526 - Virginia Slim Minute

Summary

My Favorite Murder Episode 526 - "Virginia Slim Minute"

April 2, 2026 | Hosts: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark

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Episode Overview

This solo episode of My Favorite Murder features Georgia Hardstark bringing to light the incredible yet under-recognized story of Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest. The episode explores Tabei's courage, perseverance in the face of sexism, and lifelong passion for mountaineering and environmental stewardship. True to the show's style, the first segment offers lighthearted makeup talk, while the main narrative delivers a mix of history, advocacy, and inspiring quotes—all with the hosts’ signature wit and warmth.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Beauty & Makeup Recommendations (02:43–09:50)

• Podcast opens with playful banter about starting solo episodes with makeup tips and beauty recommendations.
  • Georgia laments the challenge of finding the correct foundation due to her “red with green” undertones and rosacea (03:09).
  • She praises TikToker Tyler Mars and the REM foundation (03:43, 03:44), noting:
    “It is the best foundation I’ve worn to date.” (04:04)
  • Karen recommends Kim Chi’s Puff Puff Pass Setting Powder, a drag queen makeup staple (05:10):
    “I'm obsessed with it.” (05:27)
  • Both discuss how the skill and artistry of drag queens have positively influenced broader culture and makeup routines.
    Karen: “We must listen to drag queens more, please.” (06:31) Georgia: “Always listen to drag queens.” (06:34)

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2. Main Story: Junko Tabei, Trailblazing Mountaineer (09:50–39:41)

Intro & Context (09:50–11:45)

• Georgia frames the story as a celebration of a trailblazing woman, echoing the solo episode’s theme of honoring women who "refused to take no for an answer” even when “an avalanche couldn't keep her down.” (11:26)
• She notes Tabei’s 1975 ascent of Everest as a little-acknowledged 50th anniversary in Japan, setting the scene for the narrative’s urgency and relevance.

The Early Years: Identity & Inspiration (11:45–15:38)

• Junko Tabei’s upbringing in Fukushima, Japan:
  • Overcoming childhood frailty and economic hardship in post-WWII Japan.
  • First mountain trips at age 10 spark a passion for adventure:
    “I realized there were so many things in the world which I have never encountered and that it is fun to see and learn directly through one’s own experiences. I became determined to go wherever I could go.” (13:52)
  • Faces rigid expectations for women; climbing considered culturally inappropriate.
  • The Japanese adage: “The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.” (15:35)

Building Her Path: Breaking Barriers in Climbing (15:38–19:53)

• Tabei persists, joining male-dominated alpine clubs where many believe she's just looking for a husband.
• By mid-20s, she has summited all of Japan’s most prominent peaks, including Mt. Fuji, while funding her climbs through multiple jobs.
• Marries fellow mountaineer Masanobu Tabei despite her parents’ disapproval regarding his lack of degree—Georgia: “She doesn’t give a shit about anything.” (18:24)
• While being a working mother, Tabei dreams up the Ladies Climbing Club in 1969, Japan’s first all-female climbing organization:
  Motto: “Let’s go on an overseas expedition by ourselves.” (19:20)

The Road to Everest: Ambition & Setbacks (19:53–24:28)

• The club’s first major achievement: They summit Annapurna III in 1970—first women ever on that peak.
• Spiritual transformation for Tabei after Annapurna:
  “There would be no more slaving in the late hours to prove that she was her company’s most loyal worker. No more fears about speaking her mind.” (21:33)
• Turning toward Everest, they face opposition and skepticism from Japan’s climbing community and major funding hurdles.
• Only after four years do they obtain an expedition permit for Everest (1975); each woman contributes $5,000—a significant sum at the time—with minimal sponsorship support compared to male teams.

