picture of what went on trek rather than narrating from perspective of one person that often leads to faulty conclusions (Jon Krakeur book is an example of one).

Book has valuable lessons on leadership on how to lead teams with multiple peers and at times those who are technically superior to you in the field and how as a leader, being able to make decisions and accept consequences is much better than being indecisive. It also lists down challenges of high altitude climbing, both from struggle to arrange logistics and having strength to make such an attempt on 8k peaks.

I didn't find the book as compelling as other works such as that of Herzog/Viesturs is for the reason Arlene wasn’t making summit attempt and most gripping moments of the summit which occur at highest camps are described vicariously or through excerpts from diaries. This book is good to read to understand perspective of an important step in mountaineering history but you can give it a skip if you are looking for a thrilling book on 8k peaks.

[Alsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Annapurna” convinced me that I, personally, have no desire to go mountain climbing. It sounds amazing, but also terrifying and challenging, and the respect I have for the climbers and their porters is astronomical. The deaths of Vera W. and Alison were shocking despite the obvious risks of the activity. I was also amazed at just how long it took to climb. Though I knew it must be long, how long was mind-boggling to me. Along with this, the massive amounts of food are something that makes logical sense, yet I’ve never really thought about. I was also shocked just how often people—not just the climbers but the porters and the Sherpas, people who had completed the climb on multiple occasions—were seriously ill, with fevers, diarrhea, pneumonia, etc. The casual mentions near the end of the book of freezing fingers or feet solid also caught me off guard. Clearly, there were many dangers beyond simply falling or being crushed. All-in-all, I learned a lot about mountain climbing, and I’m glad I read this book. I went from elated to heartbroken in pages, and I could really feel just how important this climb was.

One thing Blum took the time to talk about was her porters more than any of the other climbers I’ve read, and the respect she had for them and the work that they do shone through in her writing. When people talk about dangerous high-altitude climbing, they often ignore the porters and Sherpas for the expeditioners, even though the Nepalese helpers are doing everything that they are, plus some. The only other time I have seen people talk about the work that the Sherpas do was John Oliver’s video on Everest, which had been very eye-opening to me. Even he did not talk about the porters, or just how many there were. The fact that a ten-woman climbing expedition, plus three filmmakers, required six Sherpas and hundreds of porters was insane, and drastically altered how I pictured a high-altitude climb like Annapurna.

The Sherpas, however, did really get on my nerves as I read. They did not seem to have any respect for the women, from making obscene comments and drawing “phallic imagery” in the snow, to a clear resentment towards taking orders from the members, to repeatedly taking lead on the climb despite the clear objections of the women (Blum, 1998, 100; Blum, 1998, 162). Even when the women outnumbered the men, and were meant to be in charge, they were condescended to, objectified, taken advantage of, and straight-up not listened to. I cannot imagine how frustrated I would be, and was amazed that Blum managed to keep her cool. The one time she didn’t was the incident with the Sherpani, where she “delivered an awkward, half-hearted slap to the shoulder of the closest Sherpani” (Blum, 1998, 80). Though I’m sure at least part of it can be explained as the Sherpani having actually physically attacked Blum (by throwing a rock) where the Sherpas used only their words and the threat of danger, through either abandoning them or throwing their bridge off a cliff, I also think Blum gave the Sherpas far more leeway than she should have, or than she would have awarded the Sherpani, for example. I think this goes to show that even a strong, feminist woman, as Blum undoubtedly is, are not free from internalized misogyny coloring how she views others.

I also noticed that, despite how capable each of the members was, they still had a lot of self-doubt. Blum even comments on how Joan’s self-doubt around mathematics was likely borne of her female socialization (Blum, 1998, 57). However, as with Guignard’s book, existing in the outdoors, accomplishing difficult tasks, allowed these women to become more confident in themselves. Without any male climbers (save the porters and Sherpas, who certainly tried at points), there was no one to take work away from them or disrespect their abilities. At one point, Blum even directly addresses this, stating that their expedition was spared the doubts that go along with climbing with men (Blum, 1998, 121). Women have to work even harder than their male counterparts to even be considered equal, and when they are considered equal or even superior, they’re punished for it (Blum, 1998, 119). I think that’s part of why it was so important that this be an all-female climbing expedition. Had there been male members, people would take that as an opportunity to denounce the accomplishments and play-up the failures of the female climbers. Even their usage of Sherpas, despite being something that male-led expeditions have done from the beginning, was used to question the authenticity of their climb. David Roberts in particular, a mountaineer and author, said that the members of Blum’s expedition were “fired with the zeal of American feminism” and claimed that their womanhood was to blame for the tragedy that occurred and that they were exploiting the male Sherpa guides (quoted in Rassler, 2016). As always with female accomplishments, they were held to significantly higher standards. But none of this stopped them, and their determination and skill above all else makes them real role models to me.

[Alex Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a mountaineering tale, and this book had been on my 'to-read' list for a VERY long time. I'm so glad I finally got the chance to get to it.

'Annapurna: A Woman's Place' is less harrowing than disaster-filled accounts like Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival but that's to be expected, considering that the expedition was successful (in spite of the tragedy that did eventually strike the group).

What made this book especially fascinating to me was Blum's detailed and intimate portrayal of what it's really like to organise, plan, and execute an expedition on one of the world's most dangerous peaks. For the most part, I really enjoyed the minutiae and I especially appreciated the time she spent detailing the (at times challenging) relationship between the Sherpas and the members, which many other authors skip over completely. The resulting account is sensitive and humanizing, offering the reader a glimpse into the (often mundane) interpersonal trials that crop up during such a challenging expedition.

If, like me, you are no stranger to books and/or films about mountaineering in the Himalaya you will be struck by the vast differences between this expedition and modern ones. In recent years, we have become all too aware of the disasters that have occurred on Everest due to overcrowding and climate change. Blum's description of the hike up to Annapurna Base Camp was utterly enchanting, and I'll admit I have been daydreaming about visiting the area one day. I was surprised to learn that in a major 2014 blizzard there were a series of devastating avalanches that hit trekking groups in the Annapurna area, resulting in many fatalities and demonstrating that this dangerous mountain still commands respect.

[Sóley Reynisdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las þessa bók fyrir 9 mánuðum og hugsa reglulega ennþá um hana. Hún situr svo fast í mér. Bókin fjallar um fyrsta leiðangur ameríkana á topp Annapurna, en það vill svo til að sá kani var kona. Arlene Blum braut blað í fjallaleiðsögunni, þegar hún skipulagði ferðahóp á tindinn sem innihélt aðeins konur. Í bókinni fer hún yfir ljónin sem stóðu í veginum og mótstöðuna sem þær upplifðu, enda væru konur ekki með líkamsburðina í slík ferðalög, sem var akkúrat orðrétt það sem Sir Edmund Hillary sagði við Veru Komarkovu áður en hún reyndi og náði á topp Annapurna. Fuck you Edmund.

Ég hef svosem minni áhuga á hátindafjallamennsku eftir lesturinn, en slíkur áhugi svo sem aldrei verið til staðar, finnst bara gaman að lesa til um þetta fáránlega sport. Afhverju dettur fólki þetta í hug? Fannst inngangurinn líka ótrúlega áhugaverður, því höfundurinn varpar ljósi á að svona háfjallabókmenntum sem sagðar eru frá sögusviði klifrarans, þá er sögumaðurinn alltaf hugrakkasti maðurinn á fjallinu, og beindi fólki á að hafa einmitt það í huga við slíkan lestur, hversu áreiðanlegt er hugrekkið í fyrstu persónu?

