Regions of the Heart: The Triumph and Tragedy of Alison Hargreaves - Softcover

Two experienced climbers and journalists celebrate the life and accomplishments of mountaineer Alison Hargreaves, describing her complex marriage, devotion to her children, extraordinary 1995 solo ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, and violent death during a storm while climbing K

When Alison Hargreaves died in a violent storm during her descent from the notoriously difficult K2 -- the world's second highest mountain -- a firestorm debate erupted in the press about motherhood, ambition, and risk. The indignant commentators seemed unable to look beyond whether, as a mother of two, Hargreaves had effectively abandoned her children by taking such extraordinary risks. In the aftermath, the first woman to climb Mount Everest alone without supplemental oxygen and one of the most gifted mountaineers of her generation had been robbed of her reputation.

In Regions of the Heart, experienced climbers and journalists David Rose and Ed Douglas explore the tensions and drama of Hargreaves's groundbreaking climbs, as well as the complex, often difficult nature of her marriage. With vivid descriptions of the intense toughness, skill, and courage demanded of climbers at the sport's highest level set against the discord and uncertainty of her home life, Rose and Douglas provide an in-depth understanding of Hargreaves's passion for the mountains -- a passion intensified by her devotion to her children.