Summiting Everest: Danger & Historic Achievement (27:31–34:43)

• The 15-woman team embarks in spring 1975 with six Sherpa guides.
• After reaching 20,000 feet, disaster: a midnight avalanche buries Junko and others in their tents. Junko is badly injured but survives:
  “As soon as I knew everyone was alive, I was determined to continue.” (30:08)
• Despite her injuries, Junko continues, sometimes crawling on hands and knees.
• Near the summit, team can only send one climber due to depleted oxygen—unanimously decide Junko should go.
• The final challenge: crossing the infamous “Knife Edge Ridge” to the Hillary Step:
  “I’d never felt that tense in my entire life. I felt all my hair standing on end... I got so angry at the previous climbers who hadn’t warned me about that knife edge traverse.” (32:18)
• Summit achieved:
  May 16th, 1975—Junko Tabei becomes the first woman, and only the 36th human, to stand atop Everest.
  When asked if she shouted or cried, Junko replied:
  “I didn’t shout anything. I just thought, oh, I don’t have to climb anymore.” (33:32)

Legacy: Advocacy, Environmentalism & Inspiration (34:43–39:41)

• Global acclaim follows; celebrated for humility and teamwork, but Junko refuses corporate sponsorships:
  “If I accept a sponsorship, then climbing the mountain is not my own experience. It’s like working for the company.” (34:44)
• She continues working as a teacher, hiking guide, writer, and advocate for women.
• Pioneers seven summits challenge, becoming the first woman to climb the highest peak on each continent (1992, age 53).
• Champions environmental causes, criticizing "luxury hiking" and commercial expeditions for Everest’s trash problem (“intensive care unit climbers”).
• Organizes cleanup climbs, often with family, and leads expeditions for Japanese youth—even after her cancer diagnosis.
• Passes away in 2016, still a force for mountaineering, environmentalism, and women’s empowerment.
• Parting wisdom:
  “Do not give up. Keep on your quest.” (38:36)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Georgia, opening the main segment:
  “I'm gonna tell you about an athlete who refused to take no for an answer, who defied strict cultural expectations and who was so unstoppable even an avalanche couldn't keep her down.” (11:26)

• On Japanese cultural expectations for women:
  “Despite Japan’s tradition of explorers and adventurers, many of those who dared to strike out on their own paths, especially women, risked the fate foreseen in the Japanese adage: ‘The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.’” (15:36)

• Junko’s realization on the mountains:
  “It wasn’t like a competition... If you go slow, you can make it to the top, or if you must, you can quit at the middle.” (16:09)

• After surviving the avalanche:
  “As soon as I knew everyone was alive, I was determined to continue.” —Junko (30:08)

• Describing the final precarious climb:
  “I’d never felt that tense in my entire life. I felt all my hair standing on end.” (32:31)

• Upon reaching the summit of Everest:
  “I didn’t shout anything. I just thought, oh, I don’t have to climb anymore.” —Junko (33:32)

• On refusing sponsorships:
  “If I accept a sponsorship, then climbing the mountain is not my own experience. It’s like working for the company.” (34:44)

• Parting advice to her younger self:
  “Do not give up. Keep on your quest.” —Junko (38:36)

• Karen, inspired:
  “Maybe I’ll start hiking again.” (38:43)

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Closing Reflections

(39:01–40:25)

• Georgia and Karen discuss Junko’s legacy as more than summit statistics: a demonstration of living authentically, defying norms, and showing what’s possible for future generations.
• Georgia remarks:
  “You don’t stay quiet... You make your own money, you make your own business, you don’t give up even when things are hard or even when people say shit about you. It’s like you just keep going and you just keep doing the thing you wanna do and let them talk.” (39:26)
• Karen: “You don’t have to debate at all, you don’t have to argue with them online, you don’t have to engage, just keep doing what you’re doing, because doing it is the example for the next generation.” (39:41)
• The episode closes with the show’s iconic sign-off:
  “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Makeup & Beauty Segment: 02:43–09:50
• Story Intro & Mountaineering Context: 09:50–11:45
• Tabei’s Early Years: 11:45–15:38
• Climbing in Japan & Barriers: 15:38–19:53
• Women’s Climbing Club, Annapurna III: 19:53–21:40
• Decision to Climb Everest: 21:40–24:28
• Everest Climb & Avalanche: 27:31–30:13
• Summit & Aftermath: 30:13–34:43
• Legacy & Last Advice: 34:43–39:41
• Reflection: 39:01–40:25

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Tone & Style

The episode is a lively blend of warmth and humor, punctuated by moments of awe, respect, and inspiration. Both hosts maintain the show's signature conversational style, alternating between self-deprecating asides, cultural commentary, and passionate advocacy for women’s stories.

