On August 27, 1923, Eleanor Davis, the Director of Physical Education for Women at Colorado College, did something no woman before her had ever done: she stood atop the Grand Teton.
One hundred years later, The Teton Climbers’ Coalition will mark Davis’ accomplishment with a year-long celebration of women in the mountains.
The celebration will begin on Friday, January 13, at the Jackson Hole Playhouse with “Moving Mountains: A Panel Discussion on Women in the Tetons.”
The panel, which is the first event of the inaugural AlpinFilm, will also be broadcast live online. Doors open for the panel at 4:30 p.m. The panel itself will be held from 5-6 p.m.
The panel discussion will feature Exum’s first female guide, Catherine Cullinane; Exum guide and TCC board member Morgan McGlashon, the youngest woman to ski the Grand Teton; and Madison Rose Ostergren, a professional skier and star of the film “Fuel.” The panel will be moderated by TCC board member Sheila Walsh Reddy.
“I’m looking forward to talking about being a female in the industry,” said Ostergren. “Self acceptance and overcoming obstacles in life shape who we become. That’s part of my journey, and I’m excited to share it with others.”
“There is power in telling our stories,” said Walsh Reddy. “When I was 14, I got my hands on the stories of the first women guides in the Grand Canyon – they transformed me. Even today, when I stand at the bottom of a hard pitch or the top of a steep line, tapping into the stories of other women climbers or skiers helps me fulfill my intention. I hope this will be a night of stories to inspire and further connect women in the Tetons.”
Following the panel, AlpinFilm will begin at 7 p.m. with a mix of short, medium and feature-length films, many of which will feature female adventurers.
Where the centennial celebration goes from there is, in part, up to the Teton community. All-female ascents of the Grand on the date of the centennial and scholarships that support female mentorship are just two of the ideas bubbling up around the anniversary celebration.
“There’s a lot to celebrate about progress to date,” said Walsh Reddy, “and a lot more work to be done as well to support women in the mountains.”
“We’re looking forward to hearing more ideas from Teton women about the centennial,” she said, “and to making 2023 a year to remember.”
All proceeds from AlpinFilm will underwrite the work of The Teton Climbers’ Coalition, a 501c3 non-profit organization that stewards, advocates and engages on behalf of the Teton climbing community.