Background
She was born in Manchester, England, of Dublin parents.
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Brede Arkless
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Career
She made several all-women trips to the greater ranges, while still being able to rear eight children. She also organised women-only climbing courses, together with the noted climber and feminist Jill Lawrence. She was only the second woman to qualify, in the 1960s, as a British Mountain Guide, and was the first woman to hold the badge of the UIAGM as an international mountain guide.
While in her fifties she guided a total of 22 ascents of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
In 2000 Arkless tried to become the oldest woman to ascend Mount Everest but failed when she had to abandon her attempt at 8,500 m (28,000 ft) due to severe altitude sickness. The experience left her disillusioned: "Everest is full of non-climbers and rich people.
Everest is all about summit fever and people who shouldn"t be where they are. One guy said "How many 8000m peaks have you climbed?" When I said "One", he turned away."
Arkless died of pancreatic cancer, aged 66.
After being diagnosed Arkless rode her bicycle more than 150 miles over high mountain passes from her home to a hospital in Christchurch for exploratory surgery, which revealed that her illness was inoperable.
Brede Arkless is commemorated in the naming of an outdoor activities centre in East London. Run as a social enterprise by east London Charity Community Links"The Brede Arkless Outdoors in the City centre" recognises "..the inspirational way in which Brede introduced disadvantaged and often disaffected children and young people safely into the challenges and joy of the mountains".
