Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Going Manless

An article about women climbing without men – the horror. I like this 1929 quote from a male alpinist:

“..Now that it has been done by two women alone, no self-respecting
man can undertake it. A pity, too, because it used to be a very good climb.”

She writes:

Even now, 75 years after Underhill’s ascent of the Grépon, when I’m with my girlfriends at a popular crag or high in the mountains, we still encounter comments ranging from complimentary and kind to condescending and rude, their message being that we are women and we are climbing, a combination unusual enough to warrant commentary.”

OK, here is what I always think when women say they get rude comments from men: Men get rude comments from other men. So what? Men can be rude. (BTW, women can be rude – say it ain’t so!)

Climbers can be rude. There’s nothing special about climbers that way; they are all-too human. And humans are goofy, mean, rude, etc.

And it is unusual to see women climbing alone. So why wouldn’t men comment on that?

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