Have you ever looked at something so much bigger than yourself and thought, “I can do that. I can overcome that”? Something that loomed before you like a mountain? Junko Tabei did. She looked at actual mountains not as obstacles in her way, but of paths to be forged and something to be climbed up and over. This month, particularly given all that’s going on, we cannot wait to introduce little ones to The Independent Mountaineer!
Never have I ever had any interest in scaling any sort of mountain. It's never been on my radar. The closest I've ever come to mountain climbing is hiking on paths in the mountains surrounding Tucson and climbing over rocks, but I'm pretty sure that's not at all the same thing. I was fascinated to learn more about this woman who not only climbed Everest, but also each of the seven highest peaks on each of the seven continents. I was not disappointed. Junko Tabei was an incredible woman; one who knew what she wanted to do and moved forward in pursuit of her dreams.
Photo via GognaBlog
Junko Tabei grew up in Japan. As the smallest in her family, she was considered her weakest of the Tabei children. (Pretty interesting given all that she was able to do!) But in the 4th grade her teacher took her and her class on a mountain climbing field trip. That was it. Junko fell in love with climbing. She said the solitude of the sport and its non-competitiveness spoke to her. However, as climbing was an expensive sport and her family didn't have the money. She was able to go on a couple small climbs growing up, but it wasn't until she was in college that she was able to really invest in her love of mountaineering.
Joining a climbing club in college, Junko was the only female climber. Sadly, some of the men in the club refused to climb with her. They thought she wasn't serious about climbing and was using the club to find a husband. She continued to climb with them, but finally decided to start her own club specifically for women. Their motto: "Let's go on an overseas adventure by ourselves." In a culture that maintained that a woman's place was in the home and if she had to work, her place was serving tea at work, this was a big deal. Junko, and the other women, were making a statement of independence. They were essentially saying that women had other interests and desires outside of the home. It was this independent spirit that led Junko to attempt and summit Mount Everest. And she was the first woman to do so.
Junko summiting Ismoil Somoni Peak
Photo credit: Jaan Künnap
Summiting Everest was no easy feat. If it was easy everyone would do it, right? It requires detailed planning, intense physical training, and even mental training. And even after all of that and no matter how well prepared you are, you may not even be able to summit that great mountain. You may come up against the elements—adverse weather, avalanches, and more. Junko’s climb to the top was not easy. Her team was hit by an avalanche at Base 2. She was tossed about like a rag doll in her tent in the middle of the night, her tentmates and their equipment slamming into her small body. She even lost consciousness for 6 minutes. Still, she kept climbing. That independent spirit kicked in when her team was unable to continue on. It was just Junko, her Sherpa, and Everest. Upwards she climbed, sometimes clawing her way up the mountain on her hands and knees. But she pressed on until she reached the top as the first woman to summit Mt. Everest. Independently, she planted her summit flag and surveyed the world below her and where she’d come from.
Junko Tabei helped other women by 'climbing the mountain' of sexism in the sport. She showed that women could not only keep up with the men, but that they could in fact summit the highest peaks in the world. It's for this reason we can't wait to introduce little ones to this independent woman. She was someone whose family considered her weak, someone her culture considered weak, but in reality she was strong and as a result showed the world what women can do.
This crate will introduce little ones to this fearless lady, the science of weather, an art project related to climbing, and a bonus activity. It's going to a fun one! The Independent Mountaineer crate is available now through May 15th at www.girlscancrate.com.