This is a subject that’s quite close to my heart so I had a really interesting time researching and talking to women who are performing at a very high level in mountaineering. Last year I attended the Piolet’ d’Or in Chamonix, where some of the most outstanding achievements in Alpinism over the last year are celebrated. It was a very masculine affair and I questioned why- in sports such as bouldering and sport climbing-  women are performing on a par, or even out-climbing the boys, but in this arena…. well, the room probably didn’t look very different from when the awards where first introduced…. or a room during the golden age of Alpinism!

Now, I’m (not yet) a massively experienced mountaineer…. not from lack of desire, but from lack of people to climb with….and I don’t want to have to pay a guide to take me up the things I want to climb. I think I have enough technical ability to be able to sort myself out on the easier stuff. I feel pretty lucky that this year I’ve met a group of super psyched and super strong female skiers, who are up for touring, ski mountaineering and doing some really challenging stuff. Fingers crossed it will long continue into the summer with climbing!

Here’s my article on Women and Alpinism out now in Climber magazine.