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Summary for Listeners

If you missed this episode, you’ll come away knowing why Junko Tabei is more than a name in mountaineering history—she’s an icon for courage, perseverance, and self-advocacy. Karen and Georgia present her story as a call to action for everyone, especially women, to persist in the face of adversity, make their own paths, and, as Junko herself said, “keep on your quest.”

Transcript

[Georgia Hardstark]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Hello and welcome to my favorite murder.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's Georgia Hardstar.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's Karen Kilgariff. This is a solo episode, and you know what that means.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Makeup tips.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Makeup tips. I don't know how that happened. We were just like, let's start solo

[Georgia Hardstark]

episodes with another one of our passions.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. What's it called when you say you should try something?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Recommendations.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thank you.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. Recommendations. And, like, beauty stuff.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Beauty talk. Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's like, fun stuff.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Do you want to go first this time?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sure. I can never find the correct color of foundation. Sure. Because my base color is red with green.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You're also like. You seem like you should be pale, but you're tan.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right.

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I get.

[Georgia Hardstark]

People put pale makeup on me all the time, and then I look tan. There's a little brown under there and also a lot of red that reads as brown.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sure.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The redness is a real problem.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sounds fun.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Anyhow, there's a tiktoker who I adore named Tyler Mars, who she. She has rosacea. So she's always giving these recommendations of, like, how to tone down the red.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Ugh. It's just like, I just look up if I need to get something. Yeah. So anyhow, there's a foundation that I found on TikTok. Of course. Of course. And it's. The brand is REM and it is the best foundation I've worn to date.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Is it like, Is it red Correction foundation or it's just foundation that just works that way?

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's a foundation color that somehow addresses all of the things that need to be covered without making me look like either a vampire or like I looked in high school with my one color of CoverGirl makeup.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, God. Oh, God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's just clowny. Clowny.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Have you smelled that recently? The, like, CoverGirl powder? Oh, my God. It'll bring you back.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It would like, immediate bawling. And I just want to say I have bought every other foundation. So it's like, people are like, you've got to try it, Armani, blah, blah, blah. And it's like, sure. Except for that for some reason, on me, it turns orange.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's so. About what? It works for you. I use Charlotte Tilbury right now, but in three weeks, it might not work anymore for me and look terrible.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. So it's real high stakes and also a lot of panic decision making because we're like, now we're on camera. Again. Now we're on camera again.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So I want to get it right. Rem's getting me there.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think mine is also, like, a face one. We got our makeup done recently, and whenever I get my makeup done, I end up with tons of notes of what to buy, because I don't fucking know. And the makeup artist is great. So the thing that I bought this time around, there's a drag queen named Kim Chi.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Kim Chi, Yeah, yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Who was on the. Who was a finalist on season eight of RuPaul's Drag Race. Kim Chi has a makeup line, and Kim Chi's puff, puff, past setting powder. I got in two colors. Like, one for under eye, one for my skin. I am obsessed with it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay. Because you have been looking very, like, perfectly blurred.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thank you. Like, maybe you need to get your eyes checked.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Maybe you just. Yeah, exactly.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Usually can't see.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I've been puff, puff, passing to myself right before the show starts. I'm gonna try that for sure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. It's called puff puff pass setting powder. And, you know, it comes in such a, like, cute, fun packaging that you're like, this isn't gonna do anything. You know what I mean? Like, that's my brain, if that's how it works. But if the makeup artist hadn't used it on me, I wouldn't have tried it. And now it's like, I use two different types of powder, which is, like, so not me. I'm so low maintenance.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You're very advanced.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think this living in the cultural world of drag queen dominance has benefited and, like, it's raised all boats because, yeah, I care about makeup, but do I have that kind of time to be like, bake it in with a triangle pad or whatever, where it's like, okay, but maybe not.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Because you're a drag queen. You have to do that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You have to be like, you know all the tricks.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You know all the tricks, and it

[Georgia Hardstark]

has to stay on for, like, 12 hours through sweating all the different things.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, as you and I always say, we must listen to drag queens more, please.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Always listen to drag queens.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Let them pass

[Georgia Hardstark]

puff, puff. No, I was gonna say pass legislation.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's the one. Let them pass legislation, please.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right.

