SAVAGE SUMMIT: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE FIRST WOMEN OF K2 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Jennifer Jordan | 352 pages | 02 Mar 2006 | HarperCollins Publishers Inc | 9780060587161 | English | New York, United States "Women of K2 and Savage Summit", by Jennifer Jordan

She never did. I had spoken to another climber's brother and learned that his younger sister had a love for life that often made her jump without looking for a safety net, a carefree -- and some charged careless -- joie de vie that eventually may have cost her that life. And I had learned that another of the women of K2 had already seen six deaths on the mountain by the time she made her summit bid during the mountain's deadliest climbing season in -- her body would be among the year's staggering toll of thirteen. Who were these women and why did they choose a life on the edge of death? Why did they die, and why did one mountain claim so many of them? How did they make the decision to leave family, husbands and children to venture into the world's highest and most deadly playground? Did their gender have a hand in their deaths? And while the mountain may not have cared that they were women , were there other forces at work that did? While grim and gruesome, the questions haunted me and I knew I had to learn more than books and memoirs could provide. So when I received an invitation to join an expedition to the mountain, I knew I had to go. And I did. She created, wrote, and co-produced Women of K2 for the National Geographic Channel which won five major film festivals. She currently speaks on a variety of motivational topics to national and international audiences. She also teaches documentary filmmaking at Spy Hop Productions, Utah's innovative youth media center which has as its mission "to cultivate the visions and voices of an emerging generation. She also worked with the acclaimed WGBH Channel 2, public television's most prolific production house, as an on-air talent, segment producer and host, researcher and writer. In addition to her broadcast experience, Jordan wrote numerous cover stories for various Boston periodicals on topics ranging from famed mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears to movie star brothers Donnie and Mark Wahlberg. Kennedy School of Government. Along with hosting presidents and prime ministers, she helped produce "Candidates '88," a week television series aired live on PBS stations nationwide. After leaving the Kennedy School, she consulted for Harvard's Radcliffe College, organizing women 's conferences throughout the country. She co-owns and operates Skyline Ventures Productions with her husband, filmmaker and adventurer Jeff Rhoads, in Salt Lake City, where she spends as much of her free time as possible exploring the back country of the Wasatch Mountains, as well as competing in triathlons and ultra- distance trail runs. Back to "Monthly Program History" Send your trip reports, comments, updates, and suggestions about this site to Jan Studebaker. What is off-putting about this book is it's told in a disjointed fashion. A summit team is high on the mountain and the author launches into a thirty page digression about one of the climbers beginning with their childhood. By the time the author finally gets back to the climb, I've practically forgotten about it. In many ways, I suppose it's similar to the challenge of folding ba This is an odd mountaineering book and I've read at least a hundred climbing sagas. In many ways, I suppose it's similar to the challenge of folding backstory into fiction. You can do it seamlessly, or it can feel awkward and clunky. Also, I've read other stories about most of the women featured in this book that were far more thorough in terms of being sagas of their lives. I think the book was interesting conceptually, but the execution was lacking. As it sits, it's neither biography nor adventure writing, but a hybridization that gives short shrift to both. This is unfortunate since the author clearly loves the mountains and was trying to write a touching epitah for the women climbers of K2 who lost their lives in the Himalaya. View 2 comments. Fascinating and worth the read if you're into this topic, even though it has some flaws. Oct 21, Amerynth rated it did not like it Shelves: unfinished , mountaineering , adventure , himalayas , k2 , women. While I was very excited to read about the women to climb K2, I just couldn't finish this book because I couldn't take any more of Jennifer Jordan's writing. I'm as feminist as the next girl, but her overarching theme that mountaineers are all sexist and offended by the very thought of women climbers is a bit much. For example, I've read several books about the American expedition of K Was Dianne Roberts a point of contention on that expedition? Was she the reason is fell apart? Absolutely not They were angry because the expedition leader, Dianne's husband, was picking members of the "A" team and had family relationships with two crew members. And the expedition had problems with Cherie Bech not because she was female, but because she was having an affair with another climber while her husband was also on the expedition. While her husband was okay with this situation, the other climbers felt uncomfortable watching her share a tent with another man It's telling that the men were also uncomfortable with the male expedition member involved in this whole situation too, not just Cherie. Jordan's zeal to point out every instance of possible sexism amongst climbers got so irritating, that I ended up putting the book aside early on. I would have enjoyed reading about these female climbers if the book was written by an author with less of an agenda. Jan 24, Johanna rated it really liked it Shelves: read-in An amazing read which is just beyond inspiring. Those that climb Everest and k2 are unbelievable but the women who do it are even more awe inspiring. I really recommend! Aug 09, Mihai rated it it was amazing Shelves: mountaineering. This book had sat on my mountaineering to-read list for a while because by looking just at its title I thought it was simply another re-telling of the deadly history of K2. No matter how fascinating that history is, it can only be told in so many ways before it becomes repetitive. It did not disappoint, in fact exceeding my expectations. In the This book had sat on my mountaineering to-read list for a while because by looking just at its title I thought it was simply another re-telling of the deadly history of K2. In the sport of high-altitude alpinism, which has been dominated by competitive men with large egos, the accomplishments of women climbers have tended to be at best downplayed and at worst demeaned or outright rejected. Therefore, author Jennifer Jordan's personal quest to raise awareness of the five women who succeeded in reaching the summit of the second highest mountain in the world was an inspiration in of itself. The portraits she assembled of these five striking personalities, all of whom perished before they could use their own words to describe their experiences to any adequate length, are compelling and vivid. The book is well researched, written I could barely put it down , and, perhaps most importantly, the author put in a great deal of effort to get in touch with the climbers' families, friends and former teammates in order to piece together an understanding of their characters from those who knew them best. Some of these interactions were extremely emotional many years after the death of the subject, thus guaranteeing the precious authenticity that outside biographers always struggle with, and which is the key to making these narratives into human interest stories. Though I was familiar with the names of the protagonists and had learned of their most significant achievements from other sources, going beyond official biographies into their personal journeys as described in Savage Summit was utterly captivating. With the status of K2 sumiteer as their only common link, the two Britons, two French and one of the greatest Polish climbers, men or women, were all pioneers of the sport, fighting their way to the top via remarkably different circumstances and motivations. They did so by being controversial, contradictory or simply refusing to take no for an answer. Their technical and physical prowess was contrasted by deep character flaws in some cases, as well as incredible resiliency when faced with lack of support, discrimination, pressure from sponsors and media, and, most devastatingly, the need to prove themselves over and over. Fate brought the first three women, Wanda Rutkiewicz, Lilliane Barrard and Julie Tullis together on the mountain in what would become the Black Summer of , when a total of 13 climbers died on K2. Though all three reached the summit, only Rutkiewicz survived the descent. Looking back more than 30 years, it is easy to ascribe Barrard and Tullis's deaths to the fact they were neither strong nor experienced enough to get themselves down; both women were dependent on their male partners for strategy and assistance, so