Arlene Blum’s Breaking Trail, a Climbing Life, is a great read for winter entertainment.  Sitting by a crackling fire with a cup of hot chocolate, the reader can climb some of the world’s tallest mountains along with Arlene without suffering from frost bite, enduring blasts of frigid wind that flatten your tent, or watching in fear a gigantic avalanche thundering towards your friends.

Why would anyone subject themselves to these hardships and fears?  As Arlene beautifully writes,

“Cresting the ridge at 16,000 feet, I stopped to catch my breath and look around.  I was in a world of brilliant light and ice.  The summits of Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, and Mt. Huntington shone above a swirling bath of clouds at my feet. But I couldn’t admire the view while I was moving, for in places the ridge was little more than a foot wide, dropping off thousands of feet to the glaciers on either side.  Climbing the ridge was an extreme meditation, thinking about my breathing and moving with focus, concentration, and harmony.  Where I placed my foot determined whether I lived or died.  Future plans, past regrets, and the normal clutter of my mind were silenced.  I felt a sense of peace and distance from the world reminiscent of that I’d found as a child up in our cherry tree or in the vacant lot watching clouds.”

But this book is more than just exciting accounts of bagging 20,000 ft. peaks.  Arlene weaves into her adventures the story of her life—how she grew from a sheltered Jewish city girl into a world-class mountain climber.  It is the story of firsts:  The first American woman to attempt the ascent of Mt. Everest; the first female team to ascend Denali (20,320 ft.); leading the first female expedition up Annapurna (26,504 ft.), setting a world  altitude record for American women; running in the first ever US Women’s Marathon in 1977.  Up until then, it was believed it would not be physically possible for a woman to run 26 miles, let alone have the strength to climb Everest!
Arlene was a pioneer in the realm of women mountaineers and also in her chosen academic world of chemistry.  This was a time when men dominated science as well as sports:

“You?  Who are you?”

“Arlene Blum, from Reed College,” I said.  I’m looking for an adviser.

“Forget it,” he said, turning back to his work.  “No girls in my group.”

I felt like fleeing, but forced myself to stay.  “Why not?”

“A waste of time,” he said to the spectrometer.  “We’ve never given a girl a PhD in physical chemistry.  And we never will.”

Despite this patriarchal attitude, Arlen earned a doctorate in biochemistry and has taught at UC Berkeley and Standford.  Her research on the flame retardant chemicals used in children’s sleepware led to their ban as cancer causing.  [Today she continues using science to help keep our environment healthy.  In 2008 she was awarded $100,000 Purpose Prize for her work "mobilizing scientists, government, industry and consumers to protect health by reducing toxic chemicals in our homes and the environment."  She is also the founder of Green Science Policy Institute.]

For those now growing up in the US it is hard to imagine women not being allowed to run in races or climb a mountain.  But we know there are still many inequities existing here in the US as well as around the world.  It takes tremendous courage to climb high and dangerous mountain peeks facing death, courage to challenge society’s rules of behavior and time worn ideas and traditions. It takes courage to fly in the face of stereotypes and forge your own path, follow your own dream, push yourself to achieve even when told you could not.

Breaking Trail is not only about climbing up mountains, it is a tribute to a life of breaking trail for a generation of women who were taught their proper place was home and family.  It is a woman’s story of joy and sorrows, triumphs and disasters.  It is a story of hope, for if one of us can set new standards for how we live, we all can.  One small step up the trail at a time, we can change the world’s view on women—and most importantly, we can change our own view on what we ourselves can achieve.  Arlene Blum’s life story is a role model for us all!

Check out her website: www.arleneblum.com.