Arlene Blum, an author and prominent figure in women's mountaineering, will present a lecture on Monday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Hamilton College's Science Center Kennedy Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Blum will speak on the topic of "Breaking Trail: Mountains and Molecules," which recounts her numerous mountain-climbing adventures. In 1978 she led the first American (and all-female) climb up Annapurna I, a 26,200 foot high peak in the Himalaya that was deemed the 10th highest mountain in the world. Blum also led the first all-women's team up Mt. McKinley and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. Says Blum: "Climbing the world's highest mountains is a powerful metaphor for achieving any demanding objective. Reaching the summit requires total physical, intellectual, and psychological commitment – and yields the greatest rewards."
Blum has written two memoirs about her mountaineering. The first, Annapurna: A Woman's Place, was included in National Geographic Adventure magazine's list of the "hundred best adventure books of all time." Her second book, Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life, received high praise from fellow climbers and authors. Conrad Anker, author of The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mount Everest, said "Arlene searches her soul for her own motivations and in doing so tells with insightful and inspirational prose a story that spans her childhood, career as a scientist, and brings her to the roof of the world."
The Society of Women Geographers awarded Blum their Gold Medal, a most prestigious honor held by Amelia Earhart as well. Blum holds a doctorate in biophysical chemistry, and she has taught at Stanford University, Wellesley College, and U. C. Berkeley. She is the founder of the annual Berkeley Himalayan Fair and her articles and photographs have appeared in many publications including National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Science magazines.
Blum will speak on the topic of "Breaking Trail: Mountains and Molecules," which recounts her numerous mountain-climbing adventures. In 1978 she led the first American (and all-female) climb up Annapurna I, a 26,200 foot high peak in the Himalaya that was deemed the 10th highest mountain in the world. Blum also led the first all-women's team up Mt. McKinley and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. Says Blum: "Climbing the world's highest mountains is a powerful metaphor for achieving any demanding objective. Reaching the summit requires total physical, intellectual, and psychological commitment – and yields the greatest rewards."
Blum has written two memoirs about her mountaineering. The first, Annapurna: A Woman's Place, was included in National Geographic Adventure magazine's list of the "hundred best adventure books of all time." Her second book, Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life, received high praise from fellow climbers and authors. Conrad Anker, author of The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mount Everest, said "Arlene searches her soul for her own motivations and in doing so tells with insightful and inspirational prose a story that spans her childhood, career as a scientist, and brings her to the roof of the world."
The Society of Women Geographers awarded Blum their Gold Medal, a most prestigious honor held by Amelia Earhart as well. Blum holds a doctorate in biophysical chemistry, and she has taught at Stanford University, Wellesley College, and U. C. Berkeley. She is the founder of the annual Berkeley Himalayan Fair and her articles and photographs have appeared in many publications including National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Science magazines.
