Women of Altitude

[adk-46r]

Women with altitude by Carol White just hit the stores. This will put you in the mood for winter hiking. It is about 33 women who have done the winter 46.

[Skyclimber]

Women of altitude by Carol White just hit the stores. This will put you in the mood for winter hiking. It is about 32 women who have done the winter 46.

Actually Joe, the title is "Women With Altitude," edited by Carol White. It about 33 Women who have climbed the Winter Forty Six during the Canister Era.

I have read almost the whole book already. The autobiographies and stories are impressive and makes for Awesome Reading!

[Gray Ghost]

Are there any other winter-high peaks books out there?

[Skyclimber]

As far as I know, No.

[adk-46r]

Hi greygohst I just tried to post on your site but it did not work. Where did you get the snow flakes I would like to put them on my daughters site. I may do wright on Saturday if you want to practice some winter condidtions let me know, even though it will only count as fall.

[Gray Ghost]

Adk46er - I love that little quote under your avatar. I'm with you on that...anyway, my cousin really runs adirondackcyberscapes....i am just what I like to call the head of photography since most of the pics. are mine. I'm not sure why you couldn't post, but we really want you as a member. Direct all questions (including your snowflakes question) to Spent Gnat via PM on THIS site. That's my cousin's ID (he's also a member here) and he'll be more than happy to help you. Welcome aboard!

Back to books...i plan to pick up Women with Altitude, but am shocked that there is no other winter High Peaks book out there. My goal is to become a 46er, and to do a few in the winter while nailing my initial 46. I'm not sure if being a winter 46er will ever happen for me. adk46er I appreciate the invite. Even though I already have Wright completed I wouldn't mind doing it again. Unfortunately, my weekends are pretty much booked through the holidays. Be sure to post a trip report though.

[AntlerPerak]

This is interesting, if you google the title you come up with a book. A different book but similar, check it out.

http://www.womenwithaltitude.org/

I didn't go through page after page of google listings but did eventually find the book you guys are talking about on North Country Book's website. It seems searching Amazon.com comes up with everything but the book posted here. It's hard to believe those guys don't have a listing for it yet. I noted The local library has it on order, it does look like an interesting read. At any rate we discover there is more than one Women with altitude hanging around.

[redhawk]

This is interesting, if you google the title you come up with a book. A different book but similar, check it out.

http://www.womenwithaltitude.org/

I didn't go through page after page of google listings but did eventually find the book you guys are talking about on North Country Book's website. It seems searching Amazon.com comes up with everything but the book posted here. It's hard to believe those guys don't have a listing for it yet. I noted The local library has it on order, it does look like an interesting read. At any rate we discover there is more than one Women with altitude hanging around.

If you google "Women of Atitude", you get listinfgs for the posts here.

The book is on the shelf at Charlie John's General Store in Speculator.

If you look at chapter 15 you will see our own Skyclimbers story.

I thumbed through it while I was up there. Can't quite afford it right now (price is fine, it's my pocketbook that's not). If I could I'd be in lake Placid to buy an autographed copy.

It's too bad this couldn't have come out a year earlier so that grace would have been able to see it and autograph copies.

Hawk

[Skyclimber]

I thumbed through it while I was up there. Can't quite afford it right now (price is fine, it's my pocketbook that's not). If I could I'd be in lake Placid to buy an autographed copy.

It's too bad this couldn't have come out a year earlier so that grace would have been able to see it and autograph copies.

Hawk

The book signing was totally awesome. There were about fourteen of the women, in the book there. Of course, made sure mine was all signed too. It was nice to finally meet, some of the women, who I have read their names in the log books, in previous years.

Hey you never know, there may be a book signing in your area in time. There may be another book signing in the Summer, in Lake Placid and also here in Plattsburgh, in late Winter. Just don't know who will be there. It varies from location to location on who does show up.

About Grace, Redhawk. She knew about the book. In the "Dear Grace" section of the book it states, "Grace was happy that some of the thousands of the letters she received, are now being used for the book."

