This is not classic writing by any standard. This book is only on the Extreme Classics list because it's about women.

This wasn't the first ascent of this mountain, and they didn't pioneer a new route. In my opinion, the first ascent of a mountain can perhaps be justified on the basis of exploration. The risks are high, and once a mountain has been climbed, the reward is only personal. If you wish to risk your life to climb a mountain that has already been climbed, go for it. But it doesn't make you a hero if you succeed, nor are you eligible for pity if you fail. If other people are depending on you and you die, you're just being selfish.

Two of the women on this climb died, making the whole adventure a farce.

And the two who did make it to the top only did so with the assistance of two men, so it didn't prove anything.