Born: 1961 (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Lydia Pounamu Bradey ONZM (born 9 October 1961) is a New Zealand mountaineer. She became the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1988. She has gone on to summit the mountain five more times.
Early Life:
Lydia Bradey was born to Royce and John Bradey in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father was absent for most of her childhood, and she and her mother struggled financially. Bradey developed a passion for mountain climbing as a teenager. She embarked on her first wilderness expedition at the age of 14. By the age of 17, she had already climbed to the summits of Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring. During this time, she often climbed with her friend Rob Hall and later met his friend Gary Ball. When she turned 19, Bradey left New Zealand for a four-year international climbing trip, which included an attempt on Denali in Alaska and ten ascents of Yosemite’s big walls, seven of which were the first ascents by a female.
Mountain Climbing Career:
In 1987, Bradey achieved a significant milestone by reaching the summit of Gasherbrum II, becoming the first Australasian woman to climb one of the world’s fourteen 8,000-meter peaks. However, her ascent was controversial as she was climbing on a permit for the adjacent Gasherbrum I, which she had abandoned due to bad weather. This made her climb technically illegal.
In October 1988, Bradey accomplished a historic feat by successfully solo climbing Mount Everest. She became the first woman to reach the summit without the use of supplemental oxygen. This achievement also made her the first New Zealand female to conquer Everest and the youngest New Zealander at the time. However, her ascent was met with resistance and controversy. Bradey had climbed a route for which she did not have a permit, and to avoid being banned from the mountain, her teammates Rob Hall and Gary Ball initially claimed she hadn’t reached the summit. When the Nepalese government threatened Bradey with a 10-year climbing ban, she retracted her claim of a successful ascent. However, she later reasserted her claim to the summit.
In 1994, Bradey graduated from the University of Auckland with a degree in physiotherapy. She continued to pursue her passion for mountain climbing and completed a certificate in acupuncture in 1998. Additionally, she became an International Mountain & Ski Guide (IFMGA) in 2000. Since then, Bradey has worked as an alpine guide based in Wānaka.
Bradey made her second summit climb of Mount Everest in May 2008, twenty years after her first ascent. On this occasion, she climbed as a guide for a group of clients under the outfitter Adventure Consultants (AC). She continued her achievements and made her third, fourth, and fifth ascents of Everest in 2013, 2016, and 2018 respectively. Each time, she guided expeditions as an AC guide. In 2019, Bradey guided Everest for the sixth time, this time from Tibet, China.
Awards:
– Order of New Zealand Merit (ONZM)