Pinnacle Club firsts and notable achievements
Since the founding of the club in 1921, Pinnacle Club members have been making first and first female ascents in the British Isles, the Alps, the Himalaya and other regions of the world. Even before this date first ascents had been recorded in North Wales. It was Pinnacle Club member Emily Daniell who made the first ascent of Hope on the Idwal Slabs in 1915. Exploration in the Alps began in earnest in the 1920s and was followed by exploration in the Himalayas and other regions of the world from the 1930s.
Rock routes (British Isles)
The ascent of Nea (VS) on Clogwyn y Grochan by Nea Morin in 1941 is probably the most well-known first ascent among Pinnacle Club members. Some notable first female ascents on rock include Longland’s Climb (VS) by Brenda Ritchie in 1935; Cenotaph Corner (E1) by Jo Scarr in 1961; Right Wall (E5) by Jill Lawrence in 1984; Comes the Dervish (then E5) by Gill Price, also in 1984; and the Old Man of Hoy (E1) by Angela Soper and Cynthia Grindley in 1987.
Nea Morin on Nea (VS), Clogwyn y Grochan, many years after her first ascent in 1941. Credit: John Cleare.
Jo Scarr’s first female lead of Cenotaph Corner (E1), 1961. Credit: Tony Smythe (copyright: John Cleare).
Jill Lawrence on the first female lead of Right Wall (E5) on Dinas Gromlech, 1984. Credit: Ian Smith.
Gill Price on the first female lead of Comes the Dervish (then graded E5) at Vivian Quarry in 1984. Credit: Mandy Glanvill.
The 1984 International Women’s Meet was a highly significant event in the history of British women’s rock climbing. The meet brought together some of the best women climbers in the world. During the meet well over a hundred Extreme leads were made, at least thirty at E3 or harder. Of particular significance were two first female ascents by Pinnacle Club members of routes graded E5 — Right Wall by Jill Lawrence and Comes the Dervish by Gill Price.
Alpine climbing (inter-war years, 1919-1939)
The years between the World Wars have been described as the “golden years of feminine ascents,” when women’s teams started climbing more extensively in the Alps. The first recorded ascent in the Alps by Pinnacle Club members was in 1921 when Dorothy Pilley, Lilian Bray and Trilby Wells became the first female party to climb the Egginergrat. Other notable first ascents by PC members include a first female ascent of the Aiguille de Roc in 1927, the first ascent of the North Ridge of Dent Blanche in 1928, the first female ascent of the Brouillard Ridge 1929 and the first female party to traverse the Meije in 1933.
Lilian Bray on Egginergrat in 1921
Dorothy Pilley made the first ascent of the north ridge of the Dent Blanche in what she called the ‘Great Year,’ 1928. Credit: Alpine Club Library.
Cordée féminine (all female rope) – Micheline Morin and Nea Morin with Alice Damesme at the Aigle hut after the first female traverse of the Meije in 1933. Credit: Alpine Club Library.
Alpine climbing (post-war years)
After World War II, Pinnacle Club members were particularly active in the Alps and the Dolomites. Notable ascents by Gwen Moffat in 1951 include the Andrich Route on Torre Venezia and Via Tissi on Torre Trieste in the Dolomites, These were possibly first female ascents.. Later in the decade her other significant climbs include the traverse of La Meije and the ascent of the Younggrat on the Breithorn,
In the Dolomites, mother and daughter team Nea and Denise Morin recorded first ascents together in 1953. They were the first British female party to traverse Winkler, Stabeler & Delago on the Vajolet Towers and the first female party to climb the North Face of the Cima Piccola di Lavaredo. In the Mont Blanc Range in 1955 they became the first female party on the Mer de Glace face of the Grépon.
In 1956 Denise Shortall (later Wilson) and Rie Leggett became the first British female party to climb the Matterhorn (Hornli Ridge) and the Alphubel. In the same year they were also the first female party to climb the Kanzelgrat on the Zinalrothorn and to traverse the Wellenkuppe & Obergabelhorn, all in the Alps.
In 1992 Stella Adams and Gill Price made the first British female ascent of Another Day in Paradise on the Piz Badile (Bregaglia).
