Читать книгу Edge of the Map. The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff онлайн

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There’s little doubt that the physical challenges women face in alpine climbing are different from those men face. With generally smaller bodies, women shoulder a larger percentage of their body weight than men when required to carry the basics needed for survival at high altitudes. Yet many women argue that the mental game women play is more effective and better suited to the stress of climbing. Mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien, the first American and British (dual citizen) woman to successfully summit K2 in 2017, explained it this way: “I believe women have a bit of luck, which comes in two forms. The first is their open and transparent communication style that helps them get where they need to go. The second is their mental focus that helps them stay the course when the going gets tough: and the going always gets tough. That’s quite simply, our secret.”

WITH LITTLE FANFARE, SCOTT FISCHER invited Stacy Allison to climb Everest with him in 1987. A friend from his NOLS days, Allison had the grit and talent to be part of the expedition, no matter her gender. Though the two didn’t summit, in 1988 she attempted again with a different group, this time becoming the first American woman to reach the top of the world’s highest peak. The news buoyed Scott, for if anyone could see the strength women brought to the mountains—in practice or in spirit—it was Scott. His own mother, Shirley, had graced Everest Base Camp on one of his trips there, spending time with him in the place he loved.