when the men were overwhelmed by the conditions, they perished together with the exception of legendary Kurt Diemberger, a repeat survivor of tragedies. Rutkiewicz was able to get off the mountain alive because her highly competitive personality, as well as tremendous strength and considerable experience, made her essentially self-reliant. Chantal Mauduit and Alison Hargreaves were at the forefront of the next generation of women climbers, who took over in the s. They were essentially free spirits who used high-altitude mountaineering to escape the confines of non-descript lives in their respective countries, and later the unrelenting pressure of careers as professional climbers. Ironically, the same ability to tune out the cacophony of the world around them eventually contributed to them missing critical details in later climbs, which proved lethal in the er arena with its infinitesimal margin for error. Savage Summit does an excellent job in conveying all of the above through compelling writing and good structure. I have some quibbles about the section where the author attempts to get into the mind of character and tries to formulate what the person would have most likely said at the time, but overall the book is outstanding. Highly recommended read for all mountaineers, active and armchair alike. Jul 30, Erika Nerdypants rated it it was amazing Shelves: set-in-foreign-countries , women , compulsive- non-fiction , read-in , mountaineering. Incredible read, I just finished and I'm not sure I can write a review without letting this book settle, but I also want to try and capture the emotions it evoked in me. First off, I don't entirely understand my fascination with books about mountaineering, but I suspect the fact that my father loved climbing in the Austrian and Swiss Alps as a young man has something to do with it. I never had much interest in the subject while he was alive, but now I wish I had listened to his stories and asked Incredible read, I just finished and I'm not sure I can write a review without letting this book settle, but I also want to try and capture the emotions it evoked in me. I never had much interest in the subject while he was alive, but now I wish I had listened to his stories and asked more questions. This book deals with the 5 female climbers who have reached the summit of K2, only to lose their lives on descent or other tragic climbing accidents. The subject is fascinating, and the writing superb. The author makes the women and supporting climbers come alive, there were many moments where I was holding my breath for them, even though I already knew the outcome. I was particularly impressed with her ability to not only show the women in glowing terms, their fierce determination, intense passion and commitment, but also their egotism, competitiveness, and sometimes blatant narcissism, which seems a common trait among many climbers. This made the characters multi-dimensional, and allows the reader to come away feeling we have truly gotten to know them, and of course care for them. Since the book was written additional female climbers have reached the summit of K2, but the mountain has claimed many more victims. I have another book on K2 waiting on my to be read shelves, but I think I may take a short break to fully digest this excellent book before diving in again. Jan 10, Kelsey Porter rated it it was amazing. It took her many years to finish this book, and I believe it shows in her writing and in the details she uncovered about each woman. Being a solo woman traveler and adventurer myself, I often found myself relating to these woman. Jennifer does an excellent job of perceiving the difficulty woman face when entering a man's sport. When woman are better than men physically at something, men often try to excuse their success they were lucky, they didn't do x or y- what a true man would do. The wome It took her many years to finish this book, and I believe it shows in her writing and in the details she uncovered about each woman. The women in this book are often better than men all around- strength, technical skill, acclimatization, endurance, and more, yet some not all men excuse these advantages at every opportunity. I like that she also discusses the women's weakness in the book. Women are still just getting into this sport of big mountain climbing. Some, are probably too eager for their own good, but I think they are trying to prove what women can do, even if it kills them. Sure, if women had the luxury of taking their time and then hitting the big stuff, that would be lovely, but back then, women needed to prove their skill in a big way to get respected. I like to think that now those women have shown what women can do on big mountains, women are taking their time and developing their experience in the proper time span. I believe Jennifer does an excellent job of bringing up topics that can ignite thought or discussion on important matters. Jul 22, Andrea Boyette rated it liked it. Apparently I am now some kind of connoisseur of mountaineering books? After reading 4 of them in 3 days I am hopeful this obsession burns itself out soon. I was disappointed. I wanted to like it, but it tried too hard. Instead, I found it overly dramatic and overly romanticized. Considering how dramatic the subject is already it just seemed too much. There was also an undeniable undercurrent of bitterness that flowed through the book which put me off. It wasn't without merit, however. The women Apparently I am now some kind of connoisseur of mountaineering books? The women were complicated, strong climbers and deserved to have their stories told. When the author focused on that and the harrowing climbs they took on, the book was stronger and more enjoyable. I just wish there had been more of that. May 30, Lukasz Pruski rated it really liked it. The Black Summer [ Jordan writes: "I aim simply to share with you the stories of five remarkable women who chose to live at the edge of death and all of whom ultimately died there. Of these five Wanda Rutkiewicz is featured most prominently. She is called a "climbing legend" and "the best female climber the world has ever seen," a woman with "enormous and stubborn personality," and also very isolated and lonely because of her intense drive to climb. I happen to know another Polish woman climber, not as famous, who knew Wanda Rutkiewicz personally and even did one or two routes with her. Everything I heard from my friend about Ms. Rutkiewicz jibes with the general tone of the story told in the book. One detail is wrong, though: the author claims that Ms. Rutkiewicz graduated from the Warsaw Polytechnic which is my alma mater. That 's not true - she graduated from the Wroclaw Polytechnic. Probably the editor's fault. There are a lot of interesting sociological observations in the book, both on the macro-scale - for example, about the cultural resistance to accept women in roles non-traditional for them - and in micro-scale, like personal inter-relationships in climbing teams. Probably the most interesting thread is the one that focuses on differences in climbing teams dynamics depending on the gender of the members. I find the following passage quite amusing: "While the first two times women were included on K2 expeditions were wrought with internecine battles, ego wars, and sexual tensions, the next one would be exempt from most of those conflicts because of one simple omission: men. Three-and-a-half stars. Reading about these women is both inspiring and shocking. Jul 12, Molly Jackson rated it liked it. I would have rated the book higher but I felt the writer lost her journalistic obligation to impartiality. I think she got too close to the women she wrote about to remain neutral in telling their stories. Which I get and could handle here and there. Makes no sense. I thoroughly enjoyed the factual content of the book though and think it well worth the read. Feb 10, Katie rated it really liked it. Just finished reading Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordan last night. I really enjoyed the book. It is also the first of this genre I have read that was not autobiographical, so not sure if that has anything to do with it. Anyway, the book is somewhat of a women's history of climbing K2, the second highest peak in the world. K2 may not be as high as everest, but it is certainly more dangerous. At the time this book went to press, only six women in the world had successfully summited K2, three of these died on their descent of the mountain, and two of the remaining three have since died climbing other mountains. At this time, there is only one woman to have climbed K2 who is still alive. This book explores challenges of climbing this mountain, specifically challenges women have faced that make their experience wholly different from those of the men who have climbed it. At times, Jordan does come across as a man-bashing feminist, as one would expect in a book of this nature. However, she may be completely right that in the world of high- altitude mountaineering, it may still be very much a man's world. What Jordan does best with this book, is giving the reader a glimpse into the lives of the women she is writing about. We get to know these women as well as we can, most of whom are very private individuals. As a reader, you really feel as though you are climbing with Wanda Rutkiewicz or Chantal Mauduit, or Allison Hargreaves, or any of the others. You know their history and background, what they are climbing for and why they climb, and what they have to lose. Jordan makes you really feel a sadness when each of these women meet their ultimate demise. Additionally, Jordan is a gifted writer and often uses wonderful imagery to portray the climbing world and the women in it. Here's a great passage: " By midmorning the sky was streaked with the first signs of a storm If noticed, the warning went unheeded by the ragged group, tiny ants inching inexorably up the final slopes toward the summit. At this altitude every step was measured against a lead weight across the shoulders and filling the boots Titanium ice axes that weighed less than a pound felt like a caveman's club. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in climbing, or even women's history. If you want to read about some strong women and feel inspired, this is a book for you. Or simply if you like reading about climbing Sep 04, Karen Beath rated it really liked it. At the time of writing, 6 women had summited K2 - three of which lost their lives on the descent. In fact, the mortality rate for women attempting to climb K2 is far higher than other mountains. So, apparently, K2 doesn't like women, or at least that's one of the superstitions carried through the mountaineering world. Being a lover of trekking and mountain climbing, this book had me enthralled. It was fascinating to hear the stories of the women and their climbing achievements. It was also interesting to read about their struggles in what was traditionally a man's world and the ways they overcame these struggles such as forming their own all-women climbing team, or using their femininity to achieve climbing permits or assistance. These women were also treated very differently by the media and society with the mothers of the group often criticised for the not staying home with their children the fathers, however, suffered no such criticism. In saying all this, Jordan does not hold back when it comes to revealing the women's characters and motivations. While they were no doubt inspirational, they could also be selfish, mean, at times unwilling to carry their own gear and I found one of the women was almost completely unlikeable. In other words, they were human and I think this added to the book's appeal. Jordan also touches on a theme common to the mountaineering world - the competitive nature of mountain climbing or, who can summit the most peaks. It was this nature that has led to the deaths of so many mountaineers. One of my only objections to this book was Jordan's original motivation for writing it. She had read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and felt that he was overly harsh towards one of the women in the book. Having read that book, I strongly disagree. While he was critical of this particular woman, he was also critical of a number of male mountaineers. I don't think he had sexist intentions in this regard. This is, of course, purely my opinion, however it did make me question Jordan's objectivity throughout the book. In saying that, I still highly recommend this read especially to those with an interest in mountaineering or adventure travel. Aug 08, Bethann rated it really liked it. These women were varied, interesting, and flawed, and the author does a good job of covering the fullness of their biographies, positive and negative parts both, without sinking into stereotype. She also defends them on their choices to climb and live as they did. One great point the book makes is that women climbers have a hard time getting rightful respect for their accomplishments, and Jordan does a nice job of explaining the unique difficultites female mountaineers face d , from outright resistance and misogyny in the s to the a somewhat lesser version of such resistance that has existed ever since. Things have to have improved, but I'm not sure how much, really, since women still seem to be accused of creating "tension" on climbs. At the time it was written, all five of the women to have summited K2 had died though not all died on that mountain, they did all die while climbing , though an additional woman had summitted as the book went to press in Hope that person is still alive. I am sure more have made it to the top of K2, and died, by now. Perhaps the author is a little too rah-rah about the honor of dying on a mountain, and "not quitting," but she offers a pretty good explanation for these women's motivations and does not judge them, which is refreshing. Anyway, I liked reading this and hearing about great female climbers. Nov 07, Nigel rated it really liked it Shelves: best-climbing-books. I am a lover of non-fiction books on the great outdoors and climbing biographies and autobiographies in particular. The premise here is "why are the vast majority of mountaineering books about men and frequently by men? I found the book well written and very interesting. Bear in mind that the explicit aim of the book is to look at issues that female mountaineers have I am a lover of non-fiction books on the great outdoors and climbing biographies and autobiographies in particular. Bear in mind that the explicit aim of the book is to look at issues that female mountaineers have with their male counterparts and vice versa so this is a running theme through the book. It certainly shines some light into the problems and indicted valid concerns on both sides. I did find that the author didn't hesitate in pointing out criticisms of the female mountaineers. I'd read a couple of autobiographical works by the women and this book will ensure I read more both on K2 and the people involved. A good book for anyone with an interest in the subject. Feb 25, Rebecca McPhedran rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction , borrowed-from-the-library , adventure-exploration , challenge. Jennifer Jordan | Savage Summit Book

At the beginning of the climbing season, Mount Everest had been climbed over 2, times, but only people had climbed K2 , and only five of them were women. Today all five of those pioneering female alpinists are dead. The documentary Women of K2 and its companion book Savage Summit both tell the story of this fearsome mountain through the tragic stories of the women who tried, succeeded and perished climbing it, as well as the broad, rich history of this remote mountain through its first female explorers. Women of K2 and Savage Summit also ask difficult and controversial questions of its female climbers as well as the climbing community: Are women physiologically and emotionally prepared for the rigors of this most deadly mountain? Do they too often rely on strong male climbing partners to get them up and off the mountain alive? And because of ready access to sponsors and media, do women climbers attempt technically difficult and dangerous high-profile mountains, like K2 , before they have learned the ropes on lesser mountains, endangering themselves and their climbing partners? Both the film and book go beyond what any mountaineering or adventure narratives has before because they are the first to examine these climbing controversies and the Savage Mountain through the hearts, minds and experiences of its female pioneers. Like Into Thin Air , The Perfect Storm and Maurice Herzog's Annapurna before it, Savage Summit explores the breath-taking thrill of life-threatening endeavor, but it also does so through its often overlooked and under-valued participants, women. Finally, it questions whether women mountaineers face a double standard defined and imposed by men who resent their imposition into the still very-male world of high altitude climbing. Jennifer Jordan's statement: Ironically, I too have become a woman of K2 , not because I've climbed on its lethal slopes, but because I made two trips to the mountain in three years and am probably the only person to visit both sides of this fearsome giant with no intention of climbing either. My near-obsession with this mountain of "rock and ice and storm and abyss," as an early explorer called it, began the moment I heard that each of the five who had climbed the mountain was dead. I had been interviewing American climber Charlotte Fox in when she looked up from an obituary in a climbing magazine and said, "Chantal Mauduit just died on Dhaulagiri. She's the last one. Now all of the women who've climbed K2 are dead. Jul 22, Andrea Boyette rated it liked it. Apparently I am now some kind of connoisseur of mountaineering books? After reading 4 of them in 3 days I am hopeful this obsession burns itself out soon. I was disappointed. I wanted to like it, but it tried too hard. Instead, I found it overly dramatic and overly romanticized. Considering how dramatic the subject is already it just seemed too much. There was also an undeniable undercurrent of bitterness that flowed