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

by Lene Gammelgaard, Press Seal

On May 10, 1996, Lene Gammelgaard became the first Scandinavian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. But a raging storm and human error conspired to turn triumph into catastrophe. Eight of her team's climbers, including its renowned leader Scott Fischer, perished in a tragedy that would make headlines around the world. In her riveting account, Gammelgaard takes us from her weeks of determined training to the exhilaration of arriving in Nepal to the arduous climb and deadly storm that forced her and her fellow climbers to huddle throughout the night, hoping to stay alive. Gammelgaard also writes movingly of Everest's awesome beauty; of the passion and commitment required to face the daunting challenge of climbing to high altitudes; and of the complex personal relationships forged in the pursuit of such dangerous ventures. Arlene Blum, author of the classic account of women and mountaineering, A Woman's Place, calls Climbing High "an honest and deeply personal account."

Genres: Mountaineering, Nonfiction, Adventure, Climbing, Biography, Memoir, Travel

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Alain DeWitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ever since reading Jon Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air' I have been very interested in Mount Everest literature, especially books recounting the events of the 1996 disaster.

Lene Gammelgaard was a member of Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness expedition and survived the storm that claimed the lives of Fischer and fellow expedition leader Rob Hall as well as clients Doug Hansen and Yasuko Namba. She was also the first out of the gate with a book recounting her experience.

Unfortunately, it's a terrible book. It mostly reads like a series of diary entries. Its main flaw is how self-centered Gammelgaard is. Much of the book is Gammelgaard's internal dialogue concerning her preparations and it's just not compelling reading at all. She's rightly concerned as to whether or not she will make the summit. Who wouldn't be? But that doesn't mean I want to read about these doubts ad infinitum. Also, the book is littered with nonsensical New Age, vaguely Eastern-sounding philosophical gibberish. Sentences such as 'I am responsible for my own serenity.' can be found on just about every page. (I would like to give more examples, but on finishing the book I threw it away.) She frequently refers to and addresses Mount Everest as 'Mother Goddess of the Earth'. (Hint: it's a mountain not some kind of earth spirit.) You get the idea.

The other main issue I found was one of pacing. The book is 210 pages long. She doesn't even get to the summit bid until page 160. So she devotes just 50 pages to recount the most critical events of the narrative! She probably should have taken a few more months and gone into some more detail. She barely talks about the people and events of Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants expedition even though the fates of these two groups is forever entwined.

I suppose her editor and publisher were eager to be first to market but it comes as the expense of a compelling story. If you are interested in the 1996 Everest disaster read Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air' or Anatoli Boukreev's 'The Climb' but skip this substance-less account.

[Chik67 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Affascinato dal libro di Krakauer sulla tragedia dell'Everest del 1996 ho deciso di leggere anche gli altri resoconti di quella sciagurata spedizione.
E' la forza della Natura, ad affascinarmi, ma anche la difficoltà degli uomini costretti, in carenza d'ossigeno e di energie, infreddoliti e stravolti, a prendere decisioni che influenzano direttamente la loro sopravvivenza e quella degli altri.
Lene Gammelgaard è una delle "clienti", delle scalatrici a pagamento della spedizione di Scott Fisher, la spedizione gemella e concorrente a quella guidata da Rob Hall e a cui partecipa Krakauer.

Il libro è completamente diverso da quello di Krakauer. Se il primo offre uno sguardo completo sulla vicenda, questo rappresenta solo il punto di vista della Gammelgaard, che a malapena riesce a raccontare qualcosa della sua spedizione, figuriamoci accorgersi degli altri.

Molto autocentrato, molto pieno di riflessioni personali sugli aspetti emotivi e spirituali della ascesa alla montagna (nessuno stupore che Lena abbia finito per fare il mental coach), poco tecnico questo libro riesce comunque a restituire la soverchiante forza della Natura sopra quota 6000 metri e l'alterità di un mondo non fatto per gli umani.

Non è un libro scritto benissimo, non fa molto per chiarire i perchè e i percome della disgrazia, ma si legge con facilità e riesce comunque ad affascinare.

[Marvelle Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I tremendously enjoy reading about the 1996 Mt. Everest tragedy, I didn't enjoy this account nearly as much as the books by Jon Krakauer and Anatoli Boukreev. I felt it was poorly written and very disjointed. Also, it really wasnt so much about the expedition as it was about Lene's own personal climb and her disappointment at not being able to climb without oxygen.