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[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, what a perfect intro into my solo story for today. Oh, really? No.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, it's actually terrible. Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But why not? Well, only in kind of in that it's about a woman who's a trailblazer who's doing it all for herself. Much like Kim Chi and the rest of the RuPaul Dragway cast. Shout out. Katya, you covered the deaths on Mount Everest in our episode 174.

[Karen Kilgariff]

One of my favorite stories to cover of all time.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, it was good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I still think about it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We titled that episode Rough Winds and High Waters. That's funny. So we've talked about it before. When you think of Mount Everest and I know you think about it a lot, the first name that usually pops into your head or anyone's head is Sir Edmund Hillary. The first man, along with his Sherpa Tenzing Norgate, who got to the top of Mount Everest in 1953.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The first ones to do it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

First two to do it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And it was in 53. Today I'm gonna tell you about the boundary breaking, trailblazing first woman to climb Mount Everest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This year marks the 50th anniversary of her achievement. Shut up. But like many of the great historic women that we talk about on this show, you've probably never heard her name. Writer Jenny hall reported on her for CNN writing, quote, her bravery helped her lead record setting all women expeditions and overcome the mountain of sexism male dominated space. Yet very few organizations, even in Japan have thought to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest by a woman. Wow. Well then, fine, I'll do it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It falls on Karen once again.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Once again. I'll do it. I'll celebrate women on Everest. Today I'm gonna tell you about an athlete who refused to take no for an answer, who defied strict cultural expectations and who was so unstoppable even an avalanche couldn't keep her down.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Damn.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is the story of Japanese moun Junko Tabei.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Amazing. Like. Yes, I wanna hear that. It never crossed my mind. Right. Perfect.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay. Sources from this story that Marin used are a 2017 Outside magazine article by Brad Frenette entitled A Final Interview with Junko Tabei and a 1996 Sports Illustrated article by Robert Horn entitled no Mountain Too High for How Junko Tabei defied Japanese views of women to become an expert climber.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Amazing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The rest of the sources are in our show notes. So we begin in September of 1939 when Junko, at the time her last name was Ishibashi, is born in a small town in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture. A prefecture is basically a state.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Got it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But I love the word prefecture.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I love the word. Is it? Yeah, I do too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, sorry. While we're here. Just because of that word.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If you haven't watched Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix, it's an anime series and it is like an Oscar winning. It is unbelievably made.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Great, great.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fukushima Prefecture is one of the country's largest prefectures. I keep saying it stretched from the Pacific coast inward to the mountains. We all have heard of it from the devastating 2011 earthquake and then tsunami and then nuclear disaster. Very horrible time. But this is a stunning part of Japan, complete with ski resorts, hot springs, cherry blossoms, volcanic lakes, and beautiful places to hike. So it's no surprise that even as a little Junko is captivated by the nature around her. When she's just 10 years old, her teacher takes her class on field trips to two nearby mountains, both around 6,000ft in elevation, which aren't, you know, huge. But they're not small either, for kids especially. And Junko isn't the type of kid anyone would say was adventurous. She's very tiny as a child. She endures multiple bouts of pneumonia, and even as an adult, she only ever gets to 4 foot 9 and about 90 pounds. So she's a tiny lady. But Junko says that because of her stature, she's, quote, stamped as a weak child. But something clicks for her on these mountain field trips and her life is never the same after. She will later remember, quote, I was so surprised by the rocky dry hills and a stream of hot water that came from a hot spring. I was shocked to feel a little chilly while we were at the top of the mountain. Because it was summer. I realized that there were so many things in the world which I have never encountered and that it is fun to see and learn directly through one's own experiences. I became determined to go wherever I could go.