This book is not available to purchase on Fable
4.0
Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali
ByPublisher Description
The gripping story of a group of female adventurers and their treacherous pioneering ascent of Denali in 1970 The gripping story of a group of female adventurers and their treacherous pioneering ascent of Denali in 1970
Grace Hoeman dreamed of standing on top of Denali. The tallest peak in North America, the fierce polar mountain loomed large in many climbers’ imaginations, and Grace, a doctor in Alaska, had come close to the top, only to be turned back by altitude sickness and a storm that took the lives of seven fellow climbers in one remorseless blow. Other expeditions denied her a place because of her gender, and when a letter arrived from a climber in California named Arlene Blum, who’d only been invited on expeditions if she would stay at base camp and cook for the men, Grace got a defiant she would organize and lead the first-ever all-female ascent of the frozen Alaskan peak.
Everyone told the “Denali Damsels,” as the team called themselves, that it couldn’t be women were incapable of climbing mountains on their own. Men had walked on the moon; women still had not stood on the highest points on Earth. But these six women were unwilling to be limited by sexists and misogynists. They pushed past barriers in society at large, the climbing world, and their own bodies. And then, when disaster struck at the worst time on their expedition, they could either keep their wits and prove their mettle, or die and confirm the worst opinions of men.
Author Cassidy Randall draws on extensive archival research and original interviews to tell an engrossing, edge-of-the-seat adventure story about this forgotten group of climbers who had the audacity to believe that women could walk alone in such extraordinary and treacherous heights.
Grace Hoeman dreamed of standing on top of Denali. The tallest peak in North America, the fierce polar mountain loomed large in many climbers’ imaginations, and Grace, a doctor in Alaska, had come close to the top, only to be turned back by altitude sickness and a storm that took the lives of seven fellow climbers in one remorseless blow. Other expeditions denied her a place because of her gender, and when a letter arrived from a climber in California named Arlene Blum, who’d only been invited on expeditions if she would stay at base camp and cook for the men, Grace got a defiant she would organize and lead the first-ever all-female ascent of the frozen Alaskan peak.
Everyone told the “Denali Damsels,” as the team called themselves, that it couldn’t be women were incapable of climbing mountains on their own. Men had walked on the moon; women still had not stood on the highest points on Earth. But these six women were unwilling to be limited by sexists and misogynists. They pushed past barriers in society at large, the climbing world, and their own bodies. And then, when disaster struck at the worst time on their expedition, they could either keep their wits and prove their mettle, or die and confirm the worst opinions of men.
Author Cassidy Randall draws on extensive archival research and original interviews to tell an engrossing, edge-of-the-seat adventure story about this forgotten group of climbers who had the audacity to believe that women could walk alone in such extraordinary and treacherous heights.
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali Reviews
4.0
“This was a fantastic read about a piece of history I knew very little about. It definitely intrigued me to learn more and has me jonesing for some more mountaineering reads!”
“A little too editorialized for my liking. Too much interjecting of what the women “may have” thought at certain points. If you don’t know from your sources then you shouldn’t include it. I wish it was written a little more scholarly and less like a story. Also I found the pacing slow in the beginning especially since that is introducing every character and her entire life story. They don’t even get to the mountain until 50% through. Now I did learn quite a bit from this book and I found it interesting I just think I didn’t vibe with the style of writing.”
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Why can’t I buy this ebook on Fable?
Can I start a book club with this book on Fable?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