[Hakuna Matada]

Santa brought me a copy for X-mas. I've read the first 3 women's stories. They were very determined women! I can't wait to read the rest.
One thing I found very interesting is that out of three women, 2 of them had breast cancer. I too have had that diagnosis this past year and it has kept me off the mountains (so far) but I plan on getting back this next year. It in itself has been a mountain to climb.
I've got to get back to the book. It's hard to put down.
Thanks to books like this one and especially this forum I have been able to stay attached to the mountains and not lose my goal.

[Kevin]

Okay, my $0.02. I'm treating this as a book review, so if you only want to read good stuff (and not someone's feedback) then read the entirely positive literary exerpts on the cover of the book.

It's taken me over 18 months to get 2/3 of the way through the book. I've been stuck at or a little past half for the last 6 months. I bring this everywhere I go. Sometimes I get a sny remark about the 'at first glance' misread of the title "Women with attitude". When I explain it's a book about hiking they reread the title and understand. Title is clever.

I realize that these stories, the other hikers, etc mean a lot to the writers. But I found myself feeling as though I was being brought through a series of forum trip reports over and over and over again. On occassion I'd learn a tip or perception shift based on the shared experience, but that couldn't grab my interest enough to want to pick it back up.

Maybe if I knew these people the trip reports/stories would mean more. It felt like the same things were discussed over and over, and name-dropping was getting confusing since I didn't know bob from jon from mary from joseph. I also don't know what the whole point of the book was. Why were there only women's stories? I didn't see how this was an advancement for women's equality or whatever the intent was. These very well could have been men's experiences (and often the stories involved spouses, boyfriends, and other male hiking partners). I usually forgot it was a woman's narrative. So the fact the book was 'about women' was completely lost IMO. If there's some secret issue women face when climbing I'd like to know what it is. The book certainly hasn't addressed it.

As a collection of 46er winter stories it's a good read, especially to trigger my own memories of certain climbs. As a "women's" literature the point was lost on me.

[Skyclimber]

I also don't know what the whole point of the book was. Why were there only women's stories? I didn't see how this was an advancement for women's equality or whatever the intent was. These very well could have been men's experiences (and often the stories involved spouses, boyfriends, and other male hiking partners). I usually forgot it was a woman's narrative. So the fact the book was 'about women' was completely lost IMO. If there's some secret issue women face when climbing I'd like to know what it is. The book certainly hasn't addressed it.

As a collection of 46er winter stories it's a good read, especially to trigger my own memories of certain climbs. As a "women's" literature the point was lost on me.

The book originally was going to be written just about Carol White's Winter Adventures but she decided to include all the women who finished the Winter Peaks.

This book was initially started in 1997, back when there were few women verses men who completed the Winter 46. So the amount of women who finished was an elite group. (actually still are) It also was the canister era of the High Peaks, as you will notice throughout the book that no woman from outside the Canister Era was included.

[Kevin]

This book was initially started in 1997, back when there were few women verses men who completed the Winter 46. So the amount of women who finished was an elite group. (actually still are) It also was the canister era of the High Peaks, as you will notice throughout the book that no woman from outside the Canister Era was included.

That explains quite a bit. Of course things have changed for women hikers, and it seems by a large margin, since 1997. Guess that's a good thing!

Just out of curiosity, what are/were some of the trials for women hikers? Was it just the social stigma around 'women in the woods' or was there something deeper I don't understand?

These were the main questions I started asking myself as I read the book. The book really never does explain itself.

[redhawk]

As a "women's" literature the point was lost on me.

Some things are of more interest to certain people, more because of the who instead of the how or why, especially when it's something that a particular class (for lack of a better word) of people aren't known for.

At one time, there was an interest by an author to do a story based on my career in the service. Not because I did anything any better or braver then anyone else, but because of the fact that I was the first, and at the the time, the only Indian in that particular unit.

So it would have been a good "Indian" read.

Does that make sense?

Hawk

[Neil]

I have the book and I like to dip into it randomly. I tend to read it "genderless" and enjoy comparing the winter hiking of "then" and "now". It really is quite something how winter hiking of the 46 has become so much easier so rapidly.

And yeah, it is basically a series of TR's laid out in a very subjective fashion. It is a worthwhile book to own and read.