Much of the rest of it hasn’t changed. The terrain is
the same, as is the weather and the likelihood of an
ice fall or other challenge. Queues on the mountain
are a huge problem. There is one ridge and one rope
and if you have a bottleneck there, there is a danger of
freezing and hypothermia, as well as getting tangled
with other people.
I’m definitely aiming for the summit, but I’m not
stupid – the mountain will always be there. You have
to give it your best shot and keep a balanced mindset.
Again, it’s similar to the entrepreneurship journey.
Everyone starts with high expectations – you wouldn’t
start, otherwise. On the mountain, you have no control
over the weather; the equivalent of market forces. But
you do learn to have strength for the final push and to
go a little further and higher, to achieve a personal best,
even if that’s not the top.
Having the real experience gives you integrity. People
look at me and say, “She’s not a mountaineer.” They
have cognitive dissonance. I’m feminine, and I don’t
want to have to be like a guy to achieve something.
That’s not necessary. ‘Feminine’ is not soft and weak
where mountaineering is hard and strong. Excellence
speaks for itself.Text | Bruce Dennill Photography | SuppliedThere is a developing
pool of capable female
mountaineers, but
we’ve never had a full
team before. It speaks
of the advances in
high-altitude climbing
since we started
that we now have an
experienced team of
female climbers.51