Representation of Early Women Alpinists (notesV2)

Mechanical Advantage support notes

John Middendorf

Dec 02, 2021

Buy the books here:

Volume 1: (mostly) European Tools and Techniques to the 1930s

Volume 2: (mostly) North American Climbing Tools and Techniques to the 1950s

Footnote: When climbing with Xaver Bongard, we often joked and exaggerated nationalistic themes in climbing. Xaver hated with a passion if anyone ever deemed a climb of his, the first “Swiss ascent”; we named a climb in Zion the “Swiss-American” as a way to poke fun of nationalism in the climbing world. Xaver had a different way of thinking; he told me avoided the mandatory Swiss conscription into the Army by pretending to be crazy, and during long periods of being locked up and psycho-analysed in lieu of military training, he sometimes felt he was actually going crazy (perhaps he really was crazy in the same sense the king and queen in Paulo Coelho’s story, the Well of Madness, were considered crazy— but he refused to drink from the well). His alternate reality was made crystal clear to me as he methodically sang his way up a thin nailing and hooking A5 pitch off the snow ledge halfway up Great Trango Tower in 1992, where the risk of smashing onto a ledge was real, inversely proportional to the chances of survival subsequent to a debilitating fall. Xaver had one of the gentlest souls of anyone I have ever known, his major trait was his positive and inclusive view of the world, and he taught me a lot about inclusive thinking too. Prior, I climbed my first big El Cap nailing route (Zodiac) swinging leads with Lydia Bradey in 1981, and though I was definitely aware of international rivalries, I do not recall ever thinking of big wall climbing as the primary domain of men; in fact, quite often the opposite having known during my active climbing years Bev Johnson, Sibylle Hechtel, Mari Gingery, Lidija Painkiher, Sue Bonovich, Sue Harrington, Ellie Hawkins, Lisa Gnade, Beth Wald, Kitty Kalhoun, Steph Davis, and Lynn Hill. But it becomes clear it has been portrayed as such at times throughout history. Nationalism and sexism have similar roots, and it’s apparent that both have existed in the reporting of climbing, sometimes simultaneously, over the decades when examined with a modern lens.

Käthe Bröske is one of the women pioneers often forgotten in history, even though her accomplishments and abilities were on par or better than many climbers better remembered.

Representation of Early Women Alpinists

I get sidetracked as I write the “Mechanical Advantage” series, my retrospective on the evolution of engineered tools of climbing. As I work with editors, there is often interest in the women mentioned within the historical timeline, whereupon I am asked to expand on their adventures on the wild vertical, but sadly, besides an occasional appearance on the dry first ascents lists published in journals, there is not much further source material on many of these early pioneers. In fact, often in the literature, there often appears to be either a lazy or deliberate effort to ignore or diminish the accomplishments and significant contributions of women alpinists over the past 100 years.

1930s

In the 1930s, fascism was on the rise in Europe, while many talented women got written out of the history books during this period. Some of the major histories either ignored many women’s accomplishments or in some cases actively dismissed them. It is during this time that the celebrated South Wall of Marmolada, first climbed in 1901 by a team organized by a woman and considered a testpiece, like the Nose of El Capitan is considered today, was passed over as a milestone of big wall climbing which led to the first Grade VI’s (a specific example has been noted).

A writeup of the first Italian ascent of the South Wall of Marmolada in 1908 honored the “daring” and “strong champions” Tomasson and Bröske who preceded them (1910 CAI).

The problem with the 1930s biased histories is that many others have since then used these published collections of milestones and historical eras, perhaps put into context for the first time, without bothering to look deeper into what was really happening on the scene. By examining and understanding the tools and techniques that climbers were inventing and learning, a better picture arises as to who was using the tools to extend the limits of possible on the rock. Strong clues also arise when considering the who, how, and why they were shared more widely with other climbing areas with other rock challenges, and one climber in particular, Käthe Bröske, a German-Polish climber, was involved with a series of cutting-edge climbs in the first decade of the 20th century but yet, little is known about her.

Pre-WWI Representation—a more egalitarian time?

Although climbing breakthroughs were often presented as the domain of men in the literature in the 1930s, with the exception of some legendary climbers who receive brief mentions as contributors such as Jeanne Immink, Rolanda and Ilona von Eötvös, and Vineta Mayer (who was the mother of leading pioneers in the 1910s), some pre-WWI literature, on the other hand, provides a different sense of the gender atmosphere. One 1911 book, in particular, devotes a whole chapter on women alpinists, its chapter here in PDF form: http://bigwalls.net/web/Burlington1911WomenAlpinists.pdf

In How to Become an Alpinist, Frederick Burlingham includes, “among the galaxy of women alpinists”: Fanny Bullock Workman, Annie Peck, Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna, Henriette d’Angeville, Marie Marvingt, Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed (also known as Aubrey Le Blond), Anna and Ellen Pidgeon, Vineta Mayer, Dora Keen, Eleonore Noll-Hasenclever, Madeline Namur, Constance Barnicoat, Mizzi Wolf, Katharine Richardson, Maria Preobrajenska, Mary Paillon, Vail, Maige, Léontine, von Reppert, Elsbeth (first names unknown), Rose Friedmann, Anna Zalaudek, Marie Weiler, Margarete Grosse, Jeanne Immink, and Käthe Bröske.

