She'd studied Tibetan, was a Buddist, and had a semi local travelling companion, but she had to think on her feet and do some personally distasteful things in order to throw off suspicion. She was always sturggling to avoid her disguise being penetrated, as well as to just survive in harsh conditions. Her running river crossings on what were basically zip lines were terrifying to read about, as were her encounters with bandits. The mountains, frozen rivers, passes, and desert conditions were harsh but gorgeous. I read it on the flight home, and it really felt true to my experiences. I couldn't resist reading about a white woman's efforts to walk to the forbidden city of Lhasa in the 1920's. I bought this book at a small book store on the main street in Leh, Ladakh, India after completing a wintertime camping trip in the foothills of the Himalayas.
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