Scrolling through social media, I came across climbing content featuring men more often than women. The same goes for stories about climbs and adventures. It’s not that women’s stories don’t exist, but they seem to lack visibility. This is one of the revelations of the podcast Learn From Altitude, co-produced by Mountain Path and Globule Radio in partnership with Simond, and presented by Stéphanie and Blaise Agresti. Through captivating stories, this program gives a voice to those who, for decades, have been transforming climbing and mountaineering through their audacity and determination.
This article aims to highlight some of these badass and inspiring women, whose achievements deserve to be celebrated, shared, and known. From pioneers like Lucy Walker, who climbed the Matterhorn in a skirt in 1871, to contemporary athletes who are breaking glass ceilings in competitions or opening new routes, their legacy is much more than a footnote in the history of climbing. It’s time to give them the recognition they deserve.
Modern rock climbing has its roots in the late 19th century, when it was simply a means for mountaineers to reach inaccessible peaks. Gradually, athletes began to see its potential for training and improving their physical performance. The first official competitions appeared in 1947, marking a turning point: climbing became a discipline in its own right, with its own techniques, safety standards, and categories (bouldering, route climbing, mountaineering).
As early as the 1930s, the first climbers were blazing the trails that would make rock climbing famous. Yet when we talk about the key figures in this history, women’s names are rarely mentioned. However, they played a part in enriching and developing this community, sometimes by opening up new routes, sometimes by breaking down social barriers. Brands and sponsors often favor male mountaineers and climbers, and stories about female athletes at the highest level remain rare. Women have to carve out a place for themselves in a predominantly male world.
The first, Lucy Walker, a British mountaineer born in Toronto, is one of the first women whose achievements are recorded in the early history of climbing. In the summer of 1871, she became the first woman to climb the Matterhorn. This pyramid-shaped mountain is the twelfth highest peak in the Alps, in the Mont Blanc massif. The climb is a demanding challenge in terms of both time (4 to 6 hours up, and the same down) and technique, due to the multiple climbing passages, exposed ridges, and snowy or icy slopes. She made the ascent in Victorian attire—a long skirt and corset. It is important to recognize the added difficulty posed by the bulkiness of her clothing.
This event took place only six years after Edward Whymper’s first ascent of the Matterhorn, marking a turning point in the history of mountaineering. His success was marred by tragedy during the descent, when four members of the rope team fell into a precipice due to a broken rope.
The 1980s were marked by advances in permanent anchoring technologies, opening up new possibilities for rope climbing. Climbers were able to explore new, previously inaccessible faces, such as smooth walls and the outside of cracks.
Several women made their mark during this period, becoming key players in the development of the sport.
First, Thérèse Dumesnil played a key role in promoting climbing in Val-David in the 1970s and 1980s to a wider and more female audience. She helped popularize the sport and encourage women to participate in it by serving as vice-president of the FQME in the 1970s and writing numerous articles, including “Salut les filles!”, in which she explicitly invited women to venture into the mountains and break gender stereotypes in outdoor sports.
In France, Catherine Destivelle dominated sport climbing in the 1980s. She was the first woman to win international climbing competitions. In 1988, she became the first woman to climb a route rated 5.13c (“Choucas,” Boux, France).
In the 1990s, Martine Lavallée made a name for herself in the climbing world by actively participating in the opening of new routes and the expansion and diversification of climbing in the Laurentians and Lanaudière regions, particularly in areas such as “La dame de cœur” and its sub-sector “Les Fées.”
Today, Quebec women shine in route climbing, competition climbing, and mountaineering. Here are a few inspiring figures whom I encourage you to follow and support for their commitment and athletic achievements. Annie Chouinard turned to climbing after a career in equestrian sports and has achieved exceptional performances, such as climbing “Come on” (5.14a) in Orford, becoming the seventh Canadian woman to climb at this level.
Corinne Baril is the first female route setter for a national competition in Canada. She made climbing history by breaking through the glass ceiling in a field traditionally dominated by men. Her expertise and leadership have led to the creation of innovative and accessible routes, inspiring a new generation of female climbers and route setters.
If you were a member of Zero Gravity last year, you may have heard of Nathalie Fortin, who gave a talk on mountaineering and women in this field. A mountaineer and climber herself, she founded the group “Des femmes et des lames” (Women and Blades), which introduces many women to ice climbing and dry tooling. She also campaigns for the recognition of gender-based violence in climbing gyms and for greater inclusion of women.
Geneviève de la Plante is a Quebec climber and co-founder of the Breaking Ice for Girls (B.I.G.) Initiative, a non-profit organization that promotes women’s climbing routes and increases women’s participation in climbing, particularly ice climbing and mountaineering. Alongside Léa Chin and other pioneers, Geneviève is working to make the sport more accessible and representative for women in Quebec.
These initiatives, “Des femmes et des lames” (Women and Blades) and “Initiative B.I.G.,” show how solidarity and mutual support are essential to encouraging diversity and inclusion in climbing. These projects provide supportive spaces where women can learn, challenge themselves, and inspire each other, while helping to make climbing more accessible and representative for all.
Thanks to the determination, efforts, and successes of women like Lucy Walker, Martine Lavallée, Nathalie Fortin, and many others, more and more women are getting involved in this sport and making their mark. This article is just a partial list of notable and inspiring figures. I encourage you to learn more about the journeys of these women who have shaped the world of climbing as we know it, and those who continue to fuel it today! A big congratulations to all of you!!!
Géraud, A. (s. d.). Marion Poitevin : « Les femmes alpinistes toujours invisibilisées ». Montagnes Magazine.
https://www.montagnes-magazine.com/actus-marion-poitevin-les-femmes-alpinistes-toujours-invisibilisees
Learn From Altitude. Coproduit par Mountain Path et Globule Radio, en partenariat avec Simond. Présenté par Stéphanie et Blaise Agresti. Plateforme : Audiomeans, [en ligne]. audiomeans.fr.
Escalade Québec. (2020, 21 mai). L’ouverture au féminin en escalade au Québec. https://www.escaladequebec.com/louverture-au-feminin-en-escalade-au-quebec/
Histoires de chez nous. (s. d.). Années 1980 et 1990 : Val-David, escalade.https://www.histoiresdecheznous.ca/v2/val-david-escalade_rock-climbing/histoire/annees-1980-et-1990/
Photo 1 : Lucy Smith and Pauline Rankin rock climbing in skirts on Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh. 1908. © Harold Raeburn – Digital reproduction or scan of original
Photo 2 : Catherine Destivelle / photo: Rene Robert. Transylvania Mountain Festival.
Photo 3 : Le dernier crux de Come On (5.14a) à Orford, QC, grimpé de façon créative. Photo par Gabriel Laliberté.
Photo 4 : PHOTO OLIVIER DUMAS, FOURNIE PAR NATHALIE FORTIN. Nahtalie Fortin à l’œuvre à la chute Montmorency