through the book which put me off. It wasn't without merit, however. The women Apparently I am now some kind of connoisseur of mountaineering books? The women were complicated, strong climbers and deserved to have their stories told. When the author focused on that and the harrowing climbs they took on, the book was stronger and more enjoyable. I just wish there had been more of that. May 30, Lukasz Pruski rated it really liked it. The Black Summer [ Jordan writes: "I aim simply to share with you the stories of five remarkable women who chose to live at the edge of death and all of whom ultimately died there. Of these five Wanda Rutkiewicz is featured most prominently. She is called a "climbing legend" and "the best female climber the world has ever seen," a woman with "enormous and stubborn personality," and also very isolated and lonely because of her intense drive to climb. I happen to know another Polish woman climber, not as famous, who knew Wanda Rutkiewicz personally and even did one or two routes with her. Everything I heard from my friend about Ms. Rutkiewicz jibes with the general tone of the story told in the book. One detail is wrong, though: the author claims that Ms. Rutkiewicz graduated from the Warsaw Polytechnic which is my alma mater. That 's not true - she graduated from the Wroclaw Polytechnic. Probably the editor's fault. There are a lot of interesting sociological observations in the book, both on the macro-scale - for example, about the cultural resistance to accept women in roles non-traditional for them - and in micro-scale, like personal inter-relationships in climbing teams. Probably the most interesting thread is the one that focuses on differences in climbing teams dynamics depending on the gender of the members. I find the following passage quite amusing: "While the first two times women were included on K2 expeditions were wrought with internecine battles, ego wars, and sexual tensions, the next one would be exempt from most of those conflicts because of one simple omission: men. Three-and-a-half stars. Reading about these women is both inspiring and shocking. Jul 12, Molly Jackson rated it liked it. I would have rated the book higher but I felt the writer lost her journalistic obligation to impartiality. I think she got too close to the women she wrote about to remain neutral in telling their stories. Which I get and could handle here and there. Makes no sense. I thoroughly enjoyed the factual content of the book though and think it well worth the read. Feb 10, Katie rated it really liked it. Just finished reading Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordan last night. I really enjoyed the book. It is also the first of this genre I have read that was not autobiographical, so not sure if that has anything to do with it. Anyway, the book is somewhat of a women's history of climbing K2, the second highest peak in the world. K2 may not be as high as everest, but it is certainly more dangerous. At the time this book went to press, only six women in the world had successfully summited K2, three of these died on their descent of the mountain, and two of the remaining three have since died climbing other mountains. At this time, there is only one woman to have climbed K2 who is still alive. This book explores challenges of climbing this mountain, specifically challenges women have faced that make their experience wholly different from those of the men who have climbed it. At times, Jordan does come across as a man-bashing feminist, as one would expect in a book of this nature. However, she may be completely right that in the world of high-altitude mountaineering, it may still be very much a man's world. What Jordan does best with this book, is giving the reader a glimpse into the lives of the women she is writing about. We get to know these women as well as we can, most of whom are very private individuals. As a reader, you really feel as though you are climbing with Wanda Rutkiewicz or Chantal Mauduit, or Allison Hargreaves, or any of the others. You know their history and background, what they are climbing for and why they climb, and what they have to lose. Jordan makes you really feel a sadness when each of these women meet their ultimate demise. Additionally, Jordan is a gifted writer and often uses wonderful imagery to portray the climbing world and the women in it. Here's a great passage: " By midmorning the sky was streaked with the first signs of a storm If noticed, the warning went unheeded by the ragged group, tiny ants inching inexorably up the final slopes toward the summit. At this altitude every step was measured against a lead weight across the shoulders and filling the boots Titanium ice axes that weighed less than a pound felt like a caveman's club. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in climbing, or even women's history. If you want to read about some strong women and feel inspired, this is a book for you. Or simply if you like reading about climbing Sep 04, Karen Beath rated it really liked it. At the time of writing, 6 women had summited K2 - three of which lost their lives on the descent. In fact, the mortality rate for women attempting to climb K2 is far higher than other mountains. So, apparently, K2 doesn't like women, or at least that's one of the superstitions carried through the mountaineering world. Being a lover of trekking and mountain climbing, this book had me enthralled. It was fascinating to hear the stories of the women and their climbing achievements. It was also interesting to read about their struggles in what was traditionally a man's world and the ways they overcame these struggles such as forming their own all-women climbing team, or using their femininity to achieve climbing permits or assistance. These women were also treated very differently by the media and society with the mothers of the group often criticised for the not staying home with their children the fathers, however, suffered no such criticism. In saying all this, Jordan does not hold back when it comes to revealing the women's characters and motivations. While they were no doubt inspirational, they could also be selfish, mean, at times unwilling to carry their own gear and I found one of the women was almost completely unlikeable. In other words, they were human and I think this added to the book's appeal. Jordan also touches on a theme common to the mountaineering world - the competitive nature of mountain climbing or, who can summit the most peaks. It was this nature that has led to the deaths of so many mountaineers. One of my only objections to this book was Jordan's original motivation for writing it. She had read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and felt that he was overly harsh towards one of the women in the book. Having read that book, I strongly disagree. While he was critical of this particular woman, he was also critical of a number of male mountaineers. I don't think he had sexist intentions in this regard. This is, of course, purely my opinion, however it did make me question Jordan's objectivity throughout the book. In saying that, I still highly recommend this read especially to those with an interest in mountaineering or adventure travel. Aug 08, Bethann rated it really liked it. These women were varied, interesting, and flawed, and the author does a good job of covering the fullness of their biographies, positive and negative parts both, without sinking into stereotype. She also defends them on their choices to climb and live as they did. One great point the book makes is that women climbers have a hard time getting rightful respect for their accomplishments, and Jordan does a nice job of explaining the unique difficultites female mountaineers face d , from outright resistance and misogyny in the s to the a somewhat lesser version of such resistance that has existed ever since. Things have to have improved, but I'm not sure how much, really, since women still seem to be accused of creating "tension" on climbs. At the time it was written, all five of the women to have summited K2 had died though not all died on that mountain, they did all die while climbing , though an additional woman had summitted as the book went to press in Hope that person is still alive. I am sure more have made it to the top of K2, and died, by now. Perhaps the author is a little too rah-rah about the honor of dying on a mountain, and "not quitting," but she offers a pretty good explanation for these women's motivations and does not judge them, which is refreshing. Anyway, I liked reading this and hearing about great female climbers. Nov 07, Nigel rated it really liked it Shelves: best-climbing-books. I am a lover of non-fiction books on the great outdoors and climbing biographies and autobiographies in particular. The premise here is "why are the vast majority of mountaineering books about men and frequently by men? I found the book well written and very interesting. Bear in mind that the explicit aim of the book is to look at issues that female mountaineers have I am a lover of non-fiction books on the great outdoors and climbing