Edge of the Map: The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff

by Johanna Garton

Overview

Edge of the Map is equal parts inspiring, dramatic, and heartbreaking. One of America’s greatest high altitude mountaineers, Christine Boskoff was at the top of her career when she and her partner died in an avalanche in 2006. Charismatic, principled, and humble, Boskoff was also a deeply loved role model to her climbing partners and the Sherpa community.

Edge of the Map traces the sharp twists and turns in Boskoff’s life, from her early years as a Lockheed engineer, through her first successes in the climbing world, to her purchase of Seattle-based Mountain Madness after owner and climber Scott Fischer died in the 1996 Everest disaster. Her life was one of constant achievement mixed with personal tragedy. The story follows Boskoff as she perseveres and moves on to even bigger peaks, earning acclaim as a world-class mountaineer, then later as she finds an alpine partnership with legendary Colorado climber Charlie Fowler.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680512892
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	04/01/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Johanna Garton interviewed more than 75 friends and family of Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler, including notable climbers such as Peter Habeler, Nazir Sabir, Willie Benegas, Phil Powers, Mark Gunlogson (current owner of Mountain Madness), Hector Ponce de Leon, Steve Swenson, and Conrad Anker. Garton also spent several weeks conducting research and interviews near the site of Boskoff’s death in China. Garton is a journalist, attorney, and non-profit consultant who lives in Denver. Visit her online at JohannaGarton.com and on Instagram @johannagartonbooks and Facebook @johannagarton. Garton welcomes meeting with book clubs and can be reached at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

8000-Meter Specialist Bruce Barcott 11

Chapter 1 Missing 13

Chapter 2 Midwest Girl 22

Chapter 3 A Natural 28

Chapter 4 An Industry Booms 39

Chapter 5 Broad Peak 46

Chapter 6 Turning Points 56

Chapter 7 Embracing Madness 67

Chapter 8 Loss and Resilience 77

Chapter 9 Everest 86

Chapter 10 Charlie 94

Chapter 11 Passion 102

Chapter 12 Shishapangma 112

Chapter 13 The Call of K2 121

Chapter 14 Norwood 134

Chapter 15 Cho Oyu 143

Chapter 16 Off the Grid 155

Chapter 17 Genyen 161

Chapter 18 Questions 173

Chapter 19 Searching 183

Chapter 20 Answers 197

Chapter 21 Big Love 211

Chapter 22 Legacies 220

Author's Note 225

Editorial Reviews

Powerful and moving, Edge of the Map is a story of human endurance taken to its limits, seen in Christine Boskoff’s egoless striving to master herself and the mountain. Ultimately, it’s a tale of great love given freely.

Kristine Morris

Edge of the Map is inspiring, dramatic, and heartbreaking all in one.

King 5 Evening - Jose Cedeno

Christine Boskoff was a rarity in her time—a woman leading otherwise all-male expeditions. This intensely researched biography chronicles her climbing career, relationships, and ultimate disappearance that gripped the world.

She Explores

Definitely a page-turner

Adventure Sports Podcast

Christine Boskoff made her mark in mountaineering history with a long list of extraordinary accomplishments. Johanna Garton has written a well-researched and fascinating tribute that is both riveting and heartrending.

Jenni Lowe-Anker

Garton excels at creating and maintaining interest and tension even when the reader knows the tragic ending. From the unlikely climber's childhood to the trek to bring Boskoff home, Garton captivates readers with an engaging narrative style that gives them a taste of the summit.

Shelf Awareness - Lauren O'Brien

An intimate look at the friendships and adventures enjoyed by those in the close-knit mountaineering community…. Garton’s research (explained in a surprising afterword) is impressive and should broaden the book’s appeal far beyond those familiar with its subject.

Booklist - Colleen Mondor

Garton captures the experiences of a generation-defining woman climber who paved the way for increased equity in outdoor recreation.

303 Magazine - Ellie Sullum

An uplifting, riveting adventure story which is perfect for just this moment in time as an escape we all need and makes a perfect holiday gift.

Channel 2 News

The Next Must-Read

REI Uncommon Path

Equal parts climbing history, love story, and riveting mystery.

Vanessa O'Brien

Gripping and powerfully written, Johanna Garton’s Edge of the Map is a fitting tribute to Christine and Charlie—and a time when American mountaineering loomed large on the world stage.

Luis Benitez

Garton weaves a compelling narrative and paints vivid pictures of Boskoff's devotion to a life well lived. Edge of the Map is a noteworthy addition to the canon of mountaineering literature.

AdventuresNW

03/01/2020

Journalist Garton presents a vivid, intriguing story of Christine Boskoff (1967–2006) through firsthand interviews with the climber's friends and family. Boskoff's story begins with her childhood in Appleton Wisconsin, and continues through her college years and later interest in adventure. Garton explains how Boskoff left a job at Lockheed Martin, engineering flight simulators, to go on expeditions with partner and fellow climber Keith Boskoff. The author describes the impact of Keith's suicide, as well as her subject's subsequent relationship with climbing partner Charlie Fowler. Throughout her career, Boskoff summitted various peaks, including Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Gasherbrum II, Lhotse, Shishapangma, and Broad Peak. The book specifically focuses on Boskoff and Fowler's disappearance in 2006, during a climb in the Sichuan province of China. Their bodies were found months later; their deaths are believed to have been caused by an avalanche. VERDICT An absorbing, unputdownable book about an intrepid climber and pioneer in high-altitude mountaineering. By including accounts from those who accompanied Boskoff on various climbing expeditions, this work serves as a wonderful tribute to her life and enduring legacy.—Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens Village, NY

Library Journal