Alpine Climbing Firsts

The years between the wars (1919-1939) have been described as the ‘golden years of feminine ascents’ when women’s teams started climbing more extensively in the Alps. Women were especially active in the Mont Blanc Range and the Dolomites.  A number of these teams included Pinnacle Club members who achieved firsts. 

In the club’s first year (1921), founder members made first female ascents of the Egginergrat and Portjengrat. Nea Barnard made the first guideless ascent of the Aiguille de Roc in 1927 and four PC members (Lilian Bray, Emily Wells, Catherine Corbett and Millicent Taylor) became the first British female party to ascend the Gran Paradiso in 1928. Dorothy Pilley made the first ascent (guided) of the North Ridge of the Dent Blanche in 1928, followed by Thompson in 1929 with a first ascent (guided) of the Brouillard Ridge on Mont Blanc.

During the 1930s Pinnacle Club members climbed more in all-female teams in the Alps. Nea Morin (née Barnard) made a first all-female traverse of the Meije in 1933. This was followed by first ascents in women’s teams on the Blaitière 1934, Grande Casse 1934 and the Aiguille qui Remue 1938.

After WWII, in the years 1947-1963, Nea Morin, Denise Morin (later Evans), Gwen Moffat, Denise Shortall (later Wilson), Rie Leggett and Nancy Smith were all active in the Alps and Dolomites, often climbing in all-female teams.  

Nea Morin with sister-in-law Micheline Morin became the first female party on the Dent du Requin (Chamonix) and Aigille du Moine (Haute-Savoie) in 1947. In 1953 mother and daughter Nea and Denise Morin were the first female team to climb the north face of the Cima Piccola di Lavaredo (Dolomites) and to traverse the Weissmies (Alps). In the same year they became the first British female party to traverse the Vajolet Towers in the Dolomites and in 1955 they were the first female party to climb the Mer de Glace face of the Grépon.

Gwen Moffat was also active in the Dolomites and the Alps during this period, making first female ascents (mixed teams) in 1951 on the Andrich Route on Civetta, Via Tissi on Torre Trieste, the Marinelli Couloir on Monte Rosa and the Rothorngrat.

1956 was another successful year for first ascents in the Alps.  Denise Shortall and Rie Leggett became the first British female team to climb the Hörnli Ridge of the Matterhorn. They also made ascents (first female party) of the Alphubel,  Zinalrothorn, Wellenkuppe & Obergabelhorn.  In 1963 Denise Wilson (née Shortall)  teamed up with Nancy Smith and they  became the first female party to climb the NW Ridge of the Aiguille Blaitière and the East Ridge of the Weisshorn (both in the Alps).

On a trip to the Bregalia (Switzerland) in 1992, Gill Price and Stella Adams made the first British female ascent of Another Day in Paradise on the Piz Badile.

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