biographies and autobiographies in particular. Bear in mind that the explicit aim of the book is to look at issues that female mountaineers have with their male counterparts and vice versa so this is a running theme through the book. It certainly shines some light into the problems and indicted valid concerns on both sides. I did find that the author didn't hesitate in pointing out criticisms of the female mountaineers. I'd read a couple of autobiographical works by the women and this book will ensure I read more both on K2 and the people involved. A good book for anyone with an interest in the subject. Feb 25, Rebecca McPhedran rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction , borrowed-from- the-library , adventure-exploration , challenge. This is a story about the most dangerous mountain in the world. The distinction does not apply to the tallest mountain in the world, Everest. It applies to the second tallest mountain K2. More people have died on K2 than Everest. Jennifer Jordan has written a book about the first five women to have climbed K2. Spoiler alert. Most of them have died. I felt like the writing was ok, not the best. But it is obvious the author feels very strongly about her subject matter. Nothing will dispute the she This is a story about the most dangerous mountain in the world. Nothing will dispute the sheer will and strength of these women. They were amazing climbers, and deserve the distinction of being mountaineers. A good read. Fascinating stories joined into a single narrative by their topic, that of many ways of death in high-altitude alpinism. Those who stay alive usually have to content themselves with mutilation and good old suffering. Story of the first five women to summit K-2 and their tragic ends. Oct 08, Peter McGinn rated it it was amazing. I read a lot of books on mountaineering, including Jennifer Jordan's other book on the topic, "Last Man on the Mountain. After three attempts, two lost lives, and four years of trying, she had made it and no one would ever take it away: Wanda Rutkiewicz was the first woman to stand atop the great K2. It would be a short-lived ecstasy. Suddenly a cloud of butterflies appeared in front of him, obscuring everything with their bright fluttering. He looked up toward the mountains. Without any more evidence than the horde in front of him, he knew something was horribly wrong with Chantal. In Rick Ridgeway climbed K2 in mid-September after three months of trying. Then, his only thought was a dull but persistent alarm: How am I ever going to get back down alive? He survived, but had to reach down into the bottom of his reserves, using every last scrap of wits and will to do so. The last I approached K2, rounding the famous corner in Concordia and seeing it there, sitting ten miles up the glacier, I bent over my trekking poles and sobbed. I simply knew too much. I knew I was looking at the graveyard of scores of people, five of whom I had come to know tenderly, lovingly. Savage Summit: The Life and Death of the First Women of K2 |

After weeks of bad weather her team left the mountain, and she decided to make one last attempt at the peak. On the descent, she and several other independent climbers were blown off the mountaintop like so much laundry lint. Her death was met by a frenzy of censure: how could a mother put herself at such risk? But the question was not asked with nearly the same fury of the fathers on that summit, or of so many other ill-fated men. If Rutkiewicz, Mauduit and Hargreaves pushed themselves to extremes, Julie Tullis, a Briton, and Liliane Barrard of France lived in thrall to the more experienced men with whom they climbed K2 in separate expeditions in Barrard and her husband, Maurice, fell on descent to their deaths, while Tullis, who had relatively little high-altitude experience, died in her tent while waiting out a storm in the death zone. Tullis's climbing partner, the Austrian filmmaker Kurt Diemberger, was not her husband. Although Jordan implies an intimacy in their relationship, she dodges a direct discussion of it for reasons she doesn't make clear. Some of the biographical sketches are thin, and Jordan attributes weird or treacly thoughts to the women that she doesn't know they had: "There isn't enough to support a tick up here. Why should my lungs be any different? The fact that two women died far from the mountain and years later dilutes her inquiry. If she added up all the men who died climbing after they conquered K2, that figure would be higher also. If anything, the book seems too heavily weighted toward relentless tragedy, as if the author got hijacked by the dark, driven mind of Wanda Rutkiewicz. Missing is any larger context of women's role in mountaineering. Surely some adhere to common-sensical, life-affirming goals. But such women are barely mentioned, unless to pile more scorn on the women of K2. Readers can take heart in the final chapter of Rutkiewicz's full, if slightly twisted, life. When she succumbed to the mountains, at 49, she was left for dead in a snow cave by her partner. Then, his only thought was a dull but persistent alarm: How am I ever going to get back down alive? He survived, but had to reach down into the bottom of his reserves, using every last scrap of wits and will to do so. The last I approached K2, rounding the famous corner in Concordia and seeing it there, sitting ten miles up the glacier, I bent over my trekking poles and sobbed. I simply knew too much. I knew I was looking at the graveyard of scores of people, five of whom I had come to know tenderly, lovingly. And I knew my days would be spent in anxious worry watching Jeff Rhoads, my love and partner, inch his way up a mountain that had killed so many. Savage Summit is published through Harper Collins. It is available for purchase in —. Skip to content Skip to site navigation Skip to contact. Shifting through hours of interviews and written materials, Jennifer Jordan weaves together a riveting tale of adventure, ambition, love and tragedy. This book is so well written that it reads like a novel. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Dec 10, Anita Pomerantz rated it really liked it. I'm a little obsessed with reading about alpine mountain climbing in the sense that I have yet to read a book about it that I haven't found fascinating. This one was no exception, but I will say I was on the fence a bit about the writing itself. The book tells the detailed life stories of five women who reached the summit of K2, something only achieved by 18 women as late as All five perished while pursuing their dreams of climbing. Their backgrounds are fascinating. The author creates essentially mini biographies of each woman from young childhood to death, and I found each of them fascinating to read. The way she writes about mountain climbing itself seemed much more arms length. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but it made for a flatter read without as much emotional impact. Also, this book really focused on the gender issues with climbing, and even though there were many men who helped these women achieve their goals, somehow the book left you with the feeling that sexism was a tremendous barrier, and every man was in constant sexual pursuit. And maybe that's how it was, but for some reason it seemed as though aspects of the stories might have been exaggerated to make the themes of the book seem more important somehow. At any rate, I still would recommend it to those who enjoy books about risk takers, but not necessarily to those looking for say, a gripping survival tale. It's kind of unfair reviewing this after reading Robert MacFarlane's superb "Mountains of the Mind" because it just came across as trashy journalism in comparison. I know this book was about the world's second-highest mountain and the women who have climbed it, but that's no excuse for its lacking depth. The premise of the book is amazing, but she doesn't really go anywhere with it and the feminist angle is some of the most simplistic man-bashing tripe I've ever read. Not that I'm against femini It's kind of unfair reviewing this after reading Robert MacFarlane's superb "Mountains of the Mind" because it just came across as trashy journalism in comparison. Not that I'm against feminism, and it does seem like some of these women encountered some serious assholes at high altitudes as well as behaving appallingly at times themselves also, but the conclusion of the book is very thin and I think in the hands of a finer, more subtle mind, an amazing book could have come out of this topic. The stories themselves are marvellous though, maybe slightly because of the sensationalist quality - a couple of times I actually got goosepimples reading - and some of the horror stories would definitely put you off high altitude mountaineering if you were ever mad enough to consider it in the first place. However, its great to read about these complex, intriguing women and their adventures on your cosy sofa! I have a weird affinity for mountain climbers. I love the idea of scaling a mountain and sort of understand why people do it if I could only get over