Female athletes face challenges that go beyond the physical demands of their sport: double standards, cultural policing of their bodies, and more. But what about female athletes not in the public eye? As it turns out, women in extreme sports — the sports that very few people dare to try — are subject to the same discriminatory forces. In Women On High: The Price of Passion at the Roof of the World, Jennifer Jordan writes about women who are high altitude climbers, conquering the very limits of nature while battling sexism.
Jordan writes,
I set out to determine whether, in fact, women high altitude climbers have two obstacles in approaching their Himalayan targets: the mountain at their feet and the men behind their backs.
Sadly, infuriatingly, the answer I found is a resounding yes, which may answer why women represent only about five percent of high altitude climbers. As one of the world’s most famous and talented rock climbers, Lynn Hill, said when I asked why she didn’t climb the Big Mountains (as the Himalayas are often called), “I don’t need to deal with the bullshit of base camp.”
Fair enough (and spot on), but it still begs the question; what about the women who do? And what do they suffer, both physically and mentally, to be competent players in the high altitude game?
The answer is – plenty. This odd, beguiling, terrible, wonderful, unspeakably gorgeous world is also among the deadliest arena on Earth.
Don’t want to scale a mountain? For some, reading a great book can be just as exciting! Check out this reading list from the Feminist Press.These books show that sports are about much more than athletic competitions — law, society, self-image and cultural mores all come into play.
Happy reading!
We want to hear what you think about the ideas in the magazine. Please contribute your thoughts to our comments section at the end of every story and Café piece, or write a letter to the editor.
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Upcoming Events
The Fluidity of Gender: Sculpture by Linda Stein, May 17 -June 23, 2012, Flomenhaft Gallery, 547 West 27th Street, Suite 200, New York City. Opening reception May 17, 6-8pm, will include a Pilobolus dancer wearing one of Stein’s sculptures. Stein is also Art Editor of On the Issues Magazine. During the five-week exhibit, a series of free programs and events will explode the concepts of masculinity and femininity. See complete schedule: http://conta.cc/IJBt6t
Open House, Choices Women’s Medical Center, May 23, 4-7 pm, at Choices’ new facility, 147-32, Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, Queens. RSVP by May 16 to [email protected]
We want to hear what you think about the ideas in the magazine. Please contribute your thoughts to our comments section at the end of every story and Café piece, or write a letter to the editor.
And we hope you’ll share this rich repository of material with your friends and colleagues — find us on Facebook and Twitter! We’re using the hashtag #levelthefield for this issue, so add it to your tweets to jump in the conversation.
Thanks for reading!