Kenton Cool

Gone on this day, 20 October 2016; Junko Tabei, the Japanese mountaineer who changed the course of women’s climbing history. Born on 22 September 1939 in Miharu, Fukushima, she entered mountaineering at a time when women were often discouraged from serious expeditions. In 1969, she helped establish the Ladies Climbing Club, giving Japanese women a space to organise and lead their own climbs. On 16 May 1975, Tabei reached the summit of Mt. Everest, becoming the first woman in history to stand on the highest point on Earth. Her expedition had earlier been hit by an avalanche at Camp II, burying several members of the team. Tabei survived, recovered, and continued the climb. Accompanied by Sherpa Ang Tshering on the final ascent, she reached the summit and entered mountaineering history. Everest was only one chapter in a much longer climbing life. In 1992, Tabei became the first woman to complete the Seven Summits, climbing the highest mountain on each continent. Over the following years, she continued travelling and climbing across the world, eventually reaching the highest peaks or points of more than 70 countries. Away from records, Tabei became increasingly concerned with the environmental damage caused by mountaineering, particularly waste on Everest. She later worked on mountain conservation projects and remained active well into her later years. Junko Tabei died on 20 October 2016, aged 77, leaving behind a place in history through a lifetime spent widening the possibilities for women in the mountains. Photo ©: Junko Tabei Archives.

On this day, 19.10.1918; 🇬🇧 Charles Evans was born in Derwen, North Wales. A surgeon by profession and one of the leading British mountaineers of his generation, Evans played a crucial role in the 1953 British Everest Expedition. As deputy leader, he and Tom Bourdillon made the first summit attempt, reaching the South Summit at around 8,750 m on 26 May 1953. For the next three days, they had climbed higher on Everest than anyone before them. With failing oxygen equipment, limited time and the difficult final ridge still ahead, they turned back, a decision that likely saved their lives. Evans returned to the Himalaya two years later as leader of the 1955 British Kangchenjunga Expedition. Under his leadership, Joe Brown and George Band made the mountain’s first ascent on 25 May, followed by Norman Hardie and Tony Streather the next day. Evans had earlier promised Sikkimese authorities that climbers would respect Kangchenjunga’s sacred summit, so the team deliberately stopped just below the highest point, beginning a tradition later followed by other expeditions. Evans was known for calm leadership and putting the team ahead of personal glory. A doctor, wartime medical officer, Alpine Club president and later university principal, he was knighted in 1969. Charles Evans died in 1995, aged 77. Photo ©: Charles Evans Archives.

On this day, 24 September 1975, 🇬🇧 Doug Scott and 🇬🇧 Dougal Haston reached the summit of Mount Everest (8,848 m), completing the first ascent of the mountain’s South-West Face, one of the great unresolved problems of Himalayan climbing at the time. Led by 🇬🇧 Chris Bonington, the British expedition succeeded where five earlier attempts on the face had failed. Bonington himself had led an unsuccessful British attempt in 1972, when extreme winds and cold stopped the team high on the mountain. The 1975 expedition returned with a large and experienced team, including Scott, Haston, Peter Boardman, Nick Estcourt, Paul “Tut” Braithwaite, Martin Boysen and Mick Burke, supported by a strong Sherpa team led by Pertemba and Ang Phu. It was a major siege-style undertaking: about 20 tons of food and equipment were transported to Nepal before camps were established through the Khumbu Icefall, across the Western Cwm and progressively higher on the South-West Face. Base Camp was established on 22 August; Camp V, at about 7,825 metres, followed on 16 September. The decisive obstacle was the great Rock Band, a wall of steep mixed ground guarding the upper face. On 20 September, Braithwaite and Estcourt finally found a way through a deeply cut gully, overcoming difficult mixed climbing and an ice-covered chockstone before escaping along a precarious ramp. Their breakthrough opened the route that had stopped earlier expeditions. Two days later, Scott, Haston and their support team established Camp VI at roughly 8,320 metres above the Rock Band; on 23 September, Scott and Haston fixed around 400 metres of rope across the upper traverse. On 24 September, the pair left Camp VI for the summit. Haston’s oxygen system froze early in the climb, while deep unconsolidated snow slowed them in the South Summit gully. They reached the South Summit during the afternoon and, despite the late hour, continued along Everest’s summit ridge. At around 6:00 p.m., Scott and Haston stood on the highest point on Earth, completing the first ascent of the South-West Face. Darkness overtook them on the descent. Near 8,750 metres, with their bottled oxygen exhausted and their headlamps no longer useful, they dug themselves into the snow and endured an extraordinary unplanned bivouac. Scott was without a full down suit; both men suffered hallucinations during the night, yet remarkably survived without serious frostbite and descended to Camp VI the following morning. The bivouac became almost as legendary as the climb itself. Two days later, 🇬🇧 Peter Boardman and 🇳🇵 Pertemba Sherpa repeated the route to the summit. On their descent they encountered Mick Burke, still climbing upward with his film camera. Burke continued alone toward the summit as the weather rapidly deteriorated. Boardman and Pertemba waited for him near the South Summit for more than an hour, but he never returned and was never seen again. Whether Burke actually reached the summit remains unknown. The 1975 British Everest Expedition entered mountaineering history because one of its most intimidating faces had finally been solved. It was an achievement built on meticulous organisation, difficult high-altitude climbing, enormous Sherpa support and collective effort, yet the climb was shadowed by the loss of Mick Burke. Photo showing Dougal Haston climbing near the Hillary Step, 24.09.1975. ©: Doug Scott.

Next month I’m climbing to 6000m’s with my 12 year old son because he wants to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund. I have 110% confidence in him smashing this! Can you donate and help him reach his please🎯 @RAFBF justgiving.com/page/jacob-ne…

My goal this year is to raise a grand total of £100,000 for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund before I join the RAF Air Cadets. Follow me to find out how I’m going to do it💪