The tone of the book seems very self-congratulatory. She tells readers many times how she is one of the strongest, fastest climbers and how their team is so much stronger than any other team on the mountain.

I also was very sad that she completely ignored relating any of the deaths from other teams.

It was an okay book and gives a different perspective which is always important when reading these type of accounts because everyone's memories/accounts are going to differ slightly. I have just enjoyed reading other's stories of the '96 climb more than this one.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is one of the most self obsessed, whiny and irritating climbers that I've ever had the misfortune to read about. Yes I get that it is about her journey but seriously, I got tired of reading how wonderful she was, how superior to everyone she was. You get the feeling that she believed she could have stopped everyone dying in the disaster if she was in charge.

She barely talks about the death all around her, preferring to be critical of other climbers and whining about not being the centre of everyone's attention. I had the feeling she was more interested in flaunting herself at Anatoly and trying to get his attention, than anything else. Terrible self indulgent trash.

[Mosco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certo, la stessa storia raccontata da Krakauer in "Aria sottile" ha un alto spessore. Lene la fa lunga in motivazioni, automotivazioni, seghe mentali, allunga il brodo prima di arrivare al dunque; si concentra, comprensibilmente, su sé e non ha uno sguardo più ampio su quel che è successo quel giorno su quella montagna. Non ci sono nemmeno i nomi di tutti gli 8 morti di quella maledetta giornata. Però. Però è molto importante secondo me un'altra voce, di una persona testimone dei fatti che difenda Burkreev dalle pesanti critiche mossegli da Krakauer. Insomma non un gran libro ma un libro con una parte molto interessante per chi conosce la storia e chi sa di monti e magari ha sempre tifato Burkreev.

[Tara Garner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not convince myself to keep reading this. Cya xx

[Reynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

La tragedia sull'Everest del 1996 vista da un punto di vista diverso rispetto al famoso "Aria sottile" (per chi fosse interessato la mia recensione qui). Stavolta la vicenda viene raccontata da Lene Gammelgaard, facente parte della spedizione di Scott Fischer (Krakauer faceva invece parte della spedizione di Rob Hall).
Dal punto di vista della scrittura è inferiore rispetto ad "Aria Sottile", ma sicuramente da leggere perché da un lato descrive la scalata da un punto di vista femminile e più soggettivo, dall'altro tratteggia un Anatolij Bukreev (figura controversa nella vicenda) molto diverso da quello descritto da Krakauer. Mi resta da leggere il libro di Bukreev per avere tutti i punti di vista su quella tragedia.

[Ines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante testimonianza sulla tragedia dell' Everest del 1996, eventi qua e là esposti purtroppo in modo caotico e molto improntati sulle emozioni e menate personali di Lene, diciamo un bel 80% del libro così, e la cosa diventa troppo da sopportare. Mi è invece piaciuta molto la presentazione di Anatoli Brukeev, come viene considerato e come vengono posti i fatti accaduti guardando le decisioni prese dal "Toli"., Lene sarà una degli alpinisti che lo difenderà dalle insinuazioni è accuse di Krakauer a riguardo della responsabilità di questa tragedia .

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible book. Bad writer (or translator), judgemental and annoying person. This book proves to me that not everyone has a book in them, even if they are part of something incredible (like the 1996 Everest season).

[Io Nuca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Speram să aflu mai multe despre cum erau văzute și tratate tipele care încercau să urce pe Everest, dar n-am aflat decât ce bine pregătită și ce rapidă era Lena...

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a solid 4.5 stars. I could not give five stars because it was written too concisely and it seemed sometimes with too much sentiment with the flowery, new-age psycho-babble and not enough sentiment with the real-life drama that unfolded. I give Lene much kudos for her title of first Dane woman to summit, but toward the end, this title that keeps flying around in her words seems selfish and off-putting. She keeps putting it in our face too much while others have died. There is some humility there, but it's not believable to me. Most importantly, in my opinion, because Scott forced his hand with the O2, Lene is still alive today. This was never mentioned in this book and I think that Lene owes Scott her life today.

