MOUNTAINEERING INFORMATION ARTICLES

Women On Top Of The World

The world of athletics have always been dominated by the males, as it requires supreme strength and courage. But in the world of mountaineering, the opposite gender had also proven their place to be called women on top.

Many have tried and lost, but these women had demonstrated the expertise, skill and strength to successfully summit the world’s greatest mountains.

• Wanda Rutkiewicz is said to be the best female climber ever, being the third woman to climb Everest and the first woman to climb K2. Born in 1943 in Luthuania, Rutkiewicz studied Electrical Engineer but was more fascinated in the mountain treasures of the world. She died in 1992 in her attempt to summit the third highest mountain in the world, Kanchenjunga.

• Junko Tabei is the first woman to ever summit Everest in May 16, 1975. Tabei was part of the all-female expedition to Everest, and almost failed to summit the mountain when an avalanche hit their camp and buried her in snow. With the help of her Sherpa who dug her out of the avalanche, she reached the summit to claim the prestigious title. Founder of the Japan LCC, the Ladies Climbing Club, Tabei was also the first woman to climb the Seven Summits.

• Alison Hargreaves was an English mountain climber known to be the first female who reached Everest unassisted. Hargreaves, a mother of two, gained recognition as the first climber to solo in all the great north faces of the Alps in a single season. Her ambition to climb the three highest mountains in the world unaided came to a halt when she died on descent from the K2 summit.

• Ginette Harrison, professional British climber, is the first and lone woman to summit Kanchenjunga in 1998. Specializing in High Altitude Medicine, Harrison was a determined climber who vowed to climb all the seven summits, and completed the series in 1995. Harrison lost her life in 1999 due to an avalanche while attempting Dhauligiri, the seventh highest mountain.

The list of successful female mountaineers goes on and on, with more and more women gaining interest in this dangerous yet fulfiling sport. This increasing enthusiasm in women will definitely produce more great women who would like to get on top, and stay there.

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