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.
- Monday Night Lecture
Lone wolf: walking the faultlines of Europe
In 2011, a wolf walked 1,000 miles from Slovenia to Italy, ultimately recolonising the Alps. A decade later, Adam Weymouth walked his path, exploring the wolf's resurgence in a divided Europe.
London and onlineMembers + one guestMonday 23 February 2026 - Monday Night Lecture
Wayfarer: an outsider's way into geography and place
Join adventurer, multi-award-winning travel writer and 2025 Ness Award recipient, Phoebe Smith, for a lecture exploring how nature and place can offer a pathway to salvation.
London and onlineMembers + one guestMonday 2 March 2026 - Monday Night Lecture
Putting the news on the map
Leading journalists and media watchers will place the stories of the week within the wider geographical landscape, making connections across environmental, political and social forces.
London and onlineMembers + one guestMonday 9 March 2026