> Find galleries, blog posts and many more episodes at www.mountainairpodcast.uk“I love getting out there and stripping everything away so that life becomes very simple.”In the latest episode of Mountain Air we meet Becky Coles, a Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and expedition leader whose travels have spanned all seven continents. Through these adventures, she’s recorded numerous first ascents in locations as diverse as Afghanistan, Nepal and South Georgia in Antarctica. These and other exploits have earned her a place on Montane’s roster of sponsored athletes. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, she even has a PhD in Glacial Geomorphology (phew!).“You can’t drive through Drumochter without admiring the drumlins.”When considering Becky’s achievements so far, it’s sobering to note that only 6% of those that hold the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award are women and that she was herself only the 40th woman to achieve it. However, when not working in Sheffield, North Wales or the West Highlands, balancing skillsets and conditions and thus “solving the puzzle” of helping her clients achieve their goals in the mountains, Becky is often found pursuing her own ambitions in the European Alps and beyond. In fact, Project Alpine Spirit - ongoing since it started with a bang in the summer of 2019 - aims to become the first all-women team to climb all 82 of the alpine 4000m peaks. An ever-shifting cooperative of willing alpinists (of which Becky is the only permanent member) it currently sits at 72, with only 10 peaks remaining. They happen to be 10 of the hardest. But it has a rich history of women climbers, dating back to alpinism’s golden age in the Victorian era, to call on for inspiration - and it’s a heritage and backdrop that Becky is keenly aware of and excited to continue into the 21st century.“If I’d had endless money I probably would have signed up to a commercial trip and been guided, but I discovered that in the UK we have lots of access to mountaineering grants...”Elsewhere in the conversation, you’ll hear how the discovery of multiple climbing and expedition grants available within the UK was the impetus for Beck’s initial expeditions; what it feels like to make a first ascent in a remote area; and how fellow women climbers can inspire one another in a world where they’re still very much the minority.“There are plenty of peaks that aren’t super technical, and were within my skills to attempt, and that took me to remote places in Nepal, Central Asia, the Wakhan Corridor into Afghanistan and onto South Georgia as well.”Discover all of this and more in Mountain Air Series 3, Episode 9. “I hate the packing, but I love getting out there and stripping everything away so that life becomes very simple.”> https://www.roammountains.co.uk/> https://www.instagram.com/roam.mtns> https://montane.com/pages/rebecca-coles-athlete> https://www.womensalpineadventureclub.com/blog/project-alpine-spirit-with-becky-coles