my fear of heights! What I don't understand is why people continue to climb even after they've come off a mountain with frost bitten toes and fingers or some sort of high altitude sickness that requires they not climb - or the people with children waiting for them back home. I think I read mountain climbing books to try and figure out what makes I have a weird affinity for mountain climbers. I think I read mountain climbing books to try and figure out what makes a person continue. I learned a lot about K2 and still wonder why anyone would climb it. It's in the middle of nowhere - it takes a week to walk into the mountain after the roads stop! It's beautiful, it's the second highest mountain in the world, and it seems to have some sort of weird hold on those who try to climb it. They keep returning, over and over, to get to the summit. One of the women featured in this book trekked to K2 on crutches! That's either completely crazy or This book is hard to read, but well worth it. I don't know that I'm any closer to understanding these people, but I do like them a lot more after reading Jordan's book. Well crafted account of the five women who cliimbed K2, the second highest mountain, between and , all of whom died there or on another mountain at a later point. As women, they faced many special challenges in their climbing careers, mainly the gender bias reflecting the attitude of "No Girl's Allowed" in this masculine enterprise. Uplifting and satisfying read--as good as "Into Thin Air". The author Jennifer Jordan took six years to write the book, and that shows in the effort. Here i Well crafted account of the five women who cliimbed K2, the second highest mountain, between and , all of whom died there or on another mountain at a later point. Here is a great summary of her perspective: Most of us will not choose where we die. But climbers who enter their deadly arena know they are dancing on the razor's edge with every movement they make. They don't mind the risk; in fact, they embrace the risk as part of the price of such unbridled joy. Their choice to live and die in the mountains was one of passion, purpose, and talent, not idle arrogance or selfish whim. The women of K2 were mothers and daughters, woves and lovers, sisters and aunts, rivals and friends. Their deaths are losses for all of us, but the way they lived should be a lesson for us all. Loved the women's stories, especially Wanda Rutkiewicz - what a legacy. Also hated the way she constantly talked about these women's looks starting with describing Fanny Bullock Workman as "a solid plug of a woman with a homely face" - WTF?? I don't know if she just meant to draw a more complete picture of each woman, but it came across as incredibly judgemental and utterly irrelevant. By contrast, she spends very little time describing their actual climbing achievements - the ascents or attempts are glossed over or summarized as not much more than "she went up, she came down or died. Wish I could rate it higher because I did enjoy the subject matter a lot, but the style made it a bit of a slog. Oct 14, Ann Gimpel rated it liked it Shelves: adventure. This is an odd mountaineering book and I've read at least a hundred climbing sagas. Maybe more. Plus I climb myself. What is off-putting about this book is it's told in a disjointed fashion. A summit team is high on the mountain and the author launches into a thirty page digression about one of the climbers beginning with their childhood. By the time the author finally gets back to the climb, I've practically forgotten about it. In many ways, I suppose it's similar to the challenge of folding ba This is an odd mountaineering book and I've read at least a hundred climbing sagas. In many ways, I suppose it's similar to the challenge of folding backstory into fiction. You can do it seamlessly, or it can feel awkward and clunky. Also, I've read other stories about most of the women featured in this book that were far more thorough in terms of being sagas of their lives. I think the book was interesting conceptually, but the execution was lacking. As it sits, it's neither biography nor adventure writing, but a hybridization that gives short shrift to both. This is unfortunate since the author clearly loves the mountains and was trying to write a touching epitah for the women climbers of K2 who lost their lives in the Himalaya. View 2 comments. Fascinating and worth the read if you're into this topic, even though it has some flaws. Oct 21, Amerynth rated it did not like it Shelves: unfinished , mountaineering , adventure , himalayas , k2 , women. While I was very excited to read about the women to climb K2, I just couldn't finish this book because I couldn't take any more of Jennifer Jordan's writing. I'm as feminist as the next girl, but her overarching theme that mountaineers are all sexist and offended by the very thought of women climbers is a bit much. For example, I've read several books about the American expedition of K Was Dianne Roberts a point of contention on that expedition? Was she the reason is fell apart? Absolutely not They were angry because the expedition leader, Dianne's husband, was picking members of the "A" team and had family relationships with two crew members. And the expedition had problems with Cherie Bech not because she was female, but because she was having an affair with another climber while her husband was also on the expedition. While her husband was okay with this situation, the other climbers felt uncomfortable watching her share a tent with another man It's telling that the men were also uncomfortable with the male expedition member involved in this whole situation too, not just Cherie. Jordan's zeal to point out every instance of possible sexism amongst climbers got so irritating, that I ended up putting the book aside early on. I would have enjoyed reading about these female climbers if the book was written by an author with less of an agenda. Jan 24, Johanna rated it really liked it Shelves: read-in An amazing read which is just beyond inspiring. Those that climb Everest and k2 are unbelievable but the women who do it are even more awe inspiring. I really recommend! Aug 09, Mihai rated it it was amazing Shelves: mountaineering. This book had sat on my mountaineering to-read list for a while because by looking just at its title I thought it was simply another re-telling of the deadly history of K2. No matter how fascinating that history is, it can only be told in so many ways before it becomes repetitive. It did not disappoint, in fact exceeding my expectations. In the This book had sat on my mountaineering to-read list for a while because by looking just at its title I thought it was simply another re-telling of the deadly history of K2. In the sport of high-altitude alpinism, which has been dominated by competitive men with large egos, the accomplishments of women climbers have tended to be at best downplayed and at worst demeaned or outright rejected. Therefore, author Jennifer Jordan's personal quest to raise awareness of the five women who succeeded in reaching the summit of the second highest mountain in the world was an inspiration in of itself. The portraits she assembled of these five striking personalities, all of whom perished before they could use their own words to describe their experiences to any adequate length, are compelling and vivid. The book is well researched, written I could barely put it down , and, perhaps most importantly, the author put in a great deal of effort to get in touch with the climbers' families, friends and former teammates in order to piece together an understanding of their characters from those who knew them best. Some of these interactions were extremely emotional many years after the death of the subject, thus guaranteeing the precious authenticity that outside biographers always struggle with, and which is the key to making these narratives into human interest stories. Though I was familiar with the names of the protagonists and had learned of their most significant achievements from other sources, going beyond official biographies into their personal journeys as described in Savage Summit was utterly captivating. With the status of K2 sumiteer as their only common link, the two Britons, two French and one of the greatest Polish climbers, men or women, were all pioneers of the sport, fighting their way to the top via remarkably different circumstances and motivations. They did so by being controversial, contradictory or simply refusing to take no for an answer. Their technical and physical prowess was contrasted by deep character flaws in some cases, as well as incredible resiliency when faced with lack of support, discrimination, pressure from sponsors and media, and, most devastatingly, the need to prove themselves over and over. Fate brought the first three women, Wanda Rutkiewicz, Lilliane Barrard and Julie Tullis together on the mountain in what would become the Black Summer of , when a total of 13 climbers died on K2. Though all three reached the summit, only Rutkiewicz survived the descent. Looking back more than 30 years, it is easy