Climbing Days

Climbing Days, by Dan Richards, is an exploration of the writing and climbing feats of his great great aunt and uncle Dorothy Pilley and IA Richards. The book borrows its title from Dorothy’s own 1935 memoir Climbing Days which chronicled the pair’s pioneering climbs during the 1920s - including the first ascent of the North Ridge of Dent Blanche.

While vaguely aware of his relations’ reputation - IAR was an influential 20th century literary figure - it wasn’t until Dan came across Pilley’s writing that he discovered the extent of their climbing achievements.

Rather than a conventional biography, the book is Dan’s attempt to understand the pair by retracing some of their steps. He travels to Wales, the Lake District, and learns to climb himself in order to make an ascent of the Dent Blanche.

This is a highly enjoyable book, full of fascinating detail, that has sent me off in search of the original. Read how reviewers greeted it back in 1935.

Manchester Guardian, 29 May 1935.

An advert for the book appeared in the Observer on 19 May 1935.

Observer, 19 May 1935.

Women climbers (part 2)

In response to the Women climbers posting, Russell Potter has added the following comment: "May I put in a word for Annie Smith Peck, a very daring woman mountain-climber of this era (and an alumna of the college where I teach) - see my page here for a brief outline of her remarkable career."

This sent me on the inevitable trawl through the Guardian/Observer archive. There wasn't much about Peck apart from following book review which appeared on February 19 1912. Perhaps the phrase "anxious acidity" could also be applied to the (anonymous) reviewer.

Women climbers

The Spring 2010 edition of Trail magazine includes an interesting feature on 200 years of female mountaineers. Starting with Marie Paradis climbing Mont Blanc in 1808, Lizzie le Blond's exploits to Tori James becoming the youngest British female to summit Everest. Central to the article is the role the Pinnacle Club, Britain's first women's rock-climbing club, which started in 1921, has played in encouraging female particpiants of the sport.

As mentioned in The Guardian Book of Mountains, Emily 'Pat' Kelly and Eleanor Winthrop Young announced the formation of the club on the letters page of the paper on April 2 1921. The paper also published a supportive leading article. The club was an instant success and is still going strong.

The charismatic Pat Kelly, died on the Tryfan, North Wales, the following year. However, her husband, the great Lakeland climber HM Kelly, recalled "It was remarkable to have the backing of a paper of such prestige, and it was gratifying to have sympathetic approval of male climbers". Eleanor Winthrop Young was the wife of the mountaineer, Geoffrey Winthrop Young.

Cho Oyu and women mountaineers

Browsing through the programme for the Kendal Mountain Festival 2009, I came across details for Cho Oyu, a film and lecture about the 1959 all female expedition to the world's sixth highest peak. Organised by French climber, Claude Kogan, and with a team that included members of the British Ladies Alpine Club, the Pinnacle Club, and three Nepali women, this was the first ever women's attempt on an 8000m Himalayan peak.

Unfortunately the expedition ended in tragedy with the loss of four climbers and Sherpa – probably due to storm and avalanche at or above Camp 4.

A Fatal Obsession tells the tale of this groundbreaking climb including the really useful fact the Kogan was also a beachwear designer. Written by Stephen Harper, a Daily Express journalist, who reported on the expedition, he had to travel one step behind the women and (male) Sherpas.

The following leading article, which is included in the Guardian Book of Mountains, appeared on November 18 1959. It's also available from the Guardian and Observer Digital Archive.

A steep climb ahead

David Cameron's message to the Tory troops that "there is a steep climb ahead" but that "the view from the summit will be worth it", provides plenty of material for the newspaper headline writers. The Guardian has Touching the void: Cameron asks voters to join his 'steep climb', complete with a picture of Dave doing his action man stuff in the Arctic. There's even commentary from Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to climb Everest.