Bravo to the 1st Lady Alpinists!

History of ladies climbing mountains

The 19th Century Golden Age of Alpinism (1854-1865) saw many First Ascents of peaks in the Alps, but it was dominated by male alpinists (mainly British) and their Swiss and French guides.

Rigid rules of Victorian society kept women socially repressed with limited rights. Mountain climbing was considered the most “manly” of sports and definitely out of bounds for women!

Climbing mountains was considered dangerous for their reproductive health and the clothing conventions of the time prohibited women from wearing garments suitable to active movement.

So the early women climbers' achievements are significant, even by today's standards, especially so when their clothing, equipment and the societal expectations of their time are considered ....

July 1808

Marie Paradis (1778 - 1839) became the first woman to to reach the top of Mont Blanc.

Paradis was a poor 18 year old maidservant living in Chamonix.

On 14 July 1808 mountain guide Jacques Balmat persuaded her to join his climbing party - in doing so, wearing a “heavy wool dress”, she became the first woman to climb Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain.

During the final ascent Paradis developed altitude sickness and had to be carried to the summit; she begged her companions to throw her into the nearest crevasse to end her misery.

However, on her return, Paradis made "quite a fortune" out of her achievement and afterwards was known as "Maria de Mont Blanc".

Marie Paradis later known as Marie de Mont-Blanc

1838

Henriette D'Angeville climbs Mont Blanc 'unaided'

A passionate Alpinist - wealthy 44 yr old French aristocrat who could afford to hire 6 porters, 6 guides, and a kit herself with a 14-pound outfit including multiple layers, a petticoat, knickerbockers and a feather boa.

She summited Mont Blanc and proclaimed herself the first woman to do so 'unaided' (Marie Paradis had to be carried ...)

She carried on climbing until she was in her late 60s.

Henriette D'Angeville in her climbing outfit

Sept 1867

Félicité Carrel attempts the Matterhorn

The point she reached is now known as the Col Félicité.

Edward Whymper, 1st person to ascend the Matterhorn in 1865, in his book "Scrambles amongst the Alps" lists the names all the men who had ascended the Matterhorn including the Carrels, but merely cites Felicité as "and a daughter of the last named."

Cartoon showing Félicité's skirt ballooning in the wind

(Col Felicité is 4th label from top) So,so near to the top !!

22 July 1871

Lucy Walker claims the title "First woman to climb the Matterhorn".

Lucy came from a wealthy Liverpool merchant family. She was a keen alpinist undertaking 98 expeditions, including 28 successful attempts on peaks over 4'000m (13'200ft).

She holds the title of 1st female ascent for 16 peaks, including Monte Rosa, the Strahlhorn and the Grand Combin.

To the astonishment of local villagers, she became 1st woman to climb the Eiger.

She also holds the title of 1st ascent (for either sex) of the Balmhorn (1864).

July 1871 at age of 35, she became 1st female to ascend Matterhorn, climbing with her father and local guides.

She is rumoured to have lived on sponge cake and asti spumante.

Lucy (back left) with her family and Swiss guides

Lucy (back row, 2nd from rt) with her father (front) and Swiss guides

Group of Alpinists outside the Monte Rosa Hotel - the only woman present is Lucy Walker, standing in the hotel entrance

Zermatt honoured Lucy Walker with a bronze plaque in the Bahnhofstrasse "Walk of Climb" on the 150th anniversary of her climbing the Matterhorn.

Sept 1871 2nd woman up Matterhorn

Margaret “Meta” Brevoort was from a family of Dutch immigrants who made a fortune in New York as property owners. She was the most prominent American female alpinist of her day – the great rival of Lucy Walker.

In the female race to conquer the Matterhorn, Walker rushed to Zermatt when she heard that Brevoort was on her way there.

Brevoort just missed her chance to win the ultimate trophy, but was not discouraged when Lucy Walker got there first. Like a true alpinist she waited for conditions on the mountain to be just right and, on 5th September she became the first woman to traverse the mountain climbing up from Zermatt and climbing down to Breuil (Cervinia) in Italy.

During the following two weeks, she also became the first woman to ascend the Weisshorn (4,506m/14'800ft)) and the Dent Blanche (4,357m/14'300ft).

She died at age 51 in 1876 from a heart infection and was said to have been planning an ascent of Everest at the time.

Meta Brevoort (seated) with her nephew and climbing partner (2nd from lft) and Swiss guides

Zermatt also honoured Meta Brevoort's climbing accomplishment

Imagine clambering in the Alps dressed like this ...?

Swiss info