Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life

One day while walking in a park in Berkeley, who should I run into on the trail, but Arlene Blum. I said hello and told her I'd read her book "Annapurna: A Woman's Place." She mentioned that she had another book out, this one, Breaking Trail. Recalling how much I'd loved her first book, I ordered it right away. It is one of the most compelling books I've read in some time.We live in a time where many are simultaneously trying to minimize the differences between men and women , while often denying the hurdles and sexism that women face. I much enjoyed the emotional breadth and depth Arlene gave the tale, and also that she showed many obstacles faced by women climbers. I found it upsetting for instance to read in her book that any university climbing group would exclude women, and that Galen Rowell, an artist whose work I've so appreciated, seemed to have gone out of his way to engage in a campaign to try to block Arlene from being able to publish a story about her adventures, and carried an inexplicable prejudice towards her. The sharing of excerpts from her painful childhood experiences was touching and fit well into the story. I loved the story about advancing in childhood swimming class from Tadpole, to Guppy to Fish and Shark. This and many other of her beautifully honest descriptions showed a lovely, earthy and also feminine humor that I found compelling and also unusual in a book on mountaineering. While Arlene unfortunately had to contend with outsize egos in the mountain world, her own personality comes across as stable, humorous, practical, humble and kind. In reading her book, I grieved along with Arlene in the loss of so many of her close friends, this terrible cost of the highest mountains and their forbidding vaults of ice and snow.I rejoiced with Arlene that she was able to engage in safer but still incredibly beautiful adventures such as the "Endless Winter", and her trek across the Himalayas, and was happy for her that she gave up mountaineering after the birth of her daughter.This book is so well written....I could hardly put it down. I found the story poignant and told in such a succinct and untheatrical, straightforward manner that it is all the more impactful, for its reserved style. Well done!

Arlenes 's story is worth reading. I didn't like this one quite as much as her book on Annapurna, because while I found it aspirational, I found myself reflected in her frequently and it made me sad that she was never able to romantically connect with anyone. There are also places where it drags a bit. I love the pictures that are included throughout the book. Arlene blum is a strong, emotionally intelligent woman and the outdoor community today needs more people like her.

Wow. I am not yet finished...but can't put it down either...its a powerful book, reads like fiction, and makes you think. Although written 10 years ago and the events take places in the 70s and 80s...Arlenes fight for women in the world of hiking is not unlike many fights for equality of women taking place right now. Her story is interspersed with her childhood and weaves together a story of how and why her life is as it is. I met Arlene briefly, before knowing about her...and reading her book. She is one brave and extremely intelligent and accomplished woman. Brava.

I very much enjoyed reading Arlene Blum's personal story. Her refreshing honesty was welcomed. I kept wanting to continue reading to find out what happened. I applaud her for opening doors for others and not stopping in the face of criticism when most people would have.

i love arlene blum. first of all, she's a great story teller. i read many women's climbing books and some are lacking in the writing style department. arlene is a great writer and she engages the reader. i think i finished this book in a day and a half because i couldn't put it down. arlene is also such an inspiration, not just in her climbing accomplishments but in her academic struggles as well. as a female phd student in a male-dominated field, i found arlene so inspiring. i recommend this book to all of my phd friends in addition to my mountain climbing friends. can't recommend this book enough. read it!

There are just a dozen or two books that I've read and treasured, not only for their excellence, but also because they're like no other. This is one of those rare reading experiences. Blum is a female mountain climber writing about her successes and failures, her highs and lows. You don't have to be a crusader for women's rights, nor do you need to know or care the first thing about mountaineering to be entranced by this magical book.Blum has an amazing story to tell, and she tells it like Scheherezade--every episode leaving the reader impatient for the next chapter. In the end the book is about the triumph of the human spirit, and you don't need to be a climber to appreciate it. Buy it and open it--Blum will do the rest.

Arlene Blum tackled high-altitude mountaineering when women weren't doing such things. In her frustration at dealing with the male establishment and being pushed out of climbs simply because she was a woman she forged ahead and led all-woman first ascents of Denali, Annapurna and Bhrigupath. This memoir is absolutely wonderful. Ms. Blum includes background from her difficult childhood and her work in the scientific community at Berkeley, California. By the end of the book you feel as if you've experienced her life right along with her, and it's quite a life, filled with adventure, tragedy, and an overwhelming happiness while in the mountains. What's really remarkable is that she's with us today to share her story. We're all richer for it.

I loved this book! This is the second book I've read from this author and both books are worth every page. Adventure and climbing and mountains and women's stories. Highly recommend this book.

I've enjoyed reading it, learning about history of climbing and how women were viewed at the time by man in the male dominated sport. Childhood scenes add another historical dimension with its family and culture clashes. Good book for women and men who are interested in climbing, history, women's plight and simple adventure.