A few years ago, I was blessed to meet Barbara Washburn. I told her I would love to climb Denali, but felt like I couldn't since I had a young child now. (I was holding my year old daughter in my arms while talking with her.)

"Oh, Do it!" she replied immediately without hesitation, "Yes, you can go. Do it."

She flashed me a huge smile and said that she climbed Denali when she had three young children at home! She encouraged me to not stop climbing.

I tucked that memory away and have used it to keep me going, even when I get discouraged. When I think I'll never climb a big peak, I think of her.

Go Tigerlily!

My hero on the summit of Mt.Bertha

Another:
http://hwstock.org/lilley.jpg

Then there is Cathy, hiker/adventurer extraordinaire. Bone cancer survivor who hikes with a prosthetic. When I'm tired on the trail, I snap out of it quickly, because she is just a few footsteps behind me. (I stole the photo from her husband's website. Don't tell her!!!)

Incredible photo! I have always wanted to visit that spot. Thanks for sharing.

Jim Thomas

I know a young woman (mid 30's) who has two small children and a full time job. She has climbed both Denali and Aconcagua in addition to a number of 14er's.

As my mother used to say, "where there's a will, there's a way".

Don't just hang on to your dreams. Work on them and they will become reality.

All the best.

Its great to have dreams, just don't let them sit there, make them happen. (I have a secret money stash at my house hidden that says Denali Fund. I smile every time I add to it!)

tigerlilly wrote:

My hero on the summit of Mt.Bertha

They were quite the couple. Great shot.

This a good example of the 4th type of female climber, unmentioned in that other thread.

Love it. Thanks!

Maybe this is a little too cliche? Getting to the top of Denali is something is something you can do for yourself. Getting back safe is something you need to do for your daughter.

As a parent I usually remind myself at the begining of a descent that most mountaineering tragedies occur going down. So I think about my family and focus on making every move safely.

RickF wrote:Maybe this is a little too cliche? Getting to the top of Denali is something is something you can do for yourself. Getting back safe is something you need to do for your daughter.

Nope, not too cliche. Just about perfect, I'd say.

I wear two little bracelets that I tied out of 2.5mm accessory cord. The orange one represents my 10-year-old son (he wears a matching one) and the blue one, my daughter (who, at age 13, is too kewl to wear one of her own).

The bracelets, along with my wedding ring, are a constant reminder to me about what's important when I'm off on a climbing adventure. Helps me make good choices.

but why bring it up on a page titled "women climbers". If a mother dies, is it more of a tragedy then a father. If a mother dies in a car accident or of cancer, is it better then while climbing. My attitude is to make decisions that I can be fullfilled without doing something that will cause heartache to those around me, period. It doesn't matter if I am a guy (which I am) or a woman.

I've climbed with a lot of women, who are pretty strong climbers, and there doesn't seem to be an ego thing going on. Shelley, Lisa, Roxanna have all been great people to climb with.

Only problem is that in many climbing venues (magazines, on websites.....) its only about selling images to hormonal 14yr old boys. Take a look at "Rock and Ice" recently. 80 percent of the issues have deep water soloing stories and nearly ALL the images are of women in bikini's (which is nothing wrong but they should atleast be doing something else then a V1 problem).

Great vimeo video. How about images of strong women doing strong climbs....

Lisa walking the Incredible Finger Crack (5.11c/d-ish)

Thank you.

I started this, hoping people would post cool stories about women who climb (current or historically).