It’s rare that you get to read about women successfully scaling the peaks of the Himalayas. Less than a year ago, a group of 10 Nepali women climbed to the top of Mount Everest to celebrate the achievements of women all over the world, all while battling avalanches, low oxygen levels, sub-zero temperatures and herds of Yetis. (Okay, I made that last part up. I don’t think Yetis travel in herds.)
This week, the Everest Women of Nepal have announced that they will be traveling around the world to speak at schools about their treacherous expedition in order “to teach and inspire children, with topics of gender equality, women’s empowerment and global warming among the top priorities.”
Take that, Bear Grylls!
It’s truly inspiring to hear their story and their focus on female empowerment. I’ve always viewed feats like mountain-climbing to be limited to the non-Asian communities due to all the publicity and legends around celebrities like Edmund Hillary or Jon Krakauer (despite the fact that they were always guided by some sherpa–how come they never got any recognition? They climbed the mountains, too!). But am I surprised that the first female-only group to climb the Himalayas was made up of Nepalis? Or that the very first woman to reach the top of Mount Everest was Japanese?
Definitely not, and it only gives me further proof that Asian women kick SERIOUS ASS.
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6 Comments to “The Everest Women of Nepal”
Jason wrote:
It was pretty big news when 3 Filipinas climbed Everest in 2007.
Why don’t sherpas get recognition? Funny, I think Tenzing Norgay is as famous as Edmund Hillary.
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 2:56 pm | Permalink
Ernie wrote:
@Jason: Haha. Nowadays it’s like Sherpas are like the tour guides of Everest. It’s as if they walk up every second Tuesday of the month, weather permitting.
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 3:00 pm | Permalink
Jim wrote:
Edmund Hillary guided Tenzing Norgay as much as the other way around, as neither had been up there before. Both of them relied on two white boys who trailblazed and cached oxygen earlier on. Isn’t Tenzing Norgay as famous as Hillary these days? In Norgay’s home territory, he’s more famous, right?
The whole point of sending a journalist like Krakauer to Everest was to be guided. He could make it on his own, weather permitting, but what would be the point in that. An Asian female froze to death on that trip due to her guides’ incompetence, intra-Sherpa conflict and her relatively small body mass when she and others huddled outside at a relatively low altitude.
Is Bear Grylls on the record as opposing female mountain climbing or something?
Those women were all guided by a team of male sherpa. The expedition was designed to promote Tibetan tourism.
Aside from that…
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 4:54 pm | Permalink
Moye wrote:
As someone who doesn’t follow mountain climbing very closely, I’ll say that I’ve read more about Hillary than Norgay so I personally think his accomplishment is known more than the other. But I could be totally wrong.
I only mentioned Bear Grylls because of his fake survival guide show where he lists climbing Mount Everest as one of his accomplishments.
And I was impressed with the diversity of the group, which consisted of a journalist, former model and a washerwoman so I think their message of showing that hard work for any woman, regardless of her background and occupation, can lead to success is uplifting.
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 5:00 pm | Permalink
Jim wrote:
Fair enough.
Bear is quite the self-promoter. His show is quite hokey, of course. He actually did climb Everest at a relatively young age.
Point taken…
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 8:23 pm | Permalink
Tracy wrote:
From what I can tell, I think David Breashears has worked closely with and paid tribute/homage to many of the Sherpa staff and partners in his film making.
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 8:57 pm | Permalink
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