August 13

Alison Hargreaves was a pioneering British mountaineer who achieved the first unaided solo ascent of Mount Everest by a woman. She summited Kangchenjunga, K2, and Everest in a single climbing season, demonstrating remarkable endurance and skill. Hargreaves advocated for minimalistic climbing, rejecting Sherpa support and bottled oxygen to push human limits. Her climbs were marked by meticulous planning, physical resilience, and a fearless approach to high-altitude challenges. Tragically, she perished on K2 in 1995 after successfully reaching the summit, highlighting the perils of extreme mountaineering. Hargreaves’ legacy inspires adventurers and continues to influence ethical discussions on mountaineering style.