[.ca] Savage Summit: The Life and Death of the First Women of K2 (ISBN 0060587164)

a must read:
Since reading Into Thin Air I've never quite been able to understand the passion moutaineers and Alpinists have for climbing the worlds tallest and most difficult peaks. Perhaps it is the thrill of overcoming such overwhelming challenges like unpredictable weather, altitude sickness, dehydration, frostbite and the list goes on. Or perhaps it's the thrill of being on top of the world. It always seems to me that in retelling these stories everyone seems so miserable as they desperately attempt to summit these mountains risking their lives and battling the unwelcome conditions that inevitably rise. Still it makes for great reading and this book is a great homage to some of the best female climbers of the 20th century who are competing against each other whilst participating in a sport dominated by men. Jordan is a gifted writer and introduces the reader to the 5 women who have successfully summitted K2, a mountain which has claimed countless lives. You are drawn to the strength of these women, to their passion and determination and you cannot help but herald their accomplishments. Sadly there are no happy endings here but one certainly gets the sense that these women lived to climb and climbed to live. Highly recommended!