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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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There is also Sharon Wood of Canmore,Alberta. She was the first North American woman to summit Everest, and was on the team not through tokenism (like the American expeditions of that period) but because she could keep up with the guys. Sharon has done the Cassin in poor conditions (early 80's?) hard routes in Peru, most of the West Butress on Makalu, hard climbs back home. She was also the first or one of the first women in Canada to gain full international guiding certification.
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:01am PT
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I got on this writing roll, after one of the other ST posters bought my old hammer on eBay. And it reminded me of what I really wanted to say originally on this post.
First female ascents? Let's see, Angie O'Neal and I climbed two routes in one day, After Six and the Iota. May have been my very first female ascents. I remember having to borrow an extra hammer from Peter Haan. And all the regulars (except Barry Bates) making fun of us. Very sophomoric. Talking about a 5.6 and a 5.4 route. 1970.
When Lora Hein and I climbed Snake Dike, it was a grand adventure for us. Hiking down, we met a bunch of the regular climbers fighting a fire in Little Yosemite Valley. "Here come the dykes after climbing Snake Dike" comments prevailed. 1971.
Oh, and the first female nude ascent of Monday Morning Slab with Judy Sterner. We climbed naked except for swamis and shoes. We carried packs with rain gear and beer and threw empties on retreating climbers below us, once the rain began. Going back to camp after that hilarity is when I met Liza Anderson, with whom I went on to climb many many first female ascents. 1971.
One of my FFA highlights was climbing the West Face of Mount Starr King with Tina Hargis. It was possibly the second ascent---full pitches with very little protection. Tina's husband hiked out to find us, expecting we needed a rescue, because we were running late, but we met him on the trail. 1974.
Liza and I climbed what was probably the first clean ascent of Goodrich Pinnacle to the Oasis. And a FFA. And considered a wall. 1974.
And one of my absolute favorites was when I soloed the SE Buttress of Cathedral Peak.
You see where I am going with this? The only time FFAs got mention was when they were on walls. Bev and I backed off of the Leaning Tower after she got attacked by wasps from the first belay tree (and our backing off became more important than the fact we were up there in the first place). 1972.
Sibylle Hechtel and I climbed the South Face of Washingtons Column (just days after Bev soloed it) and that was "important." 1973.
There were countless firsts. Forget the "history of women climbing in the 1970s" stories. They leave out so much.
All these firsts were extremely personal and vibrant for those who experienced them. Creating memories, not history.
Now I'll shut up.
Anne-Marie
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Robb
Social climber
Pick Up Truck Heaven
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:50am PT
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Nice Anne Marie. Good on you & blessings going forward.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
a spaceship built for two
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:51am PT
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"Now I'll shut up."
please don't.
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nita
climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
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Mar 31, 2008 - 02:35am PT
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Earlier in this post- Jaybro mention Lidija, but forgot her last name...Lidija Painkiher. Photo By- Phil Bard,mid 80's
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 31, 2008 - 10:46am PT
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Lydija has a lot of spark!
She was pretty much "one of the boys" too; very feisty.
Known affectionately as the Pocket Russian. (Just ask Walleye).
One of my favorite quotes ever comes from Lydija,
After she came back to the Meadows from an ascent of the Harding route on Mount Conness:
"What was I thinking going out there and climbing that thing, it's nothing special,
In the dolomite there are hundreds of route like that -- I could instead have been climbing on Medlicott with Bachar!".
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Mar 31, 2008 - 12:57pm PT
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Nice thread.
It's interesting because back in the late 70's I climbed a lot with a gal named Cheri Richardson. I think she did many Female firsts in Oregon. I think she did the first female lead of Karate Crack at Smith Rocks, the first female ascent of East Face of Monkey Face (It was an aid route back then) and many others. She was really good but got distracted by another man....oh well....
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:04pm PT
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Great thread!
Glad I read all of it as most names I would have brought up have all ready been mentioned, with one notable exception.
