In the late 1800s, when women were bound by cumbersome clothing and strict Victorian morals, a small band of astonishing women explorers burst forth to claim the adventurous life. What drew the five profiled here was Tibet-then, the ultimate in exploration. Nina Mazuchelli organized a small expedition, urging the party on when they were lost on a glacier. Isabella Bird Bishop, sickly while at home, was always robust on her far-flung, international adventures. Alexandra David-Neel, at 56, trekked for eight months through tropical lowlands and snow-covered passes with only a backpack and a begging bowl. The remarkable accomplishments of these women along with the stories of Fanny Bullock Workman and Annie Taylor inspire us today with their pioneering spirit.

 

'It was her long-standing interest in women writers - she held a Master's Degree in Women's Studies from George Washington University - that led her during her lengthy sojourn in London to research pioneering female explorers, eventually publishing On Top of the World: Five Women Explorers in Tibet, which brought back to memory the petticoated mountaineering exploits of Nina Mazuchelli, Annie Taylor, Isabella Bird Bishop, the American Fanny Bullock Workman and the French-born Alexandra David-Neel.'