Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and the Women on Peaks

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Direction: Stefan Sternad, Camera: Stefan Sternad

Production: ORFIII, ipFILM

Documentary film: 45 min./2023

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is one of the most famous Austrian mountaineers. She has conquered all 14 of the world's eight-thousanders. Her successes have made a significant contribution to the recognition of women's achievements in male-dominated mountain sports. She herself says: “There are always men who can't accept that there are also strong women. But that's their problem, not ours.”

Until the 1990s, successful female mountaineers did not have it easy. Their achievements were often belittled. “Being a lesbian or being against men was one of those accusations that came straight away. These women want to be where the men are. They're actually man-wives, they're actually against men too,” explains historian Martina Gugglberger from the University of Linz in the film. She has researched the topic of female alpinism in detail.

Society saw women in the role of mothers. For a long time, a mother climbing a mountain was considered a social taboo. Six-time german ice climbing world champion, Ines Papert, knows the problem. She herself is a single mother and states: “No child in the world needs their mother around the clock.” This new production takes us through the Austrian history of female mountaineers and lets different women have their say about their mountains which they call home.