Katy Cassidy. Brilliant climber and a real hard woman. She established lots of routes in the desert and the Black Canyon. She co authored a fabulous coffee table book called Canyon Country Climbs with Earl Wiggins. Katy is a great lady!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:07pm PT
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When I was young and really climbing 'chicks' were who left you because you climbed too much.
Now that I am not young they are who I hope I can get to rope gun for me.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:22pm PT
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Good call Philo:
Katy Cassidy.
She was my close neighbor for a few years out in Marshall at Paul Sibley's place.
She's got true grit!
Here's Katy leading the first pitch of Crack Wars on the Rectory.
That's a burly Charlie Fowler route, with some upper pitches of offwdith and an overhanging fist crack.
Katy leading, for her, a routine pitch on the Battle of the Bulge Buttress:
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Mar 31, 2008 - 01:31pm PT
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Holy photobucket Tar! Do you have a picture of everyone??
Your files have got to be amazing, and you're far more organized than I am too! Ha!
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Denver, Colorado
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Mar 31, 2008 - 04:22pm PT
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Molly Higgins and Diana Hunter, Diana especially because she made me realize that you don't have to be a ripped muscle man to elegantly climb severe routes. A real inspiration for a skinny little kid that was always picked last in team sports (me). Saw her climbing in Eldo once, superb footwork, made Northcutt look like 5.5 May she rest in peace.
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Mar 31, 2008 - 05:02pm PT
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Awesome thread.
More, please?
Anne-Marie - please post up more stories for us! Naked climbing? Are you kidding - that's freaking hilarious!
Pelting retreaters with beer cans is classic.
-Tahoe Climber
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Paulina
Trad climber
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Mar 31, 2008 - 05:28pm PT
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Anne-Marie and others, please more!
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Pewf
climber
nederland
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Mar 31, 2008 - 05:28pm PT
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When I was 16 or so, having boldly toproped each of about 10 accessible routes near Gunnison a handful of times each, I bought the 1988 edition of Bjornstadt's Desert Rock. I used to lie in bed reading it.
It was formative for me to see Katy Cassidy listed on FAs in that book. I didn't know what the A1-A5 ratings meant, and though my mom had given me her old pitons, I didn't connect them with "pins", "LAs", etc. But I distinctly remember thinking that if this gal could be up there on the first ascents of some of those beautiful routes, I should be able to gain the expertise to repeat at least some of them. (as an aside, I remember also wondering if there were any routes in the desert that hadn't been climbed yet. ha)
Around that same time, maybe a little later, there was an Outside magazine article about Kitty Calhoun leading Himalayan expeditions and the like. That was another inspiration for me, seeing that this sport of climbing was something where women could be as good as men. What a discovery for a teenaged girl!
Thank goodness for woman pioneers.
Amanda
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dit
Mountain climber
eastside
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Mar 31, 2008 - 11:20pm PT
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Anne-Marie
We had a surprise visitor today. Do you recognize her?
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Anne-Marie Rizzi
climber
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Mar 31, 2008 - 11:55pm PT
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Absolutely.
Partner on some of my earliest climbs: Lora Hein!!!
(Tell her hi if she's still there.)
Anne-Marie
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2008 - 11:26am PT
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What a treat to come home from a trip and find this thread on the FP w/ such fabulous additions to it!
Thanks so much, Anne-Marie. That's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking about when I started the thread. You read about the Dad's big accoplishments and the stuff that was personally meaningful and memorable in between, but the stories of naked chicks hucking cans as passers by from the tops of climbs BITD, great times on moderates, hard-earned bails, etc. are harder to find. The next time you have some great memories floating around inside of you that you'd like to share, I hope you'll think of this thread again!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 1, 2008 - 11:33am PT
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It's recent history, but the stories that Pewf wrote of her adventures on the walls were really inspirational to me when I was as green as grass and finding my own direction in climbing. I'd love to see some of them reposted here.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Yes Tar Baby,
Tell us a story won't you?
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