The First Female Mountaineers (part 1)

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

The following an adaptation from my new book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

Anne Lister and Henriette d’Angeville are considered to be the first true female mountaineers. Born in Yorkshire, England in 1791, Lister is widely regarded as “the first modern lesbian.” Much of what we know about her comes from her diaries, which she maintained throughout much of her life. It’s estimated that she wrote roughly five million words. Lister is also known for having a strong passion for travel, adventure and rambling. Her first recorded excursion was a trek to the top of 3560-foot Mount Snowdon in Wales in 1822. Her most famous accomplishment, however, was that of becoming the first “amateur” to ascend Mont Vignemale, the highest peak in the French Pyrenees. This ascent was made famous because it quite possibly resulted in the first legal course of action to stem from climbing a mountain.

During a visit to the Pyrenees in 1838, Anne decided that she wanted to become the first “amateur” to stand atop the 10,820-foot mountain. Around that time it was thought that Mont Vignemale was inaccessible from the French side of the border; however, a professional guide by the name of Henri Cazaux discovered a viable route during the previous summer. As a result, Lister hired him to become her guide. While impatiently waiting several days for foul weather to clear out of the region, Lister learned on August 6th that Prince de La Moscowa was planning to climb the mountain later that week, regardless of weather conditions. With assurances from Cazaux that conditions were about to improve, Lister decided to make her attempt on the following day. She, Cazaux, and two other guides reached the summit of Mont Vignemale on August 7th. One week later, however, Anne learned that Cazaux had informed the Prince that she was unsuccessful in her bid, and that he was actually the first amateur to ascend the mountain. Obviously infuriated by this revelation, Anne sought legal remedy to force Cazaux to admit that she was indeed the first amateur to climb the mountain. Lister argued that if she hadn’t reached the summit, then her guide had obviously failed; thus, she had the right to withhold payment for his services. A lawyer from Lourdes agreed with this, and drafted an affidavit attesting to the fact that she was the first “amateur” to reach the summit, which Cazaux sheepishly signed.

You can read more about the pioneers of hiking in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.