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So this is just a child being like, I love life. Yeah, I'm into this.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Although if I saw a hot spring in a Japanese mountain, I think I would lose it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, for sure.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You can see it in Palm Springs and it's still amazing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, yeah, it is. But of course, being a little girl with an interest in the outdoors comes with its challenges. It's post World War II Japan. So many people are struggling financially. The country as a whole is just trying to get his bearings after a horrible war. And of course with hiking, by the time you invest in a pair of good boots and transportation to the trail, it could be considered expensive by some people and frivolous to spend money to basically just hike around a mountain in really tough economic times. But more than that, Junko is a girl. And at the time, Japan has very rigid social conventions for men and women. And hiking, climbing and adventuring is squarely something men do. As Robert Horne reports for Sports Illustrated, quote, despite Japan's tradition of explorers and adventurers, many of those who dared to strike out on their own paths, especially women, risked the fate foreseen in the Japanese adage, quote, the nail that sticks up will be hammered down.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Oh my God, what a time.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. An adventurer's dreams were often not considered appropriate for a young Japanese woman. So that's end quote. So after those formative grade school field trips, Junko never looks back. Cause she doesn't care. She is not for some reason. And I would love to know, was it just her personality? Did she have like a badass mom? But like these incredibly strict kind of rules and expectations just don't faze her. By the time she's in high school, she plans hiking trips whenever she can. It's almost a meditative practice for her. She says, quote, it wasn't like a competition. If you go slow, you can make it to the top, or if you must, you can quit at the middle. But Japan was very poor at the time. I couldn't think about climbing mountains or any kind of leisure. We had to worry about what we would eat. So Junko eventually enrolls in an all women's college in Tokyo where she studies English literature and plans on becoming a teacher. Unlike her fondness for outdoor activities, this is considered a respectable path for young women. All the while, Junko is dreaming about climbing, though she manages to find a like minded female friend at school and they train together during the week. On the weekends they head out to the mountains. And by the time Junko graduates in 1962, she's become an experienced mountaineer. So as any other climber with her skill level would do, Junko goes right ahead and joins several alpine clubs. The thing is, these are understood to be for men. At the time, nothing like an Alpine club existed for female climbers. And the reaction to Junko's membership is mixed. A few of the men respect her skill and her sense of adventure, but others outright refuse to climb with her.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Jesus.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And many think that she's only hanging around to find a husband.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay. I mean, why else would you go?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, it's not gorgeous. Japanese mountains.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, you like hiking, but you don't think women like hiking? Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. You like it just fine.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. And that's fine.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But Junko stays focused. And by her mid-20s, she summited every one of Japan's most prominent peaks.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This includes Mount Fuji, which is about 12,400ft above sea level. And she's funding these climbs by working as an editor for an academic journal and giving piano and English lessons. She does it all.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, and she's tiny. Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

