Women on High: Pioneers of Mountaineering

Book review by Kerry McHugh-Ringiewicz

Stories of sweeping landscapes, tragic hardships, and epic treks to the most remote regions of the world--these are the tales that define the genre of mountaineering and adventure literature. These are the tales that always interest me as an avid hiker and climber. What escaped my notice for the longest time though was the fact that most of the books that were popular and readily available on the subject were all written by men and about all male expeditions. This realization hit me when I stumbled upon the book, Women on High: Pioneers of Mountaineering, in Quechee, Vermont after a two week long backpacking trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
 
The discovery of this book seemed very timely, so I took it home and was incredibly glad I did. Written by Rebecca Brown and published through the Appalachian Mountain Club, Women on High follows women’s active involvement in the mountains from the first woman to ever summit Mont Blanc in the Alps to the “Trampers” of New Hampshire who popularized hiking as a hobby in America. This compilation of courageous and inspiring stories about the pioneering women in our sport revealed a whole history of amazing women who were completely new to me. The stories of these women proved integral to discovering an appreciation of the trails blazed for me both literally and figuratively in our outdoor spaces. Brown details the social stumbling blocks these climbers had to overcome to be taken seriously or even allowed to climb the high mountains. The expeditions are brought to life in colorful detail with the accounts of the treks themselves and the very specific gear and food lists that were needed. In stark contrast to the spandex and down puffy jackets of today, these early climbers summited mountains in long, heavy woolen skirts, and many layers of flannel that would freeze stiff and impede their movement, making their successes in climbing even that much more impressive.  Brown uses all of these details to paint an engaging portrait of what it took to be an early mountaineer (man or woman).
 
Unexpectedly, Brown’s multitude of impressive climbers provided me with inspirational role models that I didn't know I was lacking. One of these formidable climbers who left a significant impression on me was Mrs. Fanny Bullock Workman. Aside from discovering that Bullock Workman shares the hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts with my father’s family and instantly liking her based on this alone, Fanny’s alpine career bolsters its own reputation. Bullock Workman held the record for the highest altitude ever summited by a woman with her 1906 summit of Pinnacle Peak, standing at 22,735 feet, and had many first ascents in the Himalayas for either men or women. Additionally, Fanny was a naturalist, scientist, and an active supporter and participant in the women’s suffrage movement and contributed heavily in all of these fields. Fanny’s spirit and drive was unabashed in the pursuit of her alpine career in the all-male club that was alpine climbing at the time. There is a famous photo of Fanny that encompasses all this, high on a mountain in 1912 at 21,000 feet atop the unexplored Siachen Glacier in the Himalayas reading a newspaper with the headline, “Votes for Women.”
 
Dora Keen as well, who was from our very own Philadelphia and a graduate of the local Bryn Mawr College, had an impressive alpine resume that brought her all over the world from the Alps to her venturing into the Alaskan wilderness for her own first ascent. Keen made history by achieving a first ascent in Alaska at a time when only Mount St. Elias of the great Alaskan peaks had been climbed. Mt. Blackburn was introduced and described to Keen as “never ascended” and “worthy of the hardiest mountaineer.” So Keen tried for two seasons and in a climb that took thirty-three days to achieve the summit, Dora Keen summited Mt. Blackburn on May 19th, 1912.
 
 I now have so much love and admiration for a myriad of women I would not have been exposed to otherwise. The history of women in mountaineering has been shrouded by a culture in which only men could be celebrated mountaineers--a culture in which a mountain was deemed not worthy of climbing anymore if a woman could do it. This sentiment can be seen echoed by one of Britain’s most famous alpinists, Albert F. Mummery, who, in response to climber Lily Bristow’s successful summit of the Grépon, said “that all mountains appear doomed to pass through the three stages: An inaccessible peak- The most difficult ascent in the Alps- An easy day for a lady.” Seeing people I can relate to in the mountaineering and outdoor realm deeply impacted me, much more than I could have imagined. Now, however, I see it as invaluable for all women in the outdoor community to understand what the climbers before us went through to establish a community in which women everywhere can enjoy the outdoors with equal opportunities with zeal and acceptance.