Female climbers, female writers and wives of Himalayan mountaineers: Mountain women in various literary, social and cultural contexts

Abstract

The author of the article seeks to answer the question of to what extent women can function in the mountain space and be regarded as “mountain women”. The question is, in fact, a complex one; the relation between women and the mountains has varied, depending on the historical period, place and cultural associations. The author demonstrates various ways of the functioning of women in the mountains as well as the roles which they have played. This is illustrated by cultural texts — narratives with women, primarily Polish women, as their authors or protagonists. The author highlights the first female conquerors of the Tatra Mountains and their emancipatory function; the post-war female Himalayan mountaineers and the impact they had on the social perception of the activity of women; as well as contemporary female climbers, who can be divided into sportswomen, wives of Himalayan mountaineers and authors of literary works. The description and analysis of the typology, enriched with literary and journalistic examples, demonstrate the multiplicity of women’s relations with high mountains.