This week I wanted to follow up on some of our earlier discussion about gender in the mountains. While this article is not focused on the Himalaya, I feel that the same dialogue exists there. Andrew Bisharat (of Rock and Ice fame) provides an easily digested and interesting investigation of this highly charged subject, even for anyone with a basic understanding of difficult rock climbing. Many of his points, especially those concerning labeling and modern feminism in the outdoors, translate directly to the climbing and adventuring scene. Additionally, I thought Bisharat and some of the commenters raised a great point about the gender composition of the first-ascent-establishment community.

Here’s the article, and I’d encourage anyone to check out some of the comments as well, which represent the myriad opinions that exist on this subject.

http://eveningsends.com/the-curse-of-the-first-female-ascent/