The artifacts pictured here were donated by Arlene Blum and holdings of the American Alpine Club Library. They are currently on display at the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, located in the American Mountaineering Center, Golden, CO. Photos thanks to Arlene Blum. Check out this installment of our Legacy Series to hear Arlene Blum talk about her experiences on Denali and Annapurna.
The Denali Damsels, 1970
In 1970, Grace Hoeman, Margaret Young, Dana Isherwood, Arlene Blum, Margaret Clark, and Faye Kerr, set out on a journey to be the first-all female team to ascend and summit Denali (formally Mount McKinley). Although the sport had seen its small share of women climbers, climbing was traditionally a man’s sport, and many men of the time were content to keep it that way. Although the intention of the expedition was not to create a women’s liberation, their journey would push the door open for future female climber’s everywhere.
Leaving Talkeenta on June 23, the six were flown to the southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. After weeks of moving food and equipment up the glacier, the team was ready. On July 4th the team advanced to 17,000 ft via the West Buttress, and on July 6th all 6 women successfully reached the summit. The descent proved to be more difficult and was significantly slowed by an Alaskan storm, which left the team immobilized at Kahiltna Pass for several days. Finally on July 15th they were able to be flown from base camp.
Denali is known as an incredibly cold and arduous expedition. The mountain has claimed over 100 lives since 1903, with a particularly notable tragedy during 1967, only a few years before the Denali Damsels made their attempt. The team would not only summit but also make a self-rescue, assisting leader Grace Hoeman on the descent once she began showing acute signs of altitude sickness.
Climbing [Denali] was an extreme meditation. -Arlene Blum
The Denali Damsels Team:
Grace Hoeman, 1921-1971
Most active in Alaska, Grace Hoeman climbed more than 120 peaks there, including 20 first ascents, five of which were solo climbs. In her early 20s, Grace earned her bachelors of medicine from the University of Berlin and four years later, earned her doctorate of medicine from the University of Utrecht. At the time of her death, she was practicing anesthesiology in Anchorage. Although she suffered early on from diphtheritic myocarditis and two bouts of tuberculosis, nothing could deter her from her love of mountaineering. Grace was the Alaskan correspondent to Mountain Magazine, and was also on the editorial staff of the American Alpine Journal. She was sadly killed in an avalanche on Eklutna Glacier near Anchorage on April 12, 1971.
Notable Ascents:
1967- Hoary Peak (6057 ft.), Talkeetna Mountains
1968- Igikpak (8510 ft.), Brooks Range
1969- Paradise Peal (6050 ft.), Kanai Mountains
Mount Wickersham (7415 ft.), Chugach Mountains (solo)
Mount Kimball (10,350 ft), Alaska Range
Orizaba (18,700 ft.), Mexico
Chimborazo (20,561 ft.), Mexico
Illiniza (19,733 ft.), Ecuador
1970- Co-led the first all-women’s team to the summit of Denali (20,320 ft.)
Margaret Young, 1932-1979
Incredibly active in the mountaineering community, Margaret Young (1932-1979) climbed in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Kenya, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Nepal, and England. She made several first ascents and winter ascents of peaks and rock climbs in the Sierra Nevada. In 1970, she made history by joining the first all-women's team to climb Mount McKinley. On top of her many accomplishments, Margaret was also a skilled photographer. In 1977, Margaret was paralyzed after being thrown from a horse, but this did not deter her from her “extraordinary level of activity.” She designed a solar heating system for her home. In 1978, she not only became a member of the National Science Foundation’s panel on science and the handicapped, but also contributed to the American Women’s Annapurna I Expedition by making concentrated wine and other items for the team. Despite all her strength and vigor, Margaret lost her battle with cancer in 1979.
Notable Ascents:
1970- First all women’s ascent of Denali (20,320 ft.).
1972- Reached the summit of Noshaq, Afghanistan
1977- First all-women’s ascent of Pigeon and Howser Spires.
First all-women’s ascent of Sajam (21,424 ft.)