to ascribe Barrard and Tullis's deaths to the fact they were neither strong nor experienced enough to get themselves down; both women were dependent on their male partners for strategy and assistance, so when the men were overwhelmed by the conditions, they perished together with the exception of legendary Kurt Diemberger, a repeat survivor of tragedies. Rutkiewicz was able to get off the mountain alive because her highly competitive personality, as well as tremendous strength and considerable experience, made her essentially self-reliant. Chantal Mauduit and Alison Hargreaves were at the forefront of the next generation of women climbers, who took over in the s. They were essentially free spirits who used high-altitude mountaineering to escape the confines of non-descript lives in their respective countries, and later the unrelenting pressure of careers as professional climbers. Ironically, the same ability to tune out the cacophony of the world around them eventually contributed to them missing critical details in later climbs, which proved lethal in the er arena with its infinitesimal margin for error. Savage Summit does an excellent job in conveying all of the above through compelling writing and good structure. I have some quibbles about the section where the author attempts to get into the mind of character and tries to formulate what the person would have most likely said at the time, but overall the book is outstanding. Highly recommended read for all mountaineers, active and armchair alike. Jul 30, Erika Nerdypants rated it it was amazing Shelves: set-in-foreign-countries , women , compulsive-non-fiction , read-in , mountaineering. Incredible read, I just finished and I'm not sure I can write a review without letting this book settle, but I also want to try and capture the emotions it evoked in me. First off, I don't entirely understand my fascination with books about mountaineering, but I suspect the fact that my father loved climbing in the Austrian and Swiss Alps as a young man has something to do with it. I never had much interest in the subject while he was alive, but now I wish I had listened to his stories and asked Incredible read, I just finished and I'm not sure I can write a review without letting this book settle, but I also want to try and capture the emotions it evoked in me. I never had much interest in the subject while he was alive, but now I wish I had listened to his stories and asked more questions. This book deals with the 5 female climbers who have reached the summit of K2, only to lose their lives on descent or other tragic climbing accidents. The subject is fascinating, and the writing superb. The author makes the women and supporting climbers come alive, there were many moments where I was holding my breath for them, even though I already knew the outcome. I was particularly impressed with her ability to not only show the women in glowing terms, their fierce determination, intense passion and commitment, but also their egotism, competitiveness, and sometimes blatant narcissism, which seems a common trait among many climbers. This made the characters multi-dimensional, and allows the reader to come away feeling we have truly gotten to know them, and of course care for them. Since the book was written additional female climbers have reached the summit of K2, but the mountain has claimed many more victims.

I like that she also discusses the women's weakness in the book. Women are still just getting into this sport of big mountain climbing. Some, are probably too eager for their own good, but I think they are trying to prove what women can do, even if it kills them. Sure, if women had the luxury of taking their time and then hitting the big stuff, that would be lovely, but back then, women needed to prove their skill in a big way to get respected. I like to think that now those women have shown what women can do on big mountains, women are taking their time and developing their experience in the proper time span. I believe Jennifer does an excellent job of bringing up topics that can ignite thought or discussion on important matters. Jul 22, Andrea Boyette rated it liked it. Apparently I am now some kind of connoisseur of mountaineering books? After reading 4 of them in 3 days I am hopeful this obsession burns itself out soon. I was disappointed. I wanted to like it, but it tried too hard. Instead, I found it overly dramatic and overly romanticized. Considering how dramatic the subject is already it just seemed too much. There was also an undeniable undercurrent of bitterness that flowed through the book which put me off. It wasn't without merit, however. The women Apparently I am now some kind of connoisseur of mountaineering books? The women were complicated, strong climbers and deserved to have their stories told. When the author focused on that and the harrowing climbs they took on, the book was stronger and more enjoyable. I just wish there had been more of that. May 30, Lukasz Pruski rated it really liked it. The Black Summer [ Jordan writes: "I aim simply to share with you the stories of five remarkable women who chose to live at the edge of death and all of whom ultimately died there. Of these five Wanda Rutkiewicz is featured most prominently. She is called a "climbing legend" and "the best female climber the world has ever seen," a woman with "enormous and stubborn personality," and also very isolated and lonely because of her intense drive to climb. I happen to know another Polish woman climber, not as famous, who knew Wanda Rutkiewicz personally and even did one or two routes with her. Everything I heard from my friend about Ms. Rutkiewicz jibes with the general tone of the story told in the book. One detail is wrong, though: the author claims that Ms. Rutkiewicz graduated from the Warsaw Polytechnic which is my alma mater. That 's not true - she graduated from the Wroclaw Polytechnic. Probably the editor's fault. There are a lot of interesting sociological observations in the book, both on the macro-scale - for example, about the cultural resistance to accept women in roles non-traditional for them - and in micro-scale, like personal inter-relationships in climbing teams. Probably the most interesting thread is the one that focuses on differences in climbing teams dynamics depending on the gender of the members. I find the following passage quite amusing: "While the first two times women were included on K2 expeditions were wrought with internecine battles, ego wars, and sexual tensions, the next one would be exempt from most of those conflicts because of one simple omission: men. Three-and-a-half stars. Reading about these women is both inspiring and shocking. Jul 12, Molly Jackson rated it liked it. I would have rated the book higher but I felt the writer lost her journalistic obligation to impartiality. I think she got too close to the women she wrote about to remain neutral in telling their stories. Which I get and could handle here and there. Makes no sense. I thoroughly enjoyed the factual content of the book though and think it well worth the read. Feb 10, Katie rated it really liked it. Just finished reading Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordan last night. I really enjoyed the book. It is also the first of this genre I have read that was not autobiographical, so not sure if that has anything to do with it. Anyway, the book is somewhat of a women's history of climbing K2, the second highest peak in the world. K2 may not be as high as everest, but it is certainly more dangerous. At the time this book went to press, only six women in the world had successfully summited K2, three of these died on their descent of the mountain, and two of the remaining three have since died climbing other mountains. At this time, there is only one woman to have climbed K2 who is still alive. This book explores challenges of climbing this mountain, specifically challenges women have faced that make their experience wholly different from those of the men who have climbed it. At times, Jordan does come across as a man-bashing feminist, as one would expect in a book of this nature. However, she may be completely right that in the world of high- altitude mountaineering, it may still be very much a man's world. What Jordan does best with this book, is giving the reader a glimpse into the lives of the women she is writing about. We get to know these women as well as we can, most of whom are very private individuals. As a reader, you really feel as though you are climbing with Wanda Rutkiewicz or Chantal Mauduit, or Allison Hargreaves, or any of the others. You know their history and background, what they are climbing for and why they climb, and what they have to lose. Jordan makes you really feel a sadness when each of these women meet their ultimate demise. Additionally, Jordan is a gifted writer and often uses wonderful imagery to portray the climbing world and the women in it. Here's a great passage: " By midmorning the sky was streaked with the first signs of a storm If noticed, the warning went unheeded by the ragged group, tiny ants inching inexorably up the final slopes toward the summit. At this altitude every step was measured against a lead weight across the shoulders and filling the boots Titanium ice axes that weighed less than a pound felt like a caveman's club. