History of Female Climbers

The 1870s saw a considerable increase in Female climbers. The pioneers were the British Lucy Walker, who completed the first female ascent of the Matterhorn in 1871, and the American Meta Brevoort, who completed the first winter climb of the Jungfrau (4,158 m) in 1874. Both created new possibilities and inspired countless others women to follow in their footsteps.

Mount Aconcagua (6,959 m), the highest peak in the Andes, was first climbed in 1897 by Swiss Matthias Zurbriggen. The Italian duke d’Abruzzi in 1897 made the first ascent of Mount St. Elias (5,489 m), which is in front of the international border of the state of Alaska and the territory of Yukon, Canada. The Grand Teton (4,197 meters) was climbed in 1898. American Hudson Stuck climbed Denali (6,190 meters) in 1913.

As its popularity increased, the sport of mountaineering gradually became less elitist. In 1907, Britain founded the Ladies’ Alpine Club in response to the Alpine Club of Britain’s refusal to allow women. The two clubs were merged much later, in 1975. The challenge for those who wanted to become the first to do something was starting to get more difficult. The final bastion, Mount Everest ( 8,848 m ) and the other Himalayan mountains (all over 7,000 and 8,000 meters) were the new frontier for the sport.