First all‑women ascent of Denali

On May 25, 1970, Arlene Blum co-led the Denali Damsels expedition that achieved the first all‑women’s ascent of Denali, North America’s highest peak. The team climbed what was then still widely known as Mount McKinley, confronting not only the mountain’s physical dangers—extreme cold, crevasse‑riddled glaciers, and unpredictable storms—but also entrenched skepticism about women’s abilities in high‑altitude climbing.

At the time, serious mountaineering expeditions were overwhelmingly male, and women were often relegated to support roles at base camp. By organizing and co‑leading an all‑female team that successfully reached Denali’s summit, Blum and her teammates directly challenged these norms. Their ascent demonstrated that women could plan, lead, and execute demanding technical climbs at the highest level.

This climb became a landmark in the history of women’s mountaineering, helping to open doors for subsequent generations of female alpinists. It also laid important groundwork for Blum’s later Himalayan expeditions, including her leadership of the all‑women American ascent of Annapurna. The Denali success showed sponsors, media, and the climbing world that all‑women teams were not a novelty, but serious, competent, expeditionary forces.