Climbing High: A Woman's Account of Surviving the Everest Tragedy

by Lene Gammelgaard

Release Date: July, 1999

Edition: Hardcover

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Psycho-babble, but at least interesting psycho-babble

It's true that Gammelgaard writes in a disjointed, "dispatch" style, which no doubt irritates some readers. There is no cohesive narrative and the actual words in the book are relatively few. However, there is still considerable merit in this account of the 1996 Everest tragedy, particularly if you're a woman climber. The author is a serene, spiritual sort and reminds you of that fact every few pages. That didn't represent a problem unless you violently eschew anything of that ilk. She repeats maxims such as, "Go slowly, think for yourself, be true to yourself." Hogwash to some, faintly inspiring to others.

She paints interesting word portraits of the other climbers, particularly Scott and Anatoly, the Russian climber (who has also written a book, available on Amazon). She's equally adept at explaining her own motivations and psyche. The primary criticism I have is that she spent a paltry amount of time explaining *why* she wanted to climb Everest and really didn't elaborate much on the mental and physical training she undertook in order to accomplish this incredible feat.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly, but only if you embrace a more spiritual philosophy, and aren't irritated by an author who shoves that down your throat at every opportunity.

Opposing View

I seem to be the odd person out in that I liked this book. This is not a book that will cause controversy by laying blame on those who survived, or even more unacceptably on those who perished. This is a memoir by a woman who was qualified to be on the mountain. She raised sponsor money to make the attempt possible. She was not someone with more personal wealth than judgment that simply wrote a check for a thrill seeking adventure.

Scott Fischer was an extraordinary mountaineer according to any book that I have read. He invited Lene Gammelgaard on the expedition, and also was interested in marketing his company in Europe via this woman's summit attempt. This woman was not a paid journalist; she was not the person who wanted to turn her climb into a media circus with a major American Network. If the expedition had not become a tragedy I doubt most non-climbers would even know her name. This was hardly the case with several others who were on the mountain at the same time. Lene summitted Everest, she survived the storm, she assisted others when they needed help, and she left the mountain with her body intact. One of the reasons for the last note is that she lacked the ego, or stated differently, had the good sense to talk to those who had climbed Everest, to inquire about what was most appropriate to bring, what their on the mountain experience had taught them. Far from being a sign of weakness it is an endorsement of her good judgment. Asking Anatoli Boukreev about the protection he uses for his hands on summit day is the kind of thinking that I would look for in a fellow climber. I would not want to be following those who were lugging satellite phones, computers and other nonsense to make daily appearances on national television.

This is a book about her experience from well before she ever stepped on a plane to the Himalaya. It is a very personal book, and her style of writing together with her philosophies of life may not read like a thriller, however the facts of what happened in May of 1996 need no embellishment. To me these are factors that brought her to the top and back down safely. This woman is no thrill seeker, she is not deluded about what an attempt on Everest means, and she shared her experience, she did not write a book embellishing the horror of an event that requires nothing more than a statement of facts. She also refrained from taking apart the conduct of other climbers. She was not shy about expressing her opinion, however she was generally on the mark with her thoughts. And finally, far from taking the Sherpa guides for granted, she repeatedly spoke of them as critical to her success and her survival.

For me, this was one of the better books I have read about that tragic May 1996 expedition.