She spends most of her downtime either climbing or training with the hopes of summiting larger and larger peaks. And then, in 1965, Junko meets a man named Masanobu Tabei. He's a seasoned Japanese mountaineer in his own right. So she falls in love with another mountaineer.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's romantic. You gotta find someone who at least who likes your stuff, supports your hobby.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. They fall in love, and they're married the next year when Junko is 27 years old. But her parents don't approve of this marriage because Masanobu doesn't have a college degree. But Junko marries him anyway. She doesn't give a shit about anything. She's like, oh, is that your opinion about my life? I'll see you later.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Enjoy it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And the two have a daughter together who they name Noriko. And later they have a son named Shinya. So now is she not only the rare female mountaineer in 1960s Japan, she's also a working mother. When she's in her early 30s, Junko says that she, quote, began to dream about going to the Himalayas with a team of only women.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ooh.

[Georgia Hardstark]

To make that happen, she does something that's never been done before in Japan. In 1969, she forms the country's very first women's climbing organization. Its name, translated into English, is sometimes reported as Ladies Climbing Club and sometimes reported as women's mountaineering, depending on how people feel about it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And the group's slogan is, quote, let's go on an overseas expedition by ourselves.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Translation? Yes, let's.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Let's. Around 15 women joined Junko's group, each united by a dream to climb the world's tallest mountains. But finding time to train is not easy. Like Junko, these women have jobs or families or both. And Japan's standard vacation time is just two weeks a year, which many people don't feel empowered to fully take because of Japan's intense work culture.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So you have it, but you kind of aren't supposed to go on it. This is complicating in and of itself because these expeditions require time off for training and for travel. And on top of that, devoting time to a masculine hobby like mountaineering is stigmatized in the 1970s. The women face judgment for not wanting to devote their entire beings to their husbands and their children, to which Junko has said, quote, I am a housewife. I just climb mountains because I love it. And if people want to call me that crazy mountain woman, that's okay. Cool. Love her. Eventually, Junko and her group plan an expedition to Annapurna 3 in Nepal, which is nearly 25,000ft in elevation. This is Junko's first time traveling outside of Japan, and she leads the climb. The group travels up a new route to Annapurna 3 summit, and they successfully reach the top on May 19, 1970. Karen Kilgariv is eight days old.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's her first week in the world. She's loving it. She's loving this energy. So they, on May 19, 1970, become the first women ever to climb Annapurna 3. Wow. And now their slogan is, let's be the first women to climb Annapurna 3 by ourselves. That's not true. It's there, on the Summit of Annapurna 3, that Junko experiences another sort of spiritual awakening. Robert Horne reports in Sports Illustrated. Quote, the ascent profoundly changed her. There would be no more slaving in the late hours to prove that she was her company's most loyal worker. No more fears about speaking her mind. No more concerns about what people said behind her back.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's also in this moment that Junko really starts to consider climbing Mount Everest. Cause she did that one. Yeah. You might as well do this one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

She brings the idea to her climbing club, and they begin to mobilize with that goal in mind. But juco says, quote, most of the men in the alpine community were against our plan, saying that it would be impossible to go to Everest on a women's only expedition.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Why?

[Georgia Hardstark]

They're just so negative.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, God, can we get a little positivity? How about.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Or just shut up.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Or just shut the.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If you can't zip it. So Junko and her crew set out to prove them wrong. They don't need us saying this. No, they're already doing it. It already happened. But getting to Everest is not easy. Of course the women first need permission from Nepal's government so they app in 1971. But then they're told that there's no space for their expedition and there won't be until 1975. So that would be upsetting. You have to wait four years to the average person. But they're not discouraged. They just figure it will give them more time to train. And Junko uses this long waiting period to help the group nail down sponsorships. But of course finding financial support is tricky. As Junko puts it quote most companies reaction that was for women. It's impossible to climb Mount Everest. No vision.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You're the why aren't you the company that goes but if they do it, we'll all be.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And even if they don't, they'll still get fucking advertised. Like eyes on the prize.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we just have come. We truly have come a long way baby.

[Karen Kilgariff]

In marketing. Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then we both smoke because now it's the Virginia slim minute.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Plus in the early 70s, Japan experiences a years long oil related economic crisis. Though the there's just less sponsorship money to go around. Fortunately, the group locks down two sponsorships. One from a major Japanese newspaper and one from a TV station. But the budget's relatively small. The male groups often raise hundreds of thousands of dollars when they do their climbs. And they raise it in Japan and elsewhere. Junko's group only manages to raise about $70,000. So to pick up the slack, each member has to come up with an additional approximately $5,000 each. And it's 1.5 that they have to come up with. And it's worth. Do you want to guess? In today's money you said they have

[Karen Kilgariff]

to come up with $5,000 in the 70s which in today's money would be 28 30,000.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So close.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Shit.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So finally 1975 rolls around. It's time for the women to head to Nepal. Years later, Outside magazine reporter Brad Frenette will ask Junko if she ever felt hesitation as the climb date approached. She says quote no, I never thought of giving up. Once we had worked so hard to ob the climbing permit. Yeah, she got the paperwork. No, she's not going anywhere.