Gwen Moffat in the French Alps in 1959. Credit: JR Lees.
Rie Leggett and Denise Shortall in the Alps in 1956.
Stella Adams on Rainbow Buttress, Morocco, in 2016. Credit: John Adams.
Himalayan expeditions
Pinnacle Club members have been exploring in the Greater Ranges since 1940 when Jean Punnett made a one-woman expedition to the Kulu region. This was followed by expeditions to Kulu in 1956, Jagdula in 1962, Lahaul in 1980, Gasherbrum II in 1989, the British Women’s Karakorum Expedition in 1994 and Sulu Peak in 1995.
1956 Kulu expedition. Eileen Gregory climbed two previously unclimbed peaks in the Kulu region, on her own, with Ladaki porters. She also made the second ascent of Deo Tibba (19,688ft).
Jean Drummond on the 1980 Lahaul expedition. Credit: Denise Wilson.
In 2001 Jill Croskell and party made a first ascent on Che Bayul Kang (6,000m) in Nepal.
1980, Lahaul: teams make first ascents of 13 peaks including Steph’s Peak (19,300ft) and Half Dome (19,000ft). Pictured: Jean Drummond trekking to high camp.
1980 Lahaul expedition. Pictured: Angela Soper standing; L-R sitting: Stella Adams. Jean Drummond, Steph Rowland, Sheila Crispin, Sheila Cormack, Jay Turner. Credit: Denise Wilson
On the 1962 Jagdula expedition to Nepal, teams made first and second ascents of Lha Shamma, Kagmara 1, Kagmara 2, Kagmara 3, Triangle Peak and Twin Peak. The team: Dorothea Gravina, Jo Scarr (now Peacock), Barbara Spark (later Roscoe), Nancy Smith, Denise Evans, Pat Wood.
On 12July 1989 Wanda Rutkiewicz and Rhona Lampard (pictured) made an all-female ascent of Gasherbrum II — listed amongst the most prestigious routes climbed by women in the greater ranges. Other team members: Geraldine Westrupp, Kathy Bainbridge, Becky Thorp, Sally Churcher, Brede Arkless, Sue Harland.
In 1961 Barbara Spark and Jo Scarr made first ascents of Central Peak and Lion (both 20,000 ft), Kulu.
First ascents and new routing in other regions
Pinnacle Club members have been responsible for a host of other first ascents and new routes in places as far-flung as Torridon, Morocco and Greenland.
In 1956 Denise Evans (pictured here in Nepal in 1957), with her brother, Ian, and two friends, made the first ascent of the highest mountain on the west coast of Greenland, Mount Atter.
Mandy Glanvill on the first ascent of Tunnock Teacake, Torridon, in 2018. Credit: Julie Carter.
Cathy Woodhead on the first ascent of Tryfan Route, Prickly Pear Gorge, Morocco, 2017. Credit: David Medcalf.
Other notable achievements
In 1953, Gwen Moffat became the first British woman to qualify as a mountain guide and work as a professional climbing instructor, making her living through the sport. Credit: JR Lees.
On a trek from Pasu to Askole in Pakistan, Annabelle Barker (pictured) and Sheila Cormack became the first women to cross the Shimshal Pass to Shuwert: real exploration involving glacier travel, gorges and river crossings, with one crossing by yak.
In 1997, Marlene Halliwell visited Chris Watkins (pictured in Greenland in 2019; credit: Shirley Potts) who was working in Almaty. Together, they trekked from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan on horseback, making a dangerous crossing of the Tien Shan en route. The journey concluded in the Inglecheck Valley, below the highest peaks of the Gien Shan, at over 7000m.
Julie Carter has completed two Bob Graham Rounds in the Lake District: the first in 2006, when she completed 42 peaks at age 42. The second, extended Bob Graham Round was in 2019, when Julie became the first woman to do 55 peaks at age 55. Julie has also written a book, Running the Red Line, and starred in a short film, I Am A Fellrunner. Photo credit: Mandy Glanvill.
Brede Arkless became the second British female guide in the 1960s, and the first female international mountain guide around the same time. Photo credit: John Cleare.
Over the years Angela Soper, Joanna Goorney and Ali Martindale have all competed in climbing competitions at national level.