Mountaineers
FYI - the sport of mountaineering has no governing body. Mountaineering lacks widely applied formal rules, regulations, and governance; mountaineers adhere to a large variety of techniques and philosophies when climbing mountains. A federation of alpine clubs, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), is the International Olympic Committee-recognized world organization for mountaineering and climbing. The premier award in mountaineering is the Piolet d'Or.
Specific Challenges
Climbing all 14 8,000 metre peaks
- New information was released re the 14 8,000 metre summits - worth reading to get a different perspective - Jurgalski Drops Bomb On Mountaineering History, But…
First Woman - Edurne Pasaban (Spanish) 2010 website - https://www.edurnepasaban.com (Spanish)
First Women without the use of supplementary oxygen. Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (Austrian) August 2011
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner 14 8000m peaks
2011 K2 8611m
2010 Mount Everest (8848m) – Tibet
2009 Lhotse – Nepal (8516m)
2008 Dhaulagiri I – Nepal (8167m)
2007 Broad Peak - Pakistan (8047m)
2006 Kangchendzönga - Nepal (8595m), SW Face)
2005 Gasherbrum II - Pakistan (8035 m, SW-Ridge)
2005 Shisha Pangma - Tibet (8013m, South Face)
2004 Gasherbrum I – Pakistan (8068 m, Japanercouloir)
2004 Annapurna I - Nepal (8091m)
2003 Nanga Parbat – Pakistan (8125m, Diamir face)
2002 Manaslu - Nepal (8163m)
2001 Makalu – Nepal (8463m)
2000 Sisha Panama - Tibet (Central summt, 8008m)
1998 Cho Oyu - Nepal/Tibet (8201m)
Youngest women going for the record - Adriana BrownLee (UK) - plans to finish by the end of 2023 - when she is 23 years old
Fastest women/fastest person - going for the record now 2022 - Kristin Harila - Norwegian. Climber, skier, runner
Guiding in Northern Norway 🇳🇴 World rec 🏔 Mt Everest + Mt Lhotse 8.5 hrs. Doing 14 8K peaks in 2022 #bremont14peaks
Follow on Instagram @kristin.harila
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The High Double - Everest & Lhotse back to back - first woman to have climbed both Everest and neighbouring 27,940-foot Lhotse in 24 hours Hilaree Nelson (2012)
First British women - Rebecca Ferry (2022)
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K2 - 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) 2nd Highest mountain on earth.
First women to climb K2 - Wanda Rutkiewicz - (Polish) 23 June 1986
First women to climb K2 with out the use of supplemental oxygen - Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (Austrian) 23 Aug 2011
First Nepali Women to climb K2 - Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, Maya Sherpa, and Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, 2014
First American & British women to climb K2 - Vanessa O'Brien - July 28th 2017
First German woman - Anja Blacha - climbed without the use of supplemental oxygen - On 25 July 2019,
Eldest woman to summit K2 - Vanessa O’Brien. 52 years old
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Europe Based Challenges
“The Crown of Europe Challenge” - consists of the highest peaks of each European country; totalling 50 countries but 48 peaks. This difference is because both France and Italy share the summit of Mont Blanc, while Albania and Macedonia share the peak of Mount Korab.
49 peaks in 1 year - Emma Svensson is climbing the highest mountain in every country in Europe in 2017 - she ended up climbing 61 mountains. - Maybe first woman to complete this challenge?
Currently doing the challenge Marta Misztal (Polish) no time limit - http://www.tolivetotravel.com/the-crown-of-europe/
82 peaks - Climbing all 4000 meter mountains in The Alps - Emma Svensson - Started March 2022 - no time limit Linktree info - https://linktr.ee/emmasvenssonphoto
A solo climb of 13 peaks over 3,000m in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain - Emily Woodhouse - Solo and unsupported, set a record for the most 3,000m peaks climbed in a week – a self-designed 150km route with 11,500m of ascent.
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UK Based Challenges
3 Peaks Challenge, in 24 hours - Climbing the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – in less than 24 hours, including all driving.
It’s an incredibly popular challenge, but some say it’s boring with too much driving and hiking in the dark – and it can be a big contributor to local environmental problems.
For info on how to complete the challenge responsibly, and to register your challenge, visit threepeakspartnership.co.uk.
Each year, around 30,000 people attempt the challenge.
Database for records - https://www.threepeakschallenge.net/three-peaks-challenge-records/
National Three Peaks Challenge Cycle Solo (Female, without drafting) - Nina Barker — 2018 54 hours 22 minutes
National Three Peaks Challenge Cycle Solo (Female, drafting)- Samantha Stuart (Team SaveaLife) — 2019 63 hours 7 minutes
National Three Peaks Challenge Run (Female) - Tina Page — 2017 - 19 days 18 hours 35 minutes
Walking National Three Peaks Challenge - Ann Sayer MBE — 1979 - 7 days 31 minutes
National Three Peaks Challenge Relay Run (Female team) - No current holder
Yorkshire, 3 Peaks Challenge* - involves climbing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough – Yorkshire’s three highest mountains – in under 12 hours. The route is about 39km (25 miles) with just over 1,500m of ascent.
History of the challenge - https://www.threepeaksrace.org/history
Today the race starts and finishes on the playing field in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, near Settle – its home since 1975. The race is usually run on the last Saturday in April. More than 800 runners will set off to complete a punishing 37.4k (23.3 miles) with 1,609 metres (5,279ft) of ascent and descent.
Ladies competed for the first time in 1979 with Jean Lochhead, of Airedale and Spen Valley, winning in 3hrs 43mins 12secs.
Today the Three Peaks has the inov-8 all-terrain specialist equipment company as its main sponsor.
Fastest Women - Victoria Wilkinson - 3 hours 9 min 19 sec (2017) - She also won in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
*not sure if I should include this here... as it's more running!
Welsh 3000ers - bagging the 15 mountains in North Wales over 3,000ft in height. Visiting the Snowdon Massif, Glyderau and Carneddau, the route is about 50km (31 miles) in total with almost 4,000m of ascent.
The Welsh 3000s Challenge involves standing on top of all the 3000 ft peaks within 24 hours, using no transport. The 14 Peak Traverse - http://www.14peaks.com/index2.php?id=5 - In 1989 Angela Carson, set a new women’s record of 5 hours 28 minutes which still stands today.
In 1988 another peak was added taking the total to 15 mountain in Wales over, 3,000ft - it became the Welsh 3000ers - the route is about 50km (31 miles) in total with almost 4,000m of ascent. The extra peak only adds an extra 5 mins - so doesn’t really impact the records
Climbing all 257 English ‘Nuttalls’ – peaks over 2,000ft – over five years - Bryony Carter
282 Scottish Munros
- The fastest women - Libby Kerr and Lisa Trollope. 77 days in 2017
- The most rounds of Munros - Hazel Strachan - finished a 10th circuit. (She completed Munro rounds in 2005, '08, '10, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, ‘17 & ‘18)
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USA Based Challenges
Lucy Westlake became the youngest girl to summit all of the highest points of the contiguous United States when she was age 12 in 2016.
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Resources
UK - The British Mountaineering Council - https://www.thebmc.co.uk
Qualifications - Mountain Training - https://www.mountain-training.org/qualifications
Camping Leader, Lowland Leader, Hill and Moorland Leader, Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, International Mountain Leader
Facebook Groups
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Women of Mountaineering - https://www.facebook.com/groups/282106230188273
