Viva Femina!

In a gallant homage to his partner of many films, Fred Astaire said that Ginger Rogers did everything he did, except she did it backwards and in high heels.

Women have always been able to do everything men did, setbacks and obstacles notwithstanding. The women of my city have always been up to many challenges. As early as the early 1900’s, they formed an All Women Mountain-climbing Society. Unlike men, they did not go up with all the (then) modern equipments. They went dressed like they were off to a Garden Party, dressed in their finest and a hat.

Mountaineering in 1908

The picture shows two members of the Society tackling Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh in 1908.