Breaking Trail: Mountains, Molecules, and Motherhood with Arlene Blum, Scientist and Mountaineer

In her rich and varied career, Arlene Blum has broken a number of seemingly unrelated trails. She led the first all-woman ascent of Denali, the highest mountain in North America; the first American ascent of Annapurna I, the world’s tenth highest and possibly most dangerous peak; and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. In her scientific work, Ms. Blum is currently breaking trails in the chemical industry to define a better policy for fire retardants and related chemicals.