A senior PR executive from activity holiday specialist Inghams plans to climb Mont Blanc next year, dressed in Victorian clothes, as part of her Woman with Altitude project.
Elise Wortley aims to recreate the exploits of Henriette d’Angeville, who became the first woman to climb Mont Blanc unaided in 1838 – wearing a large bonnet, corset and socially unacceptable knickerbockers.
The Mont Blanc ascent will be the latest adventure by Wortley, who has already undertaken several intrepid journeys, following in the footsteps of female explorers from more than a century ago – wearing the same style of clothes and hob-nail boots.
“I would never really fully understand if I was wearing my puffer jacket and waterproof trousers,” she told Travel Weekly.
“There’s something amazing about being in [those clothes], in the mountains, and in that environment.”
More: Inghams PR executive features on Channel 4 survival show
She has explored Sikkim in India like Alexandra David-Neel, and emulated Nan Shepherd in the Cairngorms; Freya Stark in Iran; and Jane Inglis Clark in western Scotland.
In August, she attempted to climb Mont Blanc, like Henriette, but had to turn back because of an oncoming storm, along with filmmaker Grace Taylorson Smith Pritchard and guide Karen Bockel.
Instead, she and her team went over the border to Switzerland and summited Oldenhorn, the last mountain that Henriette climbed when she was 69 – twice the age of Wortley.
Now she plans to return next June to try to summit Mont Blanc when there is more snow.
And the business of fundraising has restarted, with Wortley talking to brands and organisations who might help with the cost of the filming expedition, which is likely to reach £40,000.
She has about 35,000 followers on social media, including 23,000 on Instagram, where she can promote partner brands, such as outdoor clothing company Passenger.
Other funds in the past have come from companies such as Inghams and sister brand Explore, while her fees from speaking at conferences and events also go towards her expedition costs.
Her exploits have been featured on Radio 4 – on Women’s Hour and Ramblings – BBC TV, and in newspapers and magazines, such as The Guardian, Financial Times and The Telegraph.
She was also the runner-up in Channel 4’s survival series Alone, filmed in Canada.
Her passion for uncovering the stories of forgotten women explorers began when she was 16, and read a book by Alexandra David-Neel, who embarked on a 14-year journey through Asia in 1910 to learn about Buddhism.
“She was the first Western woman to meet the Dalai Lama, and he told her that she should learn Tibetan. So she lived in a cave for two years with a Buddhist monk,” said Wortley.
“I thought ‘why have I not heard of these people?’ I wanted to follow in her footsteps, because no one had heard of her, to raise her profile.”
In her early 20s, she had severe anxiety but as she recovered, she started planning her outfit and trip to the Himalayan mountains.
“I started researching more women, so I have now got 150 on my list,” she added.
Her research includes visiting museums and reading their letters, which tend to reveal more interesting anecdotes than their books, in which the authors tried to be taken as seriously as male writers.
Even nowadays, the adventure world is male-dominated, said Wortley, who had just packed her bonnet ahead of travelling to the Kendal Mountain Festival.
“Last year at Kendal, there was one film, maybe, that was directed by women. I think there are a few more this year, which is really good, but there is still this massive gap,” she added.
Her attempt to climb Mont Blanc also highlighted the problem of climate change over the past century, as the lack of snow meant clambering over slippery rocks was more difficult.
“Henriette had a drawing of the glacier coming right down to Chamonix. We held the picture up in the position where it was – the glacier has now gone back so far, it is terrifying,” added Wortley.
She often finds herself researching in great detail to uncover what the authentic clothes would have been like – as well as the history of tampons, chocolate, bras, crampons and even rope from the 1800s.
“They must have been quite extraordinary and strong-willed women,” said Wortley.
“Some of them disguised themselves as men, as women would get questioned all the time.
“If they were brave enough to do that, then I can do whatever I need to today, they are very inspiring.”
Main picture: Elise Wortley on Mont Blanc. Credit: Grace Taylorson Smith Pritchard