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[Georgia Hardstark]

so that spring, the women set out. Junko is 35 at the time and she serves as co leader for the 15 woman exped.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

They're accompanied by six experienced Sherpa guides, and together they embark on the most difficult, grueling climb of their lives. Any Everest climb is punishing, and Junko's is no exception. But by May 3, 1975, her group has steadily made it more than 20,000ft. And they have about 9,000ft to go. Now, around this point, they encounter terrible weather, which is a reality climbers face, of course, as they go up Everest, especially the closer they get to the top. So these gals set up camp. They try to get some rest before continuing on. But it's not a lovely bucolic spot. It's freezing cold. They're in tents that are being whipped around by these terrible winds. Hours later, when they're sleeping, not long after midnight on May 4, Junko is awakened by an extremely loud, low rumble. And she instantly knows what it is. And it's an avalanche barreling down the mountain.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Dude, I saw a video recently of an avalanche and I like no, no, no, no, no. It's terrifying.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's horrible. So before she can even react, Junko is swept up by a wall of snow and ice. She is tangled in her tent with some other climbers.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So they are tumbling down the mountain, getting knocked all over the place and against each other. And it's really violent and chaotic, of course. And then once it ends, they're buried in still in the tent.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

All wrapped up. When it all comes to a stop, Junko is in extreme pain. She worries she's gonna die. She then has a vision of her daughter Noriko playing outside their home back in Tokyo. And then she blacks out.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Jesus.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The next thing she remembers is the Sherpa guides pulling her out of the snow by her ankles.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Which actually would probably be pretty easy. Cause she's little.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She's so tiny.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Somehow, miraculously, everyone survives the avalanche, which Junko credits to the experience and quick thinking of their sherp. Thank God. I mean like 15 women just. But they're not totally unscathed. Junko is battered and Bruised and her body is extremely sore. She has to rest for two days before she's even able to lift herself up.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Let alone keep climbing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

No, like, that would be the end of it, you know, for me.

[Georgia Hardstark]

She'd be like, thanks so much.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But she's thanks so much, but there was an avalanche on me.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But she's like, we got the permit. We're not leaving.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Actually, what she did say is, quote, as soon as I knew everyone was alive, I was determined to continue.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The women continue working towards Everest's peak with Junko still at the helm. At times, her injuries are so bad, she has to crawl on her hands and knees.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What the fuck? She's no excuse. Like, I don't.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You get out to Griffith park tomorrow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, I'm talking about, like, doing my laundry. I'm not even talking about, about hiking.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Just do it on your hands and knees.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I can't.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I have no chores on your hands. I can't do my laundry when this.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I know. I mean, I think there's some people born with this, like, brain chemistry that's like, up, up, up.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

God bless them. So she has to crawl on her hands and knees, but she just keeps going. And then 12 days later, the team reaches the final camp of their climb, which is just below Everest's peak. By this point, they are running low on oxygen. Originally, they'd planned to send two women up to the summit. Now they only have enough oxygen to send one. These women clearly love one another. On this mountaineering team, no one wants to take the glory for themselves. But after they discuss it, the team decides Junko should be the one to make the final push to the top. They're like, get on your hands and knees and you crawl up there. So now Junko realizes that to get to Everest's summit, she has to climb this skinny ridge of ice. We may have talked about it on your story. I can't remember. It is just wide enough for a human body. A ridge of ice. There are 15,000 foot drops on either side.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, I remember that drop.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's called the Knife Edge Ridge. And it leads up to the Hillary Step, which is like the final spot before you go. You're on the peak.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So it's named after Edmund Hillary. She's going to Hillary Step.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, that must be just like a moment for those climbers, right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then also for her where it's like, I don't know if they're aware of it, but like, she's the first one. So it's like a true moment. One wrong move here, though, would absolutely result in a fatal fall. It's all or nothing. I didn't understand that, I think, until I read this story. Junko, who's accompanied by a celebrated Sherpa guide named Ang Cheng, now must crawl sideways while sort of hugging the ridge to make it to the Hillary station. She later says, quote, I'd never felt that tense in my entire life. I felt all my hair standing on end. I had no idea I would have to face that. Even though I'd read all the accounts of previous expeditions. I got so angry at the previous climbers who hadn't warned me about that knife edge traverse in their expedition records. Isn't that so? Like men.

[Karen Kilgariff]

My heart just dropped thinking of doing that. Like crawling, hugging.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And she didn't know it was there.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She didn't.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No one said, hey. Also, real quick, yeah, things are scary.

