UKC

In this new series, we share handwritten diary entries from first ascents, key climbs and memorable moments in the careers of prominent climbers. First up, a writer who 'has journals from the year dot': Britain's first female mountain guide, Gwen Moffat (95). Gwen kindly agreed to dust off the archives, before adding 'I may be a little while.'

'Even my first feminine ascents went well enough that the entries don't make interesting reading. And my few first ascents were quite dull. Excitements depended (as always) on incidents or weather.' Gwen dug out this dramatic entry from sixty years ago, written during a trip to the Écrins in the summer of 1959, climbing with the late Johnnie Lees...

Read more

Nice!

Johnnie Lees was my great uncle. I think his diaries were donated to a museum, but I have kept one. I don’t know if UKC and it’s readership would be interested in any of these diary entries?

Brilliant write up 

Cheers,

Chris 

Hi Chris,

Yes please, you can email me through my profile.

Thanks!

Sounds almost identical to our Meije Traverse in the early 1980's. A huge storm kept us trapped in the Aigle hut for two nights. Abseiling the last ice slope with its man-eating bergschrund was quite an experience especially with lightening hitting the ridge behind us. 

And that was on a good weather forecast.

John

What a route.

What a woman.

Spellbinding reading.