High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Arlene Blum (born March 1, 1945) is an American mountaineer, writer, and environmental health scientist. She is best known for leading an all-woman ascent of Annapurna (I), a climb that was also the first successful American ascent. She was also a deputy leader of the first all-woman ascent of Mount McKinley and the first American woman to attempt to ascend Mount Everest.