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Ranking in 7summits list, either CP or K | : | 52 |
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Ranking in Carstensz Pyramid list | : | 0 |
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Ranking in Kosciuszko list | : | 34 |
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First name | : | Brigitte |
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Family name | : | Muir |
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Gender | : | female |
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Country of origin | : | Australia |
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Date of Birth | : | 1958-09-08 |
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Name of first summit | : | Denali |
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Date of climbing the first summit | : | 1988-05-24 |
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Name of final summit in Carstensz list | : | xxx |
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Date of final summit in Carstensz list | : | 0000-00-00 |
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Name of final summit in Kosciuszko list | : | Everest |
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Date of final summit in Kosciuszko list | : | 1997-05-27 |
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Date of climbing Kilimanjaro | : | 1989-02-01 |
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Date of climbing Elbrus | : | 1990-09-24 |
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Date of climbing Aconcagua | : | 1989-12-25 |
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Date of climbing Denali | : | 1988-05-24 |
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Date of climbing Vinson | : | 1994-12-28 |
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Date of climbing Everest | : | 1997-05-27 |
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Date of climbing Carstensz Pyramid | : | 0000-00-00 |
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Date of climbing Kosciuszko | : | 1990-05-28 |
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Climbed Carstensz Pyramid? | : | No |
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Climbed Kosciuszko? | : | Yes |
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Total time including Carstensz Pyramid | : | xxx |
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Total time including Kosciuszko | : | 09y,003d |
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Age when finished with CP | : | xxx |
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Age when finished with K | : | 38y,262d |
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Website | : | http://www.adventureplus.com.au/ |
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Additional Info | : | Brigitte Muir has also made a living out of climbing by her own company adventureplus (see website) & guiding for Icetrek (http://www.icetrek.com/partners/brigitte.html).
Born as a Belgian citizen, she moved to Australia with her husband Jon, who she runs the company with.
In 1998 Brigitte's climb of Mt. Everest completed her quest to climb 'the Seven Summits' -- the highest mountain on each continent. She is the first Australian to have achieved this milestone, and the first Australian woman to climb Mt. Everest.
Brigitte has also climbed Shishapangma and completed a difficult new route on the West Pillar of Shivling (6500m).
Brigitte has guided on Antarctica's highest peak, Mt. Vinson, and, together with her husband, Jon, has guided numerous expeditions to the summit of South America's highest mountain, Aconcagua. Together they operate a successful guiding company from their home in Natimuk, Victoria. Located next to the sandstone cliffs of Mt. Arapiles, their clients are treated to some of the best climbing the world has to offer.
(from http://www.saxton.com.au/speakers/Muir.html):
Brigitte has climbed mountains for more than 25 years and first attempted Everest in 1993.
In 1996, she was battling high winds on Everest's South Col when a storm struck and eleven climbers died. The tragedy is described by Jon Krakauer in his bestseller "Into Thin Air". The year before that she was separated from her party when she stopped at 8500m to change a dead headlamp battery. Beset by icy winds, Brigitte knew that 70% of climbers who spend a night on Everest without shelter die. Brigitte has recounted her epic journey from Belgium to the top of the world in her autobiography "The Wind in My Hair". It is a tale of true heroism, courage and the unconquerable determination to fulfil a dream.
On 9 January 2001, Brigitte became the first Australian woman to have completed a walk to the South Pole. It took Brigitte and her team 11 days to walk 116 kms to the Pole in temperatures averaging minus 25 degree Celsius.
Although impressive in itself, her walk was intended as a reconnaisance trip for a polar expedition she is currently organising of Australian women via an entirely new route from the edge of Antarctica. This will be only the ninth new route pioneered to the South Pole since Amundsen first reached it in 1912, and the first ever explored by women.
Brigitte's presentations focus on the important qualities needed to achieve long-term goals: passion, persistence, communication, and trust in intuition.
The following interview is from http://www.worldexpeditions.com.au/janbgt.php3:
Q: How did you get started?
A: I started with caving at high school, then I met some people who were doing some rock climbing… it all went from there..
Q: What was the first mountain you climbed and how high was it?
A: Gran Paradiso in Italy. It's was 4000 metres something. I had 10 point crampons and boots that I'd borrowed. I found it really hard, it was a pretty crowded on the trail to the top too!
Q: How did you meet your mountaineer husband - Jon Muir? He's famous for being one of the mountaineering world's great characters…what were your first impressions of him?
A: I meet Jon the first time I was in Australia travelling around the place with friends. I was rock-climbing, beach-bumming, drinking wine, buying t-shirts and admiring aboriginal artefacts…and I just meet him somewhere in between all that. In fact, I think he joined us on a rock-climbing expedition in the Blue Mountains. I didn't get to see him climb then though - he spent the whole time lying on his back listening to his walkman! He had tennis elbow and wasn't able to climb.
Q: When did you decide to climb the 7 summits?
A: In 1987. That was the year that Jon was invited to climb Everest…and I wasn't! It was a bit of a 'I'll show you' kind of thing. Pretty impulsive to start with but ended up being such a significant thing for me - It also kept me out of trouble for 9 years!
Q: Do you think you'll ever retire?
A: Retire? What does that mean? I want to stay curious so that I keep on learning - that's what my life's all about - exploring. I want to keep on shouting outloud too, to politicians who are allowing our beautiful and precious environment to be ruined. I'll keep on climbing and drawing attentiion to the importance of our environment for as long as I live.
Q: Which mountain has offered the most spectacular views?
A: Pobably Shivling (India). But the south face of Aconcagua in the Andes is amazing too.
Q: Have you ever had a brush with death?
A: A long time ago in my boyfriend's car when I was 18! We were driving to climb in the south of France. We had a head on collision with a car where the driver was asleep at the wheel…you need to beware, roads kill.
Q: So what are you planning to do next?
A: I am planning a trip along a new route to the South Pole from the edge of Antarctica. where ships can go to in the summer. My trek will be with another woman climber. If I find companies based in the region that I respect, to underwrite the project, I'll do that. My sponsor Tower supported a recce to the Pole this last summer, and I saw enough to convince me to go for it. Though I know it won't be easy…if it were, everybody would be doing it.
Q: Have you got any advice for young climbers like me?
A: Only to tell you to keep your knickers on, you don't need a man to show you the ropes! There are lots of women who can do better than men in the outdoors. Some know it and are doing it today, others don't know it yet, but will be doing it soon! Having fun and pushing yourself for your own satisfaction is the most important thing. You don't need to beat the wilderness into submission either. It just doesn't work that way. You need to respect the the mountain you're climbing. Taking your time, nice and steady and having a healthy respect for the environment might save your life…machismo kills!"
Some other nice backgrounders can be found here:
http://wellwomen.rwh.org.au/pages/inst15a.htm |
