XX Factor: A Womans Place is on Top
b'Back when men still believed the \\u201cweaker sex\\u201d were inferior climbers, Arlene Blum led a women\\u2019s ascent of Annapurna, the world\\u2019s tenth-highest peak. The 1978 climb put the first women\\u2014and first Americans, period\\u2014on the summit, but the death of two climbers sparked a controversy. Outside contributing editor Florence Williams talks with Blum and Alpinist editor in chief Katie Ives about why the expedition continues to inspire climbers and stir debate.'