Rating: 
Summary: not pure adventure; good for insights
Review: Just out of interest, I read the state department warnings about trekking in Nepal. The gentle Nepalese that Lene describes must reside somewhere else. I was glad that Ms. Gammelgaard talked about the mental side of climbing. Other books are available for the pure adventure stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is not worth your money. Don't Buy.
Review: This book, like a lot of this summer's "blockbuster" movies, enjoyed a major build-up. It did not live up to its hype. It was full of ego and ultimately left me wondering why I bothered to finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: compelling, riveting and inspiring
Review: In 1980, I successfully climbed Mt. Rainier, reaching the "true" summit. It took several attempts because of weather. It was hard work. But after reading Lene's book, I came to realize how strenuous and physically challenging it is to climb Everest. I was not aware of all the work and risks that are taken just to prepare for the final assault. Lene proved herself, showing incredible strength, fortitude and emotion. There must have been such a terrible sense of despair and fear knowing that death was probably inevitable and no help available.Lene gives the reader another perspective of this awesome event, using her professional knowledge as a clinician and writer. I would recommend everyone who has followed this climbing event, either from past magazine articles and stories, or from the several books written about this Everest climb, to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring and shallow!
Review: There's not much to this shallow account of the '96 Everest tragedy. The book features double spacing between paragraphs -- apparently to make it long enough to be considered a book. If you like reprints of the 3-page itinerary that Scott Fisher sent to the author, this book is for you! If you want great writing on these events, read Into Thin Air, which is far superior. The author does very little to add new insight into the tragedy, and in fact the moments that should have been gripping -- when her group was lost on the mountain -- amount to little more than "we yelled at each other for hours to stay awake so we could live through the storm." This would have made a decent magazine article, but it doesn't amount to a good book.
Rating:
Summary: not a lot here...
Review: i agree with the comments above that this is a self-indulgent, really very marginal book. possibly the translation is not quite what it should be, but gammelgard writes as if she's part of an elite [and she certainly writes as if she considers herself elite] "team" on everest, gunning to run up the peak without oxygen, trying to keep up with legends of climbing like pete shoening and the deceased scott fischer, who was at the time one of the strongest american climbers climbing in the himalaya. gammelgard was a _client_. she was on a guided expedition. i found the arrogant tone of the book fairly sickening. for a much more in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes workings of fischer's expedition, "the climb," by boukreev and dewalt, though poorly written, is a much better account, and comes across far more honest and humble. and that from a man who had climbed **numerous** 8000-meter peaks, all without oxygen, as a climber, not a client. krakauer's book is still the best and probably final word on everest in '96, and he has some interesting things to say about gammelgard as well... a client climbing everest without oxygen... give me a break.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent perspective from a member of Scott Fischers' team
Review: A refreshing account of the 96 Mountain Madness Everest expedition from a women who must command respect from the mountaineering world. This book is an inspiration to those who follow their dreams, and go beyond just setting goals in life, regardless of what that may be. A MUST read for anyone who's read Into Thin Air, The Climb, or The Other Side of Everest. I'd recommend catching one of her bookstore appearances as well!
Rating:
Summary: A powerful,moving narrative in female adventure sports.
Review: Lene Gammelgaard delves deep in to the psyche of all adventure sport lovers who are unfazed by the daunting challenges that confront them.One is reminded of the lonely Irishman who foresees his death and says "I balanced all, brought all to mind, the years to come seem wasted breath, A waste of breath the years behind, in balance with this life,this death. Only a lonely impulse of delight drew me in to those tumultuous clouds".But in stark contrast, our heroine confronts death with an earthly purpose and instinct for self preservation as well as for the glory of adventure sport.Must surely rank among the best in recent publications of the same ilk.
Rating:
Summary: The Ratings for "Climbing High" Will be Climbing High
Review: By far the most three dimensional and emotional of the few Everest books that I read recounting the 1996 tragedy. Lene doesn't hod back with her emotions in describing her climb, and so gives us a most colorful rendition of what happened. I agree the responsibilities of a wife and kids far outweigh any summit bid, no mater how easy or hard it turns out. Too many risks. Bravado can come at an enormous cost to those on the mountain and thousands of miles away. Lene is more grounded in reality, based on her Tai Chi philosophy. By her calculated risks, she has earned "the most sensible climber on 1996". Too bad the media hype doesn't reward sensibility rather than sensationalism. I believe Lene and tthe others have been hoding back, giving us short 200 page synopses of their ordeals. Can they be pining for sequels? If so, I'll be in front of the line for her new book.
Rating:
Summary: Self-indulgent drivel
Review: I purchased this book looking for a new perspective on the tragic Everest climb of May 1996. I was sorely disappointed. Perhaps in Denmark people were interested in how she, a female Dane, attempted and summitted Mt. Everest. However, the novelty, for any climber and for most everyone else, of a woman climbing Everest on a guided expedition is nonexistent. After hundreds of ascents of Everest, it approaches absurdity to have the author repeatedly mention that she will be the first Danish woman to summit.Those who like to read self-help books may enjoy her spin on the "inner game" of preparing for Everest, but I didn't.
Rating:
Summary: SAME STORY, DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, VERY DIFFERENT
Review: CLIMBING HIGH relates many of the same incidents presented in THE CLIMB by Anatoli Boukreev (and supports many of its conclusions), but tells the story of the Everest tragedy from the perspective of a client. Gammelgaard, a hard-driving sportswoman (and lawyer and therapist), speaks with a candidness and honesty that punches a lot of holes in the mystique and mystery of male dominated high-altitude climbing. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in Mount Everest, the tragic incidents of 1996, and the challenges of life. Gammelgaard's point that we are responsible for our destiny is repeated throughout, and I am grateful for her reminding us that anything is possible, but that everything has its price. Thank you Lene Gammelgaard.
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