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in climbing, or even women's history. If you want to read about some strong women and feel inspired, this is a book for you. Or simply if you like reading about climbing Sep 04, Karen Beath rated it really liked it. At the time of writing, 6 women had summited K2 - three of which lost their lives on the descent. In fact, the mortality rate for women attempting to climb K2 is far higher than other mountains. So, apparently, K2 doesn't like women, or at least that's one of the superstitions carried through the mountaineering world. Being a lover of trekking and mountain climbing, this book had me enthralled. It was fascinating to hear the stories of the women and their climbing achievements. It was also interesting to read about their struggles in what was traditionally a man's world and the ways they overcame these struggles such as forming their own all-women climbing team, or using their femininity to achieve climbing permits or assistance. These women were also treated very differently by the media and society with the mothers of the group often criticised for the not staying home with their children the fathers, however, suffered no such criticism. In saying all this, Jordan does not hold back when it comes to revealing the women's characters and motivations. While they were no doubt inspirational, they could also be selfish, mean, at times unwilling to carry their own gear and I found one of the women was almost completely unlikeable. In other words, they were human and I think this added to the book's appeal. Jordan also touches on a theme common to the mountaineering world - the competitive nature of mountain climbing or, who can summit the most peaks. It was this nature that has led to the deaths of so many mountaineers. One of my only objections to this book was Jordan's original motivation for writing it. She had read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and felt that he was overly harsh towards one of the women in the book. Having read that book, I strongly disagree. While he was critical of this particular woman, he was also critical of a number of male mountaineers. I don't think he had sexist intentions in this regard. This is, of course, purely my opinion, however it did make me question Jordan's objectivity throughout the book. In saying that, I still highly recommend this read especially to those with an interest in mountaineering or adventure travel. Aug 08, Bethann rated it really liked it. These women were varied, interesting, and flawed, and the author does a good job of covering the fullness of their biographies, positive and negative parts both, without sinking into stereotype. She also defends them on their choices to climb and live as they did. One great point the book makes is that women climbers have a hard time getting rightful respect for their accomplishments, and Jordan does a nice job of explaining the unique difficultites female mountaineers face d , from outright resistance and misogyny in the s to the a somewhat lesser version of such resistance that has existed ever since. Things have to have improved, but I'm not sure how much, really, since women still seem to be accused of creating "tension" on climbs. At the time it was written, all five of the women to have summited K2 had died though not all died on that mountain, they did all die while climbing , though an additional woman had summitted as the book went to press in Hope that person is still alive. I am sure more have made it to the top of K2, and died, by now. Perhaps the author is a little too rah-rah about the honor of dying on a mountain, and "not quitting," but she offers a pretty good explanation for these women's motivations and does not judge them, which is refreshing. Anyway, I liked reading this and hearing about great female climbers. Nov 07, Nigel rated it really liked it Shelves: best-climbing-books. I am a lover of non-fiction books on the great outdoors and climbing biographies and autobiographies in particular. The premise here is "why are the vast majority of mountaineering books about men and frequently by men? I found the book well written and very interesting. Bear in mind that the explicit aim of the book is to look at issues that female mountaineers have I am a lover of non-fiction books on the great outdoors and climbing biographies and autobiographies in particular. Bear in mind that the explicit aim of the book is to look at issues that female mountaineers have with their male counterparts and vice versa so this is a running theme through the book. It certainly shines some light into the problems and indicted valid concerns on both sides. I did find that the author didn't hesitate in pointing out criticisms of the female mountaineers. I'd read a couple of autobiographical works by the women and this book will ensure I read more both on K2 and the people involved. A good book for anyone with an interest in the subject. Feb 25, Rebecca McPhedran rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction , borrowed-from- the-library , adventure-exploration , challenge. This is a story about the most dangerous mountain in the world. The distinction does not apply to the tallest mountain in the world, Everest. It applies to the second tallest mountain K2. More people have died on K2 than Everest. Jennifer Jordan has written a book about the first five women to have climbed K2. Spoiler alert. Most of them have died. I felt like the writing was ok, not the best. But it is obvious the author feels very strongly about her subject matter. Nothing will dispute the she This is a story about the most dangerous mountain in the world. Nothing will dispute the sheer will and strength of these women. They were amazing climbers, and deserve the distinction of being mountaineers. Perhaps most savagely, Rutkiewicz's male teammates on Annapurna publicly doubted that she had reached the top, alone and injured, until her film proved it. That same venom infected the claim of Chantal Mauduit on Lhotse. Without photographic evidence, she quickly learned who her many enemies were. A French climber renowned for her beauty and sexual appetite, Mauduit reached the top of K2 in Men were obsessed with her. One scorned lover and fellow climber called her a "black widow. It didn't help her cause that she occasionally climbed with a stuffed animal. She died in when she was struck by falling ice on what would have been her seventh 8,meter peak. Alison Hargreaves, a talented British climber and mother of two small children, was determined to climb without oxygen or assistance of any kind, including fixed ropes set by others. Observers called her solo ascent of Everest only Reinhold Messner had done it in similar fashion "quintessentially the finest piece of high-altitude mountaineering" they'd ever seen. Yet until then Hargreaves had led a life plagued by financial insecurity and an unhappy marriage. Under her husband's pommeling publicity machine, she felt she couldn't return home without achieving the additional summit of K2. After weeks of bad weather her team left the mountain, and she decided to make one last attempt at the peak. On the descent, she and several other independent climbers were blown off the mountaintop like so much laundry lint. Her death was met by a frenzy of censure: how could a mother put herself at such risk? But the question was not asked with nearly the same fury of the fathers on that summit, or of so many other ill-fated men. If Rutkiewicz, Mauduit and Hargreaves pushed themselves to extremes, Julie Tullis, a Briton, and Liliane Barrard of France lived in thrall to the more experienced men with whom they climbed K2 in separate expeditions in Barrard and her husband, Maurice, fell on descent to their deaths, while Tullis, who had relatively little high-altitude experience, died in her tent while waiting out a storm in the death zone. Then, his only thought was a dull but persistent alarm: How am I ever going to get back down alive? He survived, but had to reach down into the bottom of his reserves, using every last scrap of wits and will to do so. The last I approached K2, rounding the famous corner in Concordia and seeing it there, sitting ten miles up the glacier, I bent over my trekking poles and sobbed. I simply knew too much. I knew I was looking at the graveyard of scores of people, five of whom I had come to know tenderly, lovingly. And I knew my days would be spent in anxious worry watching Jeff Rhoads, my love and partner, inch his way up a mountain that had killed so many. Savage Summit is published through Harper Collins. It is available for purchase in —. Skip to content Skip to site navigation Skip to contact. Shifting through hours of interviews and written materials, Jennifer Jordan weaves together a riveting tale of adventure, ambition, love and tragedy. 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