She escaped an avalanche and became the first woman to summit Everest. Today, few remember her name
She escaped an avalanche and became the first woman to summit Everest. Today, few remember her name
komorebi
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
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May 20 2025, 1:58 PM
Quote:It was May 4, 1975. The Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition team had been living at a high altitude for six weeks, and were less than a week away from their scheduled bid for the summit of Mount Everest. Exhausted, having established camp five at just below 8,000 meters on the south side of the mountain, Junko Tabei and her team descended to camp two at 6,300 meters to rest.
Then — avalanche!
In the early hours, tons of ice and snow engulfed the camp, burying several of the teammates. Crushed by the snow and ice, Tabei was unable to move. It took the strength of four Sherpas, the elite Nepali climbing guides assisting the expedition, to pull her out. Suffering severe bruising, Tabei argued that she did not need to be returned to base camp to recover, and would remain at camp two.
“There was no way I was leaving the mountain,” she later recalled in her memoir.
It had taken five years for this group — the first all-women team — to get to Everest. The pressure on them to succeed was immense, given the limited number of annual international permits to climb Mount Everest issued by the Nepali government. If they gave up, they might have to wait several years to make another attempt.
Meanwhile, on the Tibetan side of the mountain, Tabei’s team had competition. A 200-strong Chinese team was also working to place a woman on the summit at the same time.
From the late 1950s, Tibetan women were recruited to participate in state-sponsored Chinese mountaineering expeditions. In 1958, Pan Duo had been selected to participate in the successful Chinese 1960 Everest expedition — but was ordered to remain below 6,400 meters because above that height was “a man’s world”. Nonetheless, Pan Duo — referred to as “Mrs Phanthog” in some older accounts — was celebrated in her country and elected deputy captain of the 1975 Chinese Everest Expedition.
Unfortunately, the Chinese team suffered a climbing accident resulting in the death of a team member. They retreated to recover — only to be ordered by the Chinese government to “climb ahead of the Japanese women.”
They were too late. On May 16, 1975, the all-women Japanese expedition worked together to place Tabei on the summit of Everest. Two team members — Tabei and Yuriko Watanabe — had been nominated to make the summit attempt. However, other teammates were suffering from altitude sickness, so Watanabe was assigned to help return them to camp two.
The ascent Tabei was making was arduous. Given her injuries, it took great tenacity to muster the strength to continue. But finally, she took her last steps to the summit, becoming the first woman and 40th person, according to the latest official record, to summit the peak. She was part of only the tenth successful Everest expedition, later recalling: “I felt pure joy as my thoughts registered: ‘Here is the summit. I don’t have to climb any more.’”
Eleven days later, the Chinese team returned to the high slopes to make another attempt. Using minimal oxygen, Pan Duo was also successful, becoming the second woman to summit Everest — and the first to climb the harder northern side of the mountain.
A really interesting read! Crazy that she stuck it out after getting buried in an avalanche.
Edited May 20 2025, 1:59 PM by komorebi.
Quote:It was May 4, 1975. The Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition team had been living at a high altitude for six weeks, and were less than a week away from their scheduled bid for the summit of Mount Everest. Exhausted, having established camp five at just below 8,000 meters on the south side of the mountain, Junko Tabei and her team descended to camp two at 6,300 meters to rest.
Then — avalanche!
In the early hours, tons of ice and snow engulfed the camp, burying several of the teammates. Crushed by the snow and ice, Tabei was unable to move. It took the strength of four Sherpas, the elite Nepali climbing guides assisting the expedition, to pull her out. Suffering severe bruising, Tabei argued that she did not need to be returned to base camp to recover, and would remain at camp two.
“There was no way I was leaving the mountain,” she later recalled in her memoir.
It had taken five years for this group — the first all-women team — to get to Everest. The pressure on them to succeed was immense, given the limited number of annual international permits to climb Mount Everest issued by the Nepali government. If they gave up, they might have to wait several years to make another attempt.
Meanwhile, on the Tibetan side of the mountain, Tabei’s team had competition. A 200-strong Chinese team was also working to place a woman on the summit at the same time.
From the late 1950s, Tibetan women were recruited to participate in state-sponsored Chinese mountaineering expeditions. In 1958, Pan Duo had been selected to participate in the successful Chinese 1960 Everest expedition — but was ordered to remain below 6,400 meters because above that height was “a man’s world”. Nonetheless, Pan Duo — referred to as “Mrs Phanthog” in some older accounts — was celebrated in her country and elected deputy captain of the 1975 Chinese Everest Expedition.
Unfortunately, the Chinese team suffered a climbing accident resulting in the death of a team member. They retreated to recover — only to be ordered by the Chinese government to “climb ahead of the Japanese women.”
They were too late. On May 16, 1975, the all-women Japanese expedition worked together to place Tabei on the summit of Everest. Two team members — Tabei and Yuriko Watanabe — had been nominated to make the summit attempt. However, other teammates were suffering from altitude sickness, so Watanabe was assigned to help return them to camp two.
The ascent Tabei was making was arduous. Given her injuries, it took great tenacity to muster the strength to continue. But finally, she took her last steps to the summit, becoming the first woman and 40th person, according to the latest official record, to summit the peak. She was part of only the tenth successful Everest expedition, later recalling: “I felt pure joy as my thoughts registered: ‘Here is the summit. I don’t have to climb any more.’”
Eleven days later, the Chinese team returned to the high slopes to make another attempt. Using minimal oxygen, Pan Duo was also successful, becoming the second woman to summit Everest — and the first to climb the harder northern side of the mountain.
A really interesting read! Crazy that she stuck it out after getting buried in an avalanche.
