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We need to decolonize the way we talk about mountains, women and nature. “Conquer, bag…” those terms are all based in a colonial mentality. We don’t conquer mountains. I believe that words matter. How we conceptualize and vocalize our experiences in nature and the outdoors sets a precedent for other aspects of our life. On Everest/Chomolungma/Sagarmatha, I wasn’t conquering. I was surviving. Barely. This photo taken from camp 3 at 27,000’/8230m on a low flow of oxygen shows it. To be honest, parts of the experience were deeply traumatic. I was forced to confront death in a brutal, raw and visceral way. I’m only beginning to process and unpack my emotions around it.Nature isn’t something to exploit for our personal gain. And when I go to the mountains, I do it with the utmost respect. We never conquer, we are merely granted passage. As I’ve learned more about the intersectionality between environmentalism and gender equity, I’ve realized how deeply rooted colonial language is in our society and especially in outdoor sports. So this winter, instead of talking about how hard I slayed a line, I’m going to talk about the passion and love I had for that line. I’m going to do my best to change how I conceptualize and discuss my relationship with mountains and nature, and I hope you’ll join me.I want to thank @ruemapp from @outdoorafro for pointing this out to me, teaching me how our colonialist language can make the outdoors less inclusive. Becoming more aware of our language is an important first step we can take to make the outdoors a welcoming place for everyone.#climbforequality #mountainsareforeveryone
