Cathy O'Dowd
Encyclopedia
Cathy O'Dowd is a South Africa
n rock climber, mountaineer
, author and motivational speaker
, famous for being the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest
from both south (25 May 1996) and north sides (29 May 1999).
Cathy O’Dowd, grew up in Johannesburg
, South Africa, has climbed since her university days. At 21 she took part in her first mountain expedition, to the Ruwenzori in central Africa.
when she applied for a place on the First South African Everest Expedition, and was selected to join the expedition. The team followed the route made famous by Edmund Hillary
. Despite being the novice on the team, she reached the summit on 25 May 1996. It was, however, a harsh introduction, as 37 year-old British team-member and photographer Bruce Herrod died on the descent.
Two weeks earlier 6 members of two other expeditions, as well as their experienced guides, American Scott Fischer
and the New Zealander Rob Hall
, had succumbed to the intense cold of a severe blizzard on their descent from the summit.
had disappeared in 1924. Her attempt ended hours from the summit when she came across Francys Arsentiev
, a dying American woman, and stopped to try and help. After finding that this woman was beyond help, O'Dowd and some of her party decided to turn around and descend, leaving Arsentiev behind. Two of the Sherpas went on to the summit. A moving and harrowing account of this decision was told to Michael Burek on the BBC Radio 4 programme 'The Choice' aired in November 2009.
In 1999 she returned, and on this occasion succeeded, becoming the first woman in the world to climb Everest from both north and south sides. In 2000 she became the fourth woman to climb Lhotse
, the world's fourth highest mountain.
, the most northerly point in Europe.
Cathy O'Dowd has climbed mountains across southern and central Africa, in South America, in the Alps
and in the Himalaya. She remains an active mountaineer, rock-climber and skier.
She married the First South African Everest Expedition leader Ian Woodall
in 2001 and is currently living in Andorra
in the Pyrenees
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rock climber, mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, author and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, famous for being the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
from both south (25 May 1996) and north sides (29 May 1999).
Cathy O’Dowd, grew up in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa, has climbed since her university days. At 21 she took part in her first mountain expedition, to the Ruwenzori in central Africa.
Everest - Southern route
Towards the end of 1995, she was finishing a Masters degree in Media Studies at Rhodes UniversityRhodes University
Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province...
when she applied for a place on the First South African Everest Expedition, and was selected to join the expedition. The team followed the route made famous by Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
. Despite being the novice on the team, she reached the summit on 25 May 1996. It was, however, a harsh introduction, as 37 year-old British team-member and photographer Bruce Herrod died on the descent.
Two weeks earlier 6 members of two other expeditions, as well as their experienced guides, American Scott Fischer
Scott Fischer
Scott E. Fischer was an American climber and guide, and the first American to summit 27,940-foot Lhotse, fourth highest mountain in the world.-Career:...
and the New Zealander Rob Hall
Rob Hall
Rob Hall , a native of New Zealand, was a mountaineer best known for being head guide of a 1996 Mount Everest expedition in which he, a fellow guide, and two clients perished. A best-selling account of the expedition was given in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air...
, had succumbed to the intense cold of a severe blizzard on their descent from the summit.
Everest - Northern route
In 1998 she attempted the difficult north side of Everest, where George MalloryGeorge Mallory
George Herbert Leigh Mallory was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s....
had disappeared in 1924. Her attempt ended hours from the summit when she came across Francys Arsentiev
Francys Arsentiev
Francys Arsentiev became the first woman from the United States to reach the summit of Mount Everest without the aid of bottled oxygen, on May 22, 1998.-Biography:...
, a dying American woman, and stopped to try and help. After finding that this woman was beyond help, O'Dowd and some of her party decided to turn around and descend, leaving Arsentiev behind. Two of the Sherpas went on to the summit. A moving and harrowing account of this decision was told to Michael Burek on the BBC Radio 4 programme 'The Choice' aired in November 2009.
In 1999 she returned, and on this occasion succeeded, becoming the first woman in the world to climb Everest from both north and south sides. In 2000 she became the fourth woman to climb Lhotse
Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
, the world's fourth highest mountain.
Everest - Eastern route
In 2003 she made an unsuccessful attempt at a new route up the notorious east face of Everest.Other expeditions
In the spring of 2004 she joined British woman Rona Cant and Norwegian Per-Thore-Hansen on a dog-sled expedition of 650 km through the remote wastes of the Norwegian Arctic, from Styggedalen to NordkappNordkapp
Nordkapp is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Honningsvåg.Nordkapp was separated from Porsanger on 1 July 1861...
, the most northerly point in Europe.
Cathy O'Dowd has climbed mountains across southern and central Africa, in South America, in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and in the Himalaya. She remains an active mountaineer, rock-climber and skier.
She married the First South African Everest Expedition leader Ian Woodall
Ian Woodall
Ian Woodall is a British mountain climber who has climbed Mount Everest several times.In 1996 Woodall was the leader of the controversial first South African Mount Everest expedition, during which one member of the party died...
in 2001 and is currently living in Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
.
Books
- Everest: Free To Decide - Cathy O'Dowd & Ian Woodall (Struik Publishers 1998) ISBN 1-86872-101-9
- Just for the love of it - Cathy O'Dowd (Free To Decide Publishers 2001) ISBN 0-620-24782-7