The Conquest of Mount Cook and Other Climbs; an Account of Four Seasons' Mountaineering on the Southern Alps of New Zealand

by Freda Du Faur

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332 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 2013

Reviews

[Angela Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a revelation, something to read slowly and savour.
Written at the time of WW1, it’s author Freda du Faur was a young Australian in her twenties when she fell in love with mountaineering and spent her summers in New Zealand conquering the peaks of the Southern Alps. She is known for being the first woman to climb Mt Cook but some of her other climbs make for extremely exciting reading. The writing is surprisingly good and she carries along the reader with her enthusiasm and passion for her sport.
Her account of the criticism she received for her clothing and her attempt to counter that by shortening her skirt to ‘a frill’ is touching. Underlying the story of her achievements is the current of misogyny. One can picture the frowns and head shaking of the guests at the Hermitage where she based herself each season. It is poignant to read on-line of her eventual suicide. She was very much a woman before her time.

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading Solo by Hazel Phillips (also an excellent book) and was not disappointed. Freda was an amazing and inspirational woman of her time. Many accounts of her climbs paint a picture of a truly different time. The climbs, harrowing, the equipment and clothes, rudimentary, and the tracks are more or less non-existent.

It was interesting to me to find that most of her main climbs were done being guided, where her guides would tend to go out each evening to cut steps and scout the track for the next day. They also carried the majority of the equipment in their “swags”. This is not to diminish her achievements, but only serves to exemplify the incredible hardness of climbing guides of The Hermitage. Absolutely incredible.

The book is remarkably readable and not at all dull. Freda never ceases to amaze. She truly inspires me to go out and do some basic mountaineering — that is until I get on a slope and realise I’d love to not fall and die. Hah.

[Marita Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book.
Love biographies, really enjoyed this.
Was another 30 years before I found out about her personal life and death.