Us - over the years

History

Ladies Scottish Climbing Club was founded in 1908, by three women, at a boulder near the Lix Toll in Perthshire: Jane Inglis Clark (mother of Charles to whose memory the CIC hut on Ben Nevis is dedicated) her daughter Mabel Jeffrey, and Lucy Smith. All three had climbed extensively in Scotland and the Alps, though, typically, in the company of their respective male family members and friends. Having said that, they were experienced Alpinists in their own right. (See Centenary Gathering at Lix Boulder & poem to the Ladies below).

Club activities - the early years
The founding of an all-women's mountaineering club in Scotland, just a year after the Ladies Alpine Club in London, soon had the interest of like-minded 'ladies' with a keen interest in mountaineering, and who were to become pioneers in their day in many ways. The first New Year's meet was held in 1908-09 and a programme of regular meets developed much then, as now, with the Club visiting all the main climbing areas in Scotland such as Crianlarich, Glencoe and Skye.

The twentieth century – a few firsts
The pioneering spirit, which was there from the start of the Club, has been particularly illustrated in some of its members.
Club member Esmé Speakman made several first ascents of rock climbs in Glencoe, including January Jigsaw in 1940, a classic Severe on the Rannoch Wall of Buachaille Etive Mor.
Betty Stark, Cynthia Marr, Evelyn Camrass and Elma Wrench organised one of the first mountaineering expeditions to the Lyngen Peninsula in arctic Norway in 1954.
‍ ‍
In 1955, Monica Jackson, Betty Stark and Evelyn Camrass formed the first all women's expedition to the Himalayas. They explored the previously unmapped Phurbal Chyachumbu glacier and made a first ascent of a 22,000 ft peak on the frontier of Nepal and Tibet, naming it Gyalgen Peak, after their Sherpa.
The story of this Himalayan expedition is told in ‘Tents in the Clouds’ by Monica Jackson, republished in 2000 by Seal Press (US). It is an amusing and inspirational account of three women who parted from jobs and family to ‘subject themselves to extreme discomfort on some lonely, alien and desolate wrinkles on the earth’s surface’.
In 1970 Helen Steven led an expedition to the previously unexplored Alpefjord region of Greenland. Several first ascents were made, as well as the first all women's ascents of the Berseker Spire and Ardvreck.

Forcan ridge in Feb

Arrochar 1908 - first meet of the Club

Meall a’ Bhuiridh 1921

Slioch scrambling 1923

Millenium & Centenary

‍The Millenium
In 2000 the Club had an expedition to Ladakh and members climbed Stok Kangri, “over 20,000 ft in the year 2000” to quote Kate, our then President.  Four separate groups first undertook acclimatisation treks, reaching at least 5000 m, before joining together for the peak. (Photos show members on the summit.)

During the late 20th and early 21st century LSCC summer Alpine meets were enjoyed.
Our Huts Blackrock and Milehouse have copies of some Alpine Journals

The Centenary
In 2008, the Club celebrated its Centenary with a programme of events taking place over the year, including:
Members meeting at the Lix boulder; a mass ascent of Buachaille Etive Mor by a variety of climbing and scrambling routes - many members dressed in period costume (photo);
a meet in Bolivia, based at the Condoriri base camp, where Pequena Alpamayo was climbed (photo);
a three week stravaig across Scotland. 

Then and now
Glen Doll in 1952 and Koon in Kalymnos on DNA 7a+ in 2015.
Another climb was her 8a on Ching at Dunkeld Upper Cave C.