First ascent of Monja Grande, Ecuador
First ascent of south summit of Moose’s Tooth, Alaska
Dana Isherwood, 1936-2021
Although Dana spent her early years in the flatlands, she was eventually called to the Sierra Nevada. This move would be one to change her life forever. It was in the Sierra Nevada where she discovered her two loves, climbing and a man named Bill Isherwood. Just months after the two had met, he whisked her off to Peru, sealing her fate as a permanent fixture in the climbing world. Not long after their return from Peru, Dana and Bill were in Yosemite, rappelling down Glacier Point Apron, when they ran into two women who were on their way up. One of those women happened to be Arlene Blum. As the pairs sheltered themselves from the storm, Dana and Arlene began to hatch the plan to be the first women-led team to summit Denali. On her return from Alaska, Dana enrolled in the PhD program for geology through the University of Colorado. Although women scientists were rare for the time, Dana did not let that slow her down, and in 1975 she graduated alongside her husband.
Dana had many accomplishments, not only in the climbing world, but also through her contributions to science. She beat cancer, had many adventures and truly lived her life to the fullest.
Arlene Blum
It is hard to summarize everything that Arlene has accomplished in her life. She is truly an extraordinary person. Arlene holds a PhD in biochemistry and currently works as a Research Associate in Chemistry at UC Berkeley. She is also the founder and Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute, which has contributed to reducing the use of flame retardants, PFAs and other chemicals of concern worldwide.
She co-led the first all-women’s ascent of Denali in 1970, and led the first American all-women’s team to summit Annapurna I in 1979. She is the author and co-author of several books and publications, most notable are Annapurna: A Woman’s Place and Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life. She has received countless awards, and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2018.
Notable Ascents:
1970—Co-led the first all-women’s team to the summit of Denali (20,320 ft.).
1976—Participated in the Bicentennial climb of Mount Everest.
1979—Lead the first American all-women’s team to summit Annapurna I (26,545 ft.).
Lead the first expedition of American and Indian women to climb Bhrigupanth and the Indian Himalayas
Faye Kerr
Born and raised in New South Wales, Australia, Faye Kerr (1927? - 1980) was introduced to the rock climbing community while studying geology at Melbourne University. She quickly made a name for herself by climbing all over the Southern Alps with her Australian companion, Max Cutcliffe, in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Faye and her friend Dorothea Borys caused quite the disturbance by putting up several first “unguided” all women’s climbs in the European Alps. In the 1970s, Faye moved back to New Zealand, perfecting her new skills in oil pastels and working as park assistant and ski patroller at Mount Cook National Park.
Faye was not a painter before her 1974 NZ Women's Himalayan Expedition. It was Jill Tremain, one of the NZ climbers, who was the artist. After four women, including Jill, died in an avalanche and the rest of the team retreated, Faye and Margaret Clark later went back to the same valley to find peace. Faye said she thought she would take Jill painting materials with her and see if she could do some paintings in the way Jill would have wanted. This she did, and continued to do in subsequent years wherever she was in the mountains.
On March 6th 1980, Faye, along with a group of twelve other climbers, attempted to summit Annapurna III. This attempt would unfortunately be her last. As the team reached Camp I, they were hit with an avalanche that demolished the camp. The avalanche did not prove fatal and the entire team was able to reach base camp. However, a second and more virulent avalanche hit Base Camp, killing several members of the team. Although Faye survived the mountain, she did not survive the journey home and died from a stomach ulcer in India.
Faye was a true child of the mountains. She was happy in the simplest of habitations and could be at home in any outdoor mountain environment. She was a very private person, who never talked about her background or family, her achievements or future ambitions. She was reliable, measured in decision making and never voicing negative ideas. Only to close friends would she voice ideas for future adventures. A perfect partner in the mountains.
Margaret Clark
Margaret Clark (born 1935) is a New Zealand mountaineer and cycle tourer. She was an advocate for women climbers, and eventually became a lifetime member of the New Zealand Alpine Club in 2016. Now in her eighties, Margaret is still an active cyclist.
In 1975, Margaret led a joint Indian and New Zealand women’s expedition to climb Hardeol (7151m) in the Garhwal. Although Margaret survived, four members of the party were killed in an avalanche that swept out across the glacier floor. Despite this tragedy, Margaret has returned to the mountains of India every year since 1980. In 1992 Margaret led an expedition to the Pindar region of the Indian Himalayas, spending two months trekking and climbing.
Despite her age, Margaret continues to prove her vigor and strength to the world.
Explore below to see the collection of equipment and gear that Arlene Blum has donated to the American Alpine Club Library, from both her historic Denali ascent and Annapurna ascent.
