Women at altitude

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.

View the lectures here