Burlingham’s coverage was focused more on the pioneers of alpine climbs in the western Alps, but also includes several of the leading rock climbers in the pre-WWI era.

Women climbers in Burlingham’s, “How to Become an Alpinist,” 1911.

Käthe Bröske

One woman little known today, in particular, is Käthe Bröske (1870-1929), whose climbs with Tita Piaz on some hard first ascents of Dolomite spires are recorded, including:

Pala del Larjé, per Parete Est, 450m
NE Torre Winkler
Two first traverses on the Vajolet Towers.
Probably lots of repeats in top style.

According to Piaz, "all the mountain guides” celebrated the first traverse of six Valolet summits “with the most sincere joy, through a legion of bottles of Champagne” in the Vajolet rifugio. What a rock climbing playground the area around the Vajolet Towers were for Piaz and Broske and Rudolf Schietzold must have been with advanced technical and free climbing skills; few if any climbers at the time could repeat the adventures as efficiently and in such fast times, demonstrating their confident skills and teamwork moving on difficult rock. These routes became training climbs for Piaz and Schietzold, who later that year climbed the west wall of the Totenkirchl, the most technical big wall of the time (next article, Piaz partD).

Katharinenspitze, named after Käthe Bröske, in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry, Karpaty), 2412m. First Ascent: .Katherine Bröske, Maximilian Bröske, Johann Hunsdorfer jr., Johann Hunsdorfer sn., September 4, 1902

Bröskë was from the Tatras, where she had done many first ascents. Piaz called her, as a compliment, “crazy in the high mountains.” She also climbed:

Third Sella Tower NW Ridge (560m) with Mr. Haberlin, 1906
Punta Fiames SE Arete (580m) with Mr. Jori, 1909

Both routes are now named only after the ‘misters’; perhaps they were the sole lead, but doubtful when considering the nature of these climbs.

Bröske and Haberlin’s NW ridge route on the Third Sella Tower (left #550, right #16). Source: Dolomites West, Alpine Club Guide Books, 1963, Sella-Langkofel, Geodeke, 1996. A dangerous route climbed in 1906 and was certainly a long testpiece of the time.

The route originally known as the “Jori-Bröske”, first climbed in 1909, is now just known as “Spigolo Jori”.

There are a few bits and pieces on Bröskë here and there, brief mentions in the journals, such as in the 1911 CAI journal: “KATHE BRÖSKE, the distinguished mountaineer, gives report of the first ascent of the Pala that bears her name (Larsec group in Val di Fassa), and the direct traverse of all six Vajolet Towers.” (The Pala route seems to be lost to history, further report in Österreichische Alpen-Zeitung 1909? …will have to do more digging—not in any of the old Dolomite guides I have). It becomes obvious with a bit of digging into the old journals that she was one of the top climbers in the first decade of the 20th century, with probably hundreds of hard climbs never reported.

Bröskë also did an early ascent of Tomasson’s climb on Marmolada Like others, no comprehensive article exists that tells a broader story, like many others, who by all accounts were equal partners on their climbs (Irma Glaser, also a Piaz partner, is another mystery). Bröskë was also a photographer who captured some of iconic images of the era, including some in Guido Rey’s works.

1909 report by Bröske (thanks to Adolf Mokmojs at Österreichischer Alkpenklub)

Translations (thanks to Phil Ziegler):

