IS MOUNTAINEERING SEXIST?

Cheryl Bihag

A lot of women out there want to climb! But many of them think that mountaineering is only for the boys! You don't need to watch Women of K2 or know the exploits of Junko Tabei to believe otherwise! Listen to these four women that I look up to in the local mountaineering scene as they tell us what we should know about the combination 'the Filipina and the mountain'.

Cheryl Bihag

Rhovee Dadis

Imelda Lim

Kat Ocol

I had previously decided to make one post on this topic but the answers of these women to my questions are just so profound that I deemed it not proper to just lump all four of them into one single post!

We all have heard of the three Pinays (Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon and Janet Belarmino) who traversed Mt Everest in 2007. It is time we heard of other women making a difference in Pinoy mountaineering! In the next four posts you’ll know their answers to these questions:

1.      What are the things that you’ve done that you think many men can’t do?

2.      What has been the riskiest thing you’ve done?

3.      Do you sometimes wish you were a man because being a woman impedes you from doing what male backpackers can do?

4.      What can women do in mountaineering that men can’t?

5.      In your opinion, are there gender-related risks in travelling/backpacking/trekking?

6.      What has been your greatest accomplishment as a backpacker/adventurer/trekker?

7.      What is your ultimate mountaineering dream?

8.      Who do you look up to or respect in the local mountaineering scene? (International if no one in the country meets your standards)

9.      Quite a few male mountaineers have told me they wouldn’t want to marry a mountaineer (for varied reasons). Are you aware of any stereotypes on female mountaineers?

10.  What should men know about women who climb?

11.  You may summarize your answers to the questions above by addressing this ultimate question:
Do you think Mountaineering is Sexist? Please elaborate your answer!

12.  What is your message (if any) to women who aspire to climb?