Elizabeth Hawley has been the unofficial chronicler of every detail of every expedition mounted from Nepal in the Himalaya for more than four decades - even though she has never been to Everest Base Camp, and is not a climber. It is her assessment that puts the significance of a climb in perspective. What would motivate this single American woman, the product of a Midwest upbringing, to travel solo in 1960 to one of the most remote and enigmatic places on the globe? How did she command the respect of climbers from around the world?
Although the intensely private Ms Hawley is an enigma even to those who know her well, in this book she reveals a complex personality, with a rich personal life. She is a great supporter of the Himalayan Trust foundation established by Sir Edmund Hillary. The Foundation builds schools, hospitals, bridges, waterworks, and airports in Solu Khumbu, the region of Mount Everest.
