In the 1950s, Irene Beardsley became one of the first women to climb Annapurna in Nepal, the world’s 10th-highest peak. Decades later, she shared her experiences in a StoryCorps conversation with Mary Ashworth, a friend of her daughter who first read about Beardsley’s climb as a young woman.
The two women reflect on navigating a male-dominated climbing culture and Beardsley’s early climbs with the Stanford Alpine Club.
The conversation was recorded on Aug. 29, 2025, in Jackson, Wyoming, as part of StoryCorps’ 20th mobile tour, capturing the voices of everyday Americans. Stories recorded through StoryCorps are archived in the American Folklife Collection at the Library of Congress.
Listen to the full conversation at StoryCorps.org.