Otherwise, I learned so much here about the minutia of the expedition and everyday life when preparing for an ascent of Everest. The descriptions of the climb were magnificent and I could feel the immediacy of the chaos that unfolded for Lene and her team. This is the stuff that made this book so wonderful- writing without thought, portraying mere survival. This is it- just what matters on Everest. May God rest the souls of those who perished that day.

[Amerynth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lene Gammelgaard's book "Climbing High: A Woman's Account of Surviving Everest" was the first book to come out about the 1996 Everest disaster, where eight climbers lost their lives, including two expedition leaders, Rob Hall and Scott Fischer.

At this point in the world, Gammelgaard's book doesn't really offer anything new or interesting about the expedition... there are other better books, including Krakauer's and Boukreev's. She unfortunately is a bit of a clunky writer (or possibly the translation is clunky.... I'm not sure.) She comes across as a bit self-absorbed and a bit self-promotional, in a way that sort of grates.

Ultimately, I found this book disappointing.

[tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a different approach to the other two books I’ve read on the topic. Lene spends more time on her inner thoughts and beliefs, writing them down in a diary entry like way and therefore spending less time on sensationalizing what happened to her and the other climbers and more on her feelings loosing one of her best friends and what it felt like to be in this situation as well as her thoughts that I think did help her survive in the end. As she herself said, she was stronger than other climbers in her team (that being mentioned when she willingly gives Sandy her own oxygen tank because she believed Sandy needed it more). I especially enjoyed how Lene talked about her friendship with Anatoli and how close they had become, they seemed like very like minded people!! Also interesting was her relationships with the sherpas! Pemba helping her specifically because he said all the sherpas loved her and :) and the way Lene and Anatoli would always show gratitude towards them and request eating the same food as them.

This book is less exciting and sensationalizing than the others but a beautiful sight into a very determined and strong willed womans mindset :)

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars... this reads very impressionistically, almost like a diary, which I personally enjoyed as this is a memoir. Folks looking for reportage will not enjoy this book, though, so keep that in mind

[Johanna Benfatto · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read several books about the Mount Everest expeditions in 1996, and this is not a favourite. First of all - it’s written in very bad english. Second - the try for the summit comes after like half of the whole book.
Badly written, and not worth reading. There are many others that are much better - for example Into Thin Air and Anatolis own book.

[Ami Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting firsthand account of the 1996 Mt Everest disaster. Maybe it's the translation, but her style of writing, which I liked in the beginning, came across as cold and detached when describing the events later in the book. She is definitely an interesting person.

[Lizeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading expedition stories. I would read it again without thinking, it is very inspiring to find stories of mountaineering from the perspective of women

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is nothing like "Into Thin Air" (which was a really good, gripping tale of the Everest Tragedy.) It is a first hand account but is written like a journal or diary. It does provide an interesting itinerary of her trip and what she was going through. However, it doesn't focus on much else. She mentions some of the other climbers and the leader, Scott, but mostly in a very superficial manner. It isn't a terrible book but she is not a good writer - it rambles, is self-serving and not that insightful. That being said, I did like reading it (once I accepted it as her journal) even though it doesn't stand up to other books highlighting the climb of Mount Everest. If you are going to read one book about this Everest climbing tragedy read Jon Krakauer's account instead.

[YoSafBridg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think i might be a bit biased towards Krakauer's Into Thin Air perhaps because that is the account of the Everest tragedy i read first, perhaps because i see him as more objective but this is still a compelling read (as i find most Everest accounts). And who knows what is closest to the truth, we all have our own (reconstructed) memories, and memories can be nothing else.

[Koeeoaddi · Rating 2 out of 5]

For Everest completists.

Not terrible, but no analysis of the tragedy and scarcely even any acknowledgment of the deaths outside her own team, except in footnotes. The book really could use an epilogue.

(should be more like 2.5 stars)

[Beatrice Tibaldini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book by chance. After finishing "K2: The Truth" and "No Way Down," I dove into these pages. Unlike what I’ve read elsewhere, I didn’t mind the stylistic approach used to recount that ill-fated expedition. The fact that the author focuses heavily on herself—on what she felt, how it all started, and her way of preparing for the climb—was an interesting journey into a world unfamiliar to me. I devoured the book in two days, eagerly turning the pages and wondering what I would discover in the next chapter. I followed those events passionately, drinking in the words one by one and trying to imagine what it feels like up there.
I find it to be a very touching story, one that humanizes such a painful event. Ultimately, it’s not necessary to know everything that Lene—the author—learned about the fate of one of her fellow climbers. There are secrets that I believe should remain on Everest, shared only by those who lived through them. I highly recommend this book, even if to discover what happened that night or to find a compelling, real, and true story that makes you reflect on humanity, religion, and yourself.__
__

