Facing the Extreme: One Woman's Tale of True Courage, Death-Defying Survival and Her Quest for the Summit

An artist by profession and an experienced mountaineer, Kocour was the only woman in the team of 10 that set out to climb Mt. McKinley in May 1992. Unfortunately, the expedition coincided with the worst recorded storm ever to hit the Alaskan peak: winds up to 120 miles an hour and temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The storm hit when the climbers were at 14,000 feet and trapped them in their improvised camp for seven days. On day 17, they reached 16,500 feet, only to be greeted by another, though less violent, storm; on day 21 they reached the summit, stayed for 20 minutes and began a hasty descent because of the predictions of another major storm. Although their party made it, the death toll for that month on the mountain was 11. With the aid of Hodgson, an editor of Outdoor Retailer Magazine, Kocour tells of what mountain climbing means to her, ably conveying her passion for the challenge. Climbers will share her feelings; others will agree that ""there isn't anything that makes sense about mountaineering."" Photos not seen by PW. BOMC selection. (Jan.)