Junko Tabei on the summit of Mount Everest in 1975
Date: May 16, 1975
Location: Summit of Mount Everest, Nepal/China border
The photograph shows Junko Tabei, a Japanese mountaineer, at or near the summit of Mount Everest on May 16, 1975, after becoming the first woman in history to reach the peak. Tabei led the all-female Joshi-Tohan expedition from Japan. Twelve days before the summit attempt, an avalanche struck the team's Camp II, burying Tabei under the snow; she was unconscious for approximately six minutes before Sherpa guides dug her out. Despite her injuries, she continued and summitted via the southeast ridge with Sherpa Ang Tsering. Tabei subsequently became the first woman to complete the Seven Summits — the highest peak on each continent. She became an advocate for mountain conservation and was director of the Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan. She died of peritoneal cancer in October 2016.
← Explore all photos on the map