La lettura di questo libro è arrivata per caso. Dopo aver concluso la lettura di "K2: la verità" e "No way down" mi sono tuffata in queste pagine. A differenza di quanto ho letto in giro, non mi è dispiaciuta la forma stilistica con cui viene raccontata quella sfortunata spedizione. Il fatto che l'autrice si soffermi molto su se stessa, su ciò che provava, su come tutto è partito e sul suo modo di prepararsi alla scalata, è stato per me un interessante viaggio alla scoperta di un mondo a me estraneo. Ho divorato il libro in due giorni, rincorrendo le pagine e domandandomi cosa avrei scoperto nel capitolo successivo. Seguivo ardentemente quegli eventi bevendo le parole una a una e provando a immaginare come ci si senta davvero lassù.
Trovo che sia una storia molto toccante, in grado di rendere più umana una vicenda tanto dolorosa e che in fondo non serve davvero sapere tutto quello che Lene - l'autrice - ha saputo circa la fine di uno dei suoi compagni di spedizione, ci sono segreti che credo sia giusto rimangano sull'Everest e tra coloro che li hanno vissuti. Consiglio vivamente questa lettura, anche solo per scoprire ciò che accadde in quella notte, o per trovare una storia avvincente, reale e vera che faccia riflettere sugli uomini, sulla religione e su se stessi.

[IAmTheHolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Lene Gammelgaard, begins the book with a foreword about what is to come. If you are not aware (I wasn’t, except for hearing about it from my wife who has read this book and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer), in May of 1996 there was a sudden snowstorm on Mount Everest that caught several expeditions by surprise and resulted in the deaths of 8 people in two days. So you know at the beginning of the book that this is going to end in a tragedy, if the title alone was not enough. Despite this, I feel like the book does a great job of showing the ups and downs along the way to the summit of the tallest mountain on Earth.

I thought the beginning of the book was a little slow – looking for sponsorships, doing conditioning to train her body (and mind) for climbing the tallest mountain on Earth. Even after she arrives in Nepal and continues to prepare and make her way to the first Base Camp, the book did not keep me drilled in. Once the “actual” climbing of the mountain began I was a lot more interested, though there is not a definite point where that happens. They begin at Base Camp over a month before actually attempting to make it to the summit, and during this time they are moving up and down between different camps to get their bodies to get used to the cold and low amounts of oxygen.

I was not especially interested in reading about the 1996 tragedy on Everest, but I still liked this book. I think the author did a good job of portraying what it is like to climb this beast, from the good days to the bad days. I would give this a 7 out of 10 for enjoyment and a 4 out of 5 for readability.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman’s touch

There have been many accounts written about the 1996 Everest tragedy. On May 10-11, eight people from three expeditions died when trapped by a storm in the Death Zone. They either disappeared on the mountain or were later discovered frozen to death. A ninth victim, Beck Weathers, survived after being left for dead when he was unable to move on his own. His walking into camp was nothing short of a miracle.

Lene Gammelgaard was one of the hikers that made the summit on that fatal trip. She was part of Scott Fisher’s Mountain Madness Expedition. Scott himself was one of the five people from the combined Adventure Consultants/Mountain Madness bid for the summit.

Lene tells her story with candid prose. She was one of the climbers lost in the whiteout above Camp Four. Only a break in the storm for an instant saved any of them. The sky was clear long enough for one of the climbers to get a bearing from the stars. Lene was one of the climbers who staggered to safety and alerted people to others dying not far from camp.

What really happened to trap the climbers is only known by the survivors. They lived the dreadful moments of being lost in a storm 8000 meters up. They knew the people who died and the horror of being able to do nothing to save them. Lene’s account is straightforward and not focused on blame but focused on survival!