[Karen Kilgariff]

No.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But just after noon on May 16, 1975, Junko Taabe reaches the summit of Mount Everest and becomes the first woman ever and the 36th person in history to do it. She's made it to the highest point on earth.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So 35 dudes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Didn't tell. The secret sucks. Later, when asked if she shouted or cried when she reached the summit, Junko simply says, quote, I didn't shout anything. I just thought, oh, I don't have to climb anymore. Yeah, we love her.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You gotta save your energy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Word of Junko's historic summit spreads quickly and becomes a celebratory moment around the world. The King of Nepal even reaches out and awards medals of honor to Junko and the rest of the women in her climbing team.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Back in Japan, any naysayers the women may encounter are overshadowed by a wall of glowing media coverage. They're profiled in newspapers, covered in countless news reports. They become the subject of a TV miniseries, and they're memorialized in textbooks. Junko, of course, draws a particular amount of interest from the public, and not just because of her historic summit. She's also celebrated for her humble leadership and her devotion to her teammates, and for how she never once gave up, despite her injuries from being in that avalanche. Junko doesn't exactly love being in the spotlight, though, and she knows she could capitalize off of all this media interest, and that would certainly help pay for future climbs. She chooses to decline all corporate sponsorships. And she does this because, quote, if I accept a sponsorship, then climbing the mountain is not my own experience. It's like working for the Company. Wow. Yep.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Instead, Junko supports herself by continuing to teach music and English, but also working as a hiking guide, writing books and giving speeches. In those speeches, she encourages others to chase their dreams, even if it means defying social norms. Junko tells crowds to, quote, be the nail that sticks out. Yeah, Be the nail that sticks out.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's what you said to me. Well, then I'm going to use it against you. Fuck yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Turn it around. Hell yeah. Junko spends the rest of her life doing exactly what she loves, which, of course, is climbing. In 1992, at 53 years old, she completes another historic first. Junka becomes the very first woman to complete the seven summits, which are the highest mountains on each continent.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

These include Denali, Kilimanjaro, and Mount Vinson in Antarctica.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What if that was your mom? Like, how inspiring would that be?

[Georgia Hardstark]

You keep coming home with a bag of laundry and you're like, hello, Is any. No one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

No one. Oh, but like, I mean, like, inspire, inspiration wise, where it's like, oh, my mom's 50. Something like, I should probably, like, do something. They like her.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes, exactly. Over the years, Junko becomes more and more interested in the environmental toll of modern climbing, especially on Everest. And by the 1990s, there's a shift towards high budget commercial expeditions, which are often taken by wealthy climbers who outsource much of the heavy lifting to guides and Sherpas.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right. It's like luxury hiking.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. And Junko's very critical of luxury hiking, calling them, quote, intensive care unit climbers W. Because of all the critical support they have along the way. But what troubles her the most is all of the damage caused by the increased foot traffic and trash left behind on Everest, which is a problem that's only gotten worse over the years. Oh, sorry. I thought I was in a quote that whole time, but it was just intensive care unit climbers was just her little quote.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ooh, that's a barbed thing to say.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But it's true. It's like you're creating. You're not trained. You're not serious about it, truly. And then when you get up there, they have to helicopter you out. Yeah, it's what happened when I went skiing for the first time. So to do what she can to protect her beloved mountains, Junko not only studies the impacts of trash on mountain landscapes, but she also starts organizing cleanup trips both in Japan and abroad. Her husband and children often join her on these trips. And along the way, she never stops uplifting other women. By 2005, Junko has participated in 44 all female clients.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Holy shit.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But really, she's interested in cultivating young mountaineers. So she starts leading yearly expeditions to Mount Fuji with Japanese high schoolers. And she climbs with them every year, even after she's diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2012.

[Karen Kilgariff]

2012. Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. So even as Junko battles cancer, she continues taking trips to Mount Fuji. But in 2016, for the first time, she has to stop halfway up the climb. And she passes away a few months later in October, at the age of 77.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So she basically started climbing mountains as a child and never stopped.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's so inspiring.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I know. Today, Junko Tobeyi is remembered for her endless courage, relentless environmental advocacy, and dedication to uplifting fellow adventurers, especially women. And of course, the many climbs she completed throughout her amazing life. She summited at least 70 mountains across the globe. And in doing so, she proