Annapurna: A Woman's Place by Arlene Blum

Annapurna: A Woman’s Place by Arlene Blum is a groundbreaking account of the first all-female expedition to summit Annapurna I (26,545 feet) in Nepal, one of the world’s deadliest peaks. In 1978, Arlene Blum led a team of 13 women in a historic attempt to climb the notoriously dangerous mountain, marking a major milestone in mountaineering history.

The book details the challenges of organizing and executing a high-altitude expedition in an era when women were largely excluded from serious mountaineering. Facing skepticism, limited funding, and intense physical and emotional obstacles, the team pushed through avalanches, extreme weather, and the harsh realities of climbing at high altitude. This team of women, from wildly different backgrounds and age groups, found the courage to come together and ascend this peak. It took months of planning and preparation. Not only did they have to feed themselves, but they also had to provide food for, pay, and appropriately clothe the team of Sherpas who were assisting with shuttling endless supply boxes up the mountain and supporting the women up the mountain. This book was less about making it to the top of the peak and more about team dynamics, the immense work that goes into planning, shuttling supplies to and from camps, battling snowstorms and avalanches, and managing relations between the women mountaineers and the Sherpa men.

Ultimately, two team members—Vera Komarkova and Irene Miller—successfully reached the summit, proving that women could excel in extreme mountaineering. However, the triumph was bittersweet, as two climbers, tragically lost their lives in a separate summit attempt.

Blum’s honest and gripping narrative captures the camaraderie, resilience, and sacrifices involved in the expedition, while also addressing gender biases in the climbing world. Annapurna: A Woman’s Place remains an inspiring and essential read in adventure literature, showcasing the power of determination and teamwork in the face of overwhelming odds.

As a group we discussed the different personalities, cultures, and expectations. Some questions included:

• Would everyone settle into their roles easily?

• What would we do in those same, tense situations?

• Would we want to summit, or would we be satisfied not being the few selected to summit?

• What were your initial impressions of Arlene Blum as a leader? How did her leadership style impact the team’s success and challenges?

• How did this book challenge traditional views of women in mountaineering? Do you think things have changed significantly since 1978?

Overall, our group enjoyed this book immensely. A great choice to kick off the club with!

Group mean rating: 9.5/10