I give the book four stars

Quoth the Raven…

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Lene Gammelgaard's account of the 1996 Everest disaster was extremely moving and engaging. I found her retelling of the expedition was honest and without romanticizing illusions of what the reality of mountaineering on the highest mountain in the world really means. I found the shift of writing style from the overdone, long-winded, and dry retellings a lot of mountaineering stories have to a more approachable and personal point of view style was refreshing. I think it is important going into this to realize that it is a book in translation and there are a few awkward phrases and transitions. A lot of Gammelgaard's personality and beliefs come alive in this book which seems to be an issue for some other readers however, I found the point of view insightful and relatable. She is a real person doing something often romanticized and her account of her failings and triumphs is admirable. Anyone who has experienced emergency situations in the mountains understands the do or die mentality seen in this kind of tragedy and though the retelling of the lives lost was brief you can feel the grief and trauma radiate from Gammelgaards story.

[Sally Edsall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I wanted to read about a woman's experience on Everest, particularly during the 1996 season so well written about by others (particularly Krakauer). How disappointed and let down can one be!

I have never, not never will climb mountains, but I found this to be self-indulgent and full of new age psycho-babble.

I found her atttitude towards others patronising, especially in an excrutiating couple of exchanges with Boukreev....one where she offers the "poor boy" from Kazakhstan rolls of film, beciuse she is so liberally endowed by her sponsors.

In fact the whole book read like one written to satisfy some sponsorship deal. It was lazily written - much barely edited journal writings.

Didn't add anything to my knowledge of or voracious interest in Everest and other high peaks, and doesn't capture the "women's experience" as well as, for example, Arlene Blum in "Annapurna".
Am still searching for something terrific by a woman climber on Everest!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was an excellent (and much needed) supplement to the men's accounts of this tragedy. Lene touches on many points that men's accounts simply do not, like the cruelty of having a wife and kids at home that you spend more time away from than with, the difficulty and fear and the need to talk yourself into going forward. Her detailed account of the obstacles of the climb was also appreciated. The writing style flows differently than a narrative, more like a journal, but felt a bit less contrived and dramatized than Krakauer's version. I also felt that she really honored those who helped herself and others more than prior accounts I have read. On its own I might give this only 3 stars, but in conjunction with other accounts it is a 4 for me. (Definitely read Anatoli's book as well, if you've only read Krakauer's.)

[Licia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good account of dogged determination. I think to really appreciate this book one needs to read The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev-it gives Gammelgaard's account of the tragedy much needed context. (And then Into Thin Air after that, with a heaping pile of salt.)

I think this is not really a book about the 1996 Mount Everest Tragedy at all. Its a book about a strong person climbing a mountain, a woman disciplined and centered. Her journey to the top, and the toll the mountain sometimes collects. In reading the transcript at the end of Boukreev's book, I thought Lene sounded maybe full of herself, false bravado-but after reading her account, I know better. Give it a go, I'm on to Beck Weathers' book next.

[ZOE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho trovato questo racconto un po' piatto ma soprattutto la protagonista come particolarmente ego-riferita e indifferente a chi le stava intorno. Di Andy Harris, la giovane guida che per il suo altruismo perse la vita, si limita a raccontare un episodio insignificante che ovviamente la riguarda (tra l'altro storpiandone il nome) senza neanche un accenno al valore di quel ragazzo e senza neanche salutarlo. Chiama più volte "un fagotto" un altro componente della spedizione, salvatosi per miracolo. Per Rob Hall, grandissimo alpinista deceduto anch'egli lassù, spende solo qualche parola distratta. Sembra che sull'Everest quel giorno ci fossero solo i suoi tre o quattro amici ma soprattutto lei, regina incontrastata della narrazione.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read 4 books about Everest tragedy from 1996 including famous account from Jon Krakauer. All those 4 were written by men, so I simply got curious to read a woman’s perspective.
I should say it was probably the worst book I’ve ever read in my life. Very badly written, a lot of jumping from one thing to another - felt more like reading someone else’s personal diary (someone who’s very unstructured).
Almost no details about the climb, about the tragedy itself, but more author’s contemplations about her own strength as a female climber and how she was better than others basically.
Do not recommend.

[Brandur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nominally interesting read given it's a perspective on the most famous Everest tragedy of all time, but suffers from quality problems: uneven stream of consciousness journal-style entries don't produce a cohesive narrative, author is self-centered to the exclusion of almost everything else, and the prose is quite disjointed and not fluid to read (translation problem?). The pacing is uneven — all the action takes place in the last 50 pages, so those can be skimmed to efficiently extract the majority of the book's worthwhile content quickly.