Beatrice Tomasson

Early life

Beatrice Tomasson born in 1859 to William and Sarah Anne Tomasson, in Barnby Moor, Nottinghamshire; she was their second child. At ten years old, Tomasson and her family moved to Ireland, where they lived in Gortnamona, a property near Tullamore, County Offaly.

In 1882, when she was 22 years old, Tomasson travelled to Potsdam, then part of Prussia, to work as a private tutor for the household of a certain General von Bülow. Unsuccessfully, she tried to translate and publish Felix Dahn's four-volume novel A Struggle for Rome from German to English. She and Cäcilie Wüstenburg later wrote and translated The Chimes of Erfurt: A Tale, which was published in 1885.

Mountaineering

Tomasson moved to Innsbruck in 1885 where she took up mountain climbing. From 1892, she worked as a governess for Edward Lisle Strutt, whom she accompanied on numerous expeditions to Tyrol, Ötztal, the Stubai Alps and the Karwendel range. Despite Tommason being fifteen years older than Strutt the family believed they were romantically involved. Tomasson became a member of the Austrian Alpine Club in 1893 and began to attempt major climbs in the Dolomites from 1896 onwards.

Tomasson began climbing with Michele Bettega, a mountain guide, in 1897. Together, they made the first ascents of Cima d'Alberghetto, Torre del Giubileo, Campanile della Regina Vittoria, Monte Lastei d'Agner, and Sasso delle Capre. In 1898 she made the first ascent of the northeast face of Monte Zebrù, which was considered at the time to be the most difficult ice wall to climb in the Tyrol, as well as the first ascent of Ortler and the second ascent of the west face of Laurinswand, which was considered to be the Dolomites' most difficult rock wall. She and Luigi Rizzi were the first climbers to summit the Dent di Mesdi via the south face in 1900. In July 1901 Tomasson, Bettega and Bartolo Zagonel made the first ascent of the south face of the Marmolada, which is considered her greatest climbing achievement. The route had been considered "the longest and most difficult climb in the Alps" for more than a decade, yet Tomasson's team made the ascent in just one day.

For the duration of her mountaineering career, Tomasson worked as a governess for wealthy families in Innsbruck, London, Copenhagen, Graz, Cortina, Nottingham, and Brierley; this income allowed her to embark on so many guided climbing expeditions.

Wikipedia

First ascents:

Beatrice took trips to a variety of mountain ranges, always with the best guides of the time, predominantly in the Dolomites:

1897 With mountain guide Michele Bettega in the Pala range. First ascents of: Cima d'Alberghetto, Torre del Giubileo, Campanile della Regina Vittoria, Monte Lastei d'Agner, Sasso delle Capre.

1898 With guides Hans Sepp Pinggera and Friedrich Reinstadler, the NE Face of Monte Zebru in the Ortler range, rock Ill, 55° ice, a first ascent and at this time the most difficult ice wall in the Tyrol; with Hans Sepp Pinggera, the SW Face of Ortles, rock Ill, 50° ice, another first ascent; with Luigi Rizzi from Canazei, the second ascent of the Laurinswand West Face, up until then the most difficult rock wall in the Dolomites.

1900 With Luigi Rizzi on the Dent di Mesdi South Face in Sella range, a first ascent at grade IV in July.

1901 Her greatest adventure was the widely desired South Face of the Marmolada di Penia, with the guides Michele Bettega and Bartolo Zagonel.

In the last year of her Alpine career she made the first traverse of Campanile Basso with guide Angelo Dibona, the most successful rock climber at this time; they were accompanied by her esteemed Michele Bettega. Beatrice's most important undertaking was the first ascent of the Marmolada South Face with the guides Bartolo Zagonel and Michele Bettega from Primero at the foot of the Pala range. Zagonel and Bettega began the age of the professional mountain guide in the Eastern Alps. It signalled the end of the romantic and naive age of Alpine mountaineering. With the start of the First World War - the guides were in the war - Beatrice's mountaineering exploits ended.

The Alpine Journal 1911

A classic and popular route which allows an ascent to the summit of the Marmolada at an amenable grade. The rock quality is not as good as on other sections but the situation is grand and the summit rewarding. Despite the low grade, the route is very long, in an Alpine setting and can be subject to rockfall. It a serious undertaking and should not be taken lightly.

Start by the memorial plaque, just left of a rising ledge.
1) II, 35m. From the memorial plaque, traverse right over a series of ledges to reach the base of two parallel chimneys.
2) IV+, 25m. Climb the left chimney, overcoming a small roof formed by a chockstone and belaying above a second, larger chockstone.
3) IV, 40m. Continue in the chimney following a crack at the back, then on easier ground to reach a roof.
4) IV+, 30m. Pull through the roof on the left side, then continue in the chimney above, moving slightly right.
5) V, 30m. Continue in the same line to reach a chockstone. Move right 3m around this, then move back into the chimney above it to a stance.
6) IV+, 35m. Continue in the chimney to reach a ledge above.
7) II, 20m. Traverse easily left to the first ledge.
8) I, 15m. Traverse further left over a scree ramp to a stance below steeper ground.
9) IV, 15m. Follow a crack left, move back right then left again to a stance on a ledge.
11) IV+, 25m. Climb the slab above rightwards to a second slab.
12) III, 25m. Continue moving diagonally right up the slab, keeping right of the large roofs, to a stance 15m below a small pinnacle.
13) IV, 45m. Climb a short corner then move behind the little pinnacle. Either down climb to the right, or make a short abseil, to reach the base of a slanting corner. Alternatively, traverse in front of the pinnacle, passing a stance on a small ledge, then climb a crack direct to the base of the corner. Harder at IV+.
14) IV, 30m. Climb the corner, using cracks on the right side.
15) IV, 50m. Continue in the same line up the corner, then exit right to reach the second ledge.
16) I, 120m. Traverse the ledge easily right, passing below a large pillar and continue to two parallel chimney cracks.
17) IV, 20m. Climb the right-hand crack.
18) IV, 25m. Follow the crack system then exit right to a good stance.
19) III, 25m. Climb the stepped and somewhat loose rock above to a ramp which slopes left.
20) II, 20m. Follow the ramp left to a stance on a pillar below two gullies.
20-23) III, 120m. Climb loose but easy ground, following the left-hand gully. The right-hand gully is also climbable, being of equal grade and rock quality. Continue to reach the east ridge below the summit of Punta Penia.
24) II, 100m. Follow the exposed ridge to the summit.

Descent - The recommended descent avoids the glacier and descends via ferrata Marmolada West Ridge. From the top of the route, continue to reach the small cabin of Capanna Punta Penia. To return to Rifugio O.Falier, or Rifugio Contrin, follow the path towards the west ridge, and descend the wires of via ferrata Marmolada West Ridge to reach Forcella de la Marmolada. Descend a ladder then continue southwest over scree on path 606 to reach the fork with path 610. For Rifugio O.Falier, turn left here and ascend to Passo Ombretta before continuing more easily down to the rifugio. Alternatively, continue right on path 606-610 to Rifugio Contrin.

It is also possible to descend to Pian dei Fiacconi but this descent is not recommended as it involves a potentially dangerous glacier crossing and should not be attempted without the appropriate equipment. If you do want to use this route, follow the prominent ridge-line north until you reach a post and the path makes a sharp turn right. Join a wire cable heading down east to the glacier below descend initially on the right (east) side. You will soon see Rifugio Pian dei Fiacconi and the top of the Pian dei Fiacconi lift.

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