Pala Käthe Bröske (ca 2745m). 1. Climb on 17. August 1908.
This rock tower, so named by my companions, is located in the Larsen group south of the Gran Cront. After we, guide G.B. Piaz (Perra), Mr. Rudolf Schietzold (Munich) and I - had followed the path from Perra to the Vajolet hut for about a small hour, we climbed to the right through forest and over steep alpine meadows towards the Pala. Between the same and the Gran Cont, a gorge descends, flanked by a tower at the bottom right (in the sense of the ascent). Opposite this tower is the entrance, about 30m south of a spring. We climbed a brittle red chimney followed by a short traverse leading to vertical wall steps. over this we climbed about 125 meters high and then came to a 5 meter high, crooked chimney, after which we reached a small terrace. Now a few meters slight to a chimney-like gap (5 meters) and on a large rubble-filled terrace. From here a little to the right on the rugged edge up to a red, brittle crack, which pulls up to the left very heavy, at the end overhanging. On the open channel that now follows, to the left the wall straight up and then a few meters to the right into a 4.5 meter high chimney; from this to a small terrace. Now we turned to a fissure on the left. In it 35 meters straight up to an overhang, on which follows a shallow gully, which led us to the yellow summit break. Since it was impossible to reach the crack that continued vertically above it, we turned on a grass band about 8 meters upwards to the left and now reached on a very heavy traverse to the right again in a crack through it to the summit. Shortly before there is an original place: the crack is closed by an overhang; however, a laterally located hole, which allows leaving the crack, can only be passed by the first in such a way that he pushes with the feet ahead, over the overhang. You now follow the crack again to the Scharte, and from there you reach the summit via brittle rock. The climbing of the wall takes place from the entrance to the summit in an almost perpendicular line and required 4.5 hours.

1. complete, direct crossing of all six Vajolet towers (Deragoturm-Stabelerturm- Winklerturm [descent northeast wall] - Hauptturrn [ascent southwest face, descent southeast wall] - East Tower [exit south wall II, descent north wall] - North Tower [ascent northwest wall, descent south wall]) on 21 August 1908.
I. Crossing the Winklerturm to the northeast. Guide G.B. Piaz-Perra, Mr. Rudolf Schietzold-Muenchen and I followed the usual route until shortly above the Winklerriss, then made a traverse to the left and came - already on the northeast edge (wall hook with ring) - to a 4 meter long abseiling point.
We then arrived at a porch. Up to the top of the same and down to the other on a wide, block-filled terrace. This is still about 4 meters off until the drop off inhibits the way. Now on a narrow geroellbande to the left to a hidden crack in the steep, overhanging northeast wall (rope rings, wall hooks), It follows an approximately 35 meter large, free abseiling point on a band, which must be reached from the first by traversing. Progress is completely prohibited here (wall hooks with iron ring). The rope is pulled tightly through the ring, giving the descendant the opportunity to land on a postament about 4 meters higher, where the first has to go back up by means of rope assistance. To the left of the postament in a short crack with good insurance. In this crack now a few meters slightly down to a rubble place, from this again a few meters relatively easily through a brittle chimney about 15 meters down {wall hook). Now about 45 meters long abseiling point on the Schrofen shortly above the gap on the Winkler route (Winklerscharte) and over the cliff Schrofen to the gap (Scharte) itself.

Ms. Kathe Bröske, Zabrze. (1909 Österreichischer Alkpenklub)

Other notes on big wall/Grade VI pioneers:

Another intriguing climber is Mira Marko Debelak/Pibernik, who in 1926 climbed a direct route on the north wall of Špik with Stanko Tominšek, which certainly would have been on par with other mixed wall and alpine routes being climbed at that time, using the latest innovations in climbing equipment.

The 1926 direct route on Spik (Trigav National Park) in the Julian Alps is one of the great alpine big walls of the era. Mira Marko Debelokova is also noted.

More climbers of the early to mid big wall period to research whose names come up in the innovation story, some with very little info, some best known for mountain routes, and some recently researched (e.g. Anna Escher and Mary Varale): Meta Brevoort, Paula Jesih, Isabella Charlet-Straton, Margaret Jackson, Gertrude Bell, Emmy Harwich, Alice Damesme, Eckerth, Maud Wundt, Ninì Pietrasanta, Loise Boulaz, Rita Gottardi, Gemma Pagani, Paola Faccini, Giovanna Verri, Mimì Prati, Titty Angerer, Elmina Buhl, Phyllis Munday, Helen Buck, Mary von Glanvell, Marie Bernhard, Maria Carugati, Luisa Fanto, Constance Dechson, Hanne Franz, Mina Preuss (and of course Miriam O’Brien Underhill and Paula Weisinger, who are more well known). This list could be easily be extended with many more pioneers who deserve more research.

In short, though it is sometimes difficult to find primary source material or historical progression articles on many of the pioneering women rock climbers, it is possible to delve a bit deeper into brief references, by using varied source material and carefully considering the climbs and the ability and tools required to climb them. In addition to climbing inspiring routes, many women were also clearly involved in developing and refining new techniques, and sharing such knowledge to other areas, so this post serves as notes for me, perhaps others, to use as reference and to keep updating as more clues surface on the pioneers in the story of visionary lines climbed with lightweight tools.

A work in progress…

Fantastic recent paper here: https://www.pataclimb.com/knowledge/articles/pdf/Ottogalli-Boutroy_2020.pdf

John Middendorf 12/1/2021. email deuce4@bigwalls.net