San Antonio College Library

In a time when a woman's sphere was decidedly limited to hearth and family, a number of courageous women were stepping out, stepping up, and making history far from the comforts of the homefire. "Women on High" will thrill readers with tales of dangerous summit attempts, blinding whiteouts, and narrow escapes; and transfix mountain historians with details of first ascents, period gear, and first-hand accounts.

"Nearing his sixth decade as a dedicated climber, William "Bill" Katra describes himself as "not a great climber, but a persistent one." In his memoir, the author details his climbs in vivid detail, describing some of the world's most popular routes while emphasizing that scenic beauty is as important to a hike as technical difficulty. From his early partner-belayed adventures to his more recent unassisted solo "scamper-climbs," Bill's techniques...

A portrait of former Capitol Hill speechwriter Guy Waterman follows his decision to leave civilization and live off the land in a Vermont cabin, describing his passionate pursuit of mountain climbing and his controversial suicide.

Focusing on some of the most famous climbs of the Himalayas, the author tells the story of his grandfather, Tenzing Norgay, who guided Hillary on the first successful ascent of Everest. He also explores many aspects of Sherpa society and history.

Outlines the dramatic 2006 survival story of a famed Australian mountain climber who was pronounced dead and abandoned by Sherpas during a climb of Mount Everest only to be discovered alive the next day.

"When Silvia's mother called her home to Peru, she knew something finally had to give. A Latinx hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley, privately, she was hanging by a thread. She was deep in the throes of alcoholism, hiding her sexuality from her family, and repressing the abuse she'd suffered as a child. Her visit to Peru would become a turning point in her life. Silvia started climbing. Something about the brute force required for...

Already awarded a prize by the Biographer's Club, Harriet Tuckey's book is both the history of what went into the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953 and a biography of her father, Dr Griffith Pugh, whose role was absolutely pivotal, yet mostly untold. As the expedition's physiological consultant, Pugh designed almost every aspect of the survival strategy for the expedition, the acclimatization program, the oxygen- and fluid-intake regime,...

Describes British climbers' attempts to scale Mount Everest in the early 1920s, discussing such topics as the role of imperial ambition in the expedition and the way in which the ascent reflected England's post-World War I redemption efforts.