In 1975, Junko Tabei climbed Everest, the first woman to reach its summit. 50 years on, join the Mount Everest Foundation to celebrate her ascent and discover the rarely told stories of extraordinary pioneering women in the Himalayas and beyond.
This celebratory event features speakers who embody the living history of women’s mountaineering today.
- Jo Bradshaw, herself an Everest summiteer, shares with us the societal and cultural barriers that the Japanese climber Junko Tabei determinedly overcame to be the first woman to stand on Everest’s summit.
- Physicist Dr Melanie Windridge explores the science behind climbing Everest and examines how the experience may differ for women compared to men.
- A small exploratory trio, Elizabeth Porter, Dr Caitlin McHale and Martha Gutteridge, take us on a rocky road to the remote Ak-Shyyrak mountain range in Kyrgystan in search of unclimbed peaks.
Hosted by the Mount Everest Foundation which is jointly administered by the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club and supports exploratory scientific and mountaineering expeditions worldwide.
- Monday Night Lecture
Conservation in action - Susanna Handslip, Aldo Kane, Declan Burley and Vianet Djenguet
Join the team from Apple TV’s 'The Wild Ones' for a behind the scenes look at the challenges of raising awareness about the world’s most critically endangered animals and the role of television in achieving positive change.
London and onlineMembers + one guestMonday 12 January 2026 - Monday Night Lecture
Asgard legacy
In an expedition led by Founder’s Medal recipient Colonel Patrick Baird, Mount Asgard was first climbed in 1953. Seven decades later, Niall and Finn McCann attempted to follow in their grandfather’s footsteps.
London and onlineMembers + one guestMonday 19 January 2026 - Monday Night Lecture
The spirit of the rainforest: a journey with Rosa Vásquez Espinoza
Scientist and National Geographic Explorer Dr Rosa Vásquez Espinoza shares a personal Amazon journey, melding indigenous wisdom with modern science to illuminate biodiversity, resilience and urgent conservation challenges.
London and onlineMembers + one guestMonday 26 January 2026