In 1975, Junko Tabei climbed Everest, the first woman to reach its summit. 50 years on, join the Mount Everest Foundation to celebrate her ascent and discover the rarely told stories of extraordinary pioneering women in the Himalayas and beyond.
This celebratory event features speakers who embody the living history of women’s mountaineering today.
- Jo Bradshaw, herself an Everest summiteer, shares with us the societal and cultural barriers that the Japanese climber Junko Tabei determinedly overcame to be the first woman to stand on Everest’s summit.
- Physicist Dr Melanie Windridge explores the science behind climbing Everest and examines how the experience may differ for women compared to men.
- A small exploratory trio, Elizabeth Porter, Dr Caitlin McHale and Martha Gutteridge, take us on a rocky road to the remote Ak-Shyyrak mountain range in Kyrgystan in search of unclimbed peaks.
Hosted by the Mount Everest Foundation which is jointly administered by the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club and supports exploratory scientific and mountaineering expeditions worldwide.
Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025
To celebrate International Women’s Day, 8 March, we have unlocked 15 more of our Monday night lectures from the past year featuring inspirational women.
From ocean and volcanic processes to histories of flowers and Arabic poetic traditions, these lectures showcase the diverse expertise of women in the geographical sphere.
Normally only available to members, everyone can watch these talks for free until the end of March.
- Lecture
Mulu: a remarkable rainforest mountain in Sarawak
Dr Paul Chai was the senior forest botanist on the survey of the Gunung Mulu National Park by the Society and the Sarawak Forestry Department (1977-1978). Now, his son Alvin will join us and highlight past and future research opportunities for those visiting this legendary UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)Open to allMonday 28 April 2025 - Lecture
Pristine seas: the last wild places in the ocean
Ocean life is at risk because of overfishing and global warming, but there are still a few remote places that have been saved from human destruction. Enric Sala will bring stories from National Geographic Pristine Seas expeditions and share lessons learned about how to bring the ocean back to life.
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)Open to allMonday 12 May 2025 - Lecture
Seneca and Franklin were right - Sir Kenneth Olisa
The lecture will explore the work of the National Preparedness Commission (NPC) and its different perspectives. As an independent and apolitical body, the NPC mission is to champion comprehensive, system-wide policies and actions that enable the UK to better avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from major crises.
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)Open to allMonday 19 May 2025