There's a Seattle urban legend about something rare and unusual in the snow at 14,000 feet -- not a Sasquatch but a booted, nude woman atop Mt. Rainier. This is the story behind the legend.

Paula Engborg is an energetic, 41-year-old divorced mom in search of Prince Charming when one day she finds a new sport: The Climb. Paula has barely ascended a stepladder, so why the desire to climb mountains?

Unlike other books about climbing, A WAY UP isn't about the highest mountains, famous climbers, or exotic locations. Instead, it's the experiences of the feisty author, who, in middle age, finds a new rush.

Here, the mountains in the Pacific NW and rock walls in the Southwest come alive. You'll feel the bitter cold, the rigours of training, and share Paula's dream of making it to the top. Along the way this self-proclaimed "climb-aholic" defies the odds to become a member of Mountain Rescue, makes and breaks friends, and meets Clint, a man with a penchant for motorcycle rallies who she falls in love with.

Paula's story is a literal tale of hard knocks, told with warmth and unflinching detail.