Allavegana, í bókinni hvetur Arlene fólk til að finna sitt "persónulega Annapurna". Hvað ertu að stefna á? Hvernig ætlaru að ná því? Hvað er þitt "Annapurna". Mitt "Annapurna" er að sjálfsögðu ekki Annapurna sjálft, held ég fari eflaust aldrei til Nepal, en það var gott að staldra við og hugsa til markmiðanna minna, og núna þegar ég set mér háleit markmið, þá kalla ég þau Annapurnu markmiðin mín.

Eitt gott quote eftir Arlene "A Woman's place is on Top". Mótmæli því ekki.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly one of the best climbing books I have ever read. This is a book meant for mountain nerds, erm, I mean enthusiasts, but could be enjoyed by the reader who enjoy a good adventure chronicle with an ensemble cast.
This memoir follows a landmark all-women expedition in the Himalaya, but is it not a "woman's" book. I love it for this. While the gender issue is not buried, it is an afterthought. This book is about badass women doing badass things because they are badasses, not doing badass things in spite of their womanhood.

Blum manages to give all expedition members equal play and develops the characters' personalities and individual stories thoughtfully. It is nearly as detailed in the technical aspects as the emotional and interpersonal record of the trip. Its up's and down's mirror the feeling of being on a mountain, high action for several moments surrounded by a great deal of time waiting around for those moments. I started Annapurna merely wishing I could have been along in this expedition group and ended the book feeling as if I had been along for both the thrill and mundanity of it all. I finished this book in one day and broke out my notebook to start planning my next alpine trip myself by the end of it. Highly recommend.

[Speakercoret · Rating 5 out of 5]

salah satu buku kesukaan gw...
bagi gw yang selalu kena mountain sickness, yang selalu kagum sama tmn2 gw yang kayaknya gak ada masalah dengan penyakit di ketinggian, ni buku bener2 ngebuka mata gw bahwa penyakit ketinggian itu lebih berdasar pada keadaan fisiologi masing2 orang, bukan karena lemahnya fisik orang tersebut..
gw rasa buku ini bagi yang gak pernah hiking sekalipun pasti menarik... apalagi buat yang suka mendalami karakter orang lain.. gmana perubahan sikap seseorang yang berada di tempat terpencil, yg berinteraksi dengan org yg itu2 saja dalam wkt yang cukup panjang.. yang bisa berubah tergantung ketinggian.. begitu pula kedaan fisiknya, yg dibawah kuat ditempat yg lebih tinggi bisa lebih lemah, juga yang dibawah lemah ternyata diatas bisa lebih kuat....
pemaparan arlene blum juga enak, walaupun ini kisah nyata tapi gak bikin kita bosen ngebacanya..

[Lauren Baal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really astonishing and harrowing tale. In particular the final few chapters were riveting, and I had chills at the worst moments of the story. As many other reviews state, Blum places a strong focus on discussing logistics, which is more interesting that you might guess. Some others have stated that there was not a great distinction among the members, but I was okay with that because I felt the whole point was that they were operating as a unit. This is a gripping and inspirational story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Keely Caulder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels fitting to have finished this on international women’s day. I really enjoyed the book. A lot has changed for women in mountaineering since & reading about an all female expedition in 1978 fathomed me. These ladies were ahead of their times & incredibly strong. The book opened my eyes on the structure of Himalayan expeditions and the extra work women have to put in to be permitted to climb such a peak.

[George Okinaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book on the story of the first Women’s Expedition to summit Annapurna, and it was great that the narration (as I listened to this on Audible) was from the author and leader of the expedition herself. Narrating this herself was the best way to really convey her emotions as she lived the experience firsthand.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! I’ve read a number of books about climbing in the Himalayan mountains but never one that moved me quite the way this one did. I don’t know if it’s that it was the first all women accent of an 8,000+ meter peak, Arlene Blum’s writing style, or both. It’s a great story well told

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a life changing book for me. I reveled in the strength of character and the camaraderie of these brave young woment.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Climbing an avalanche-prone mountain would seem to me the last place that a democratic​ decision-making process is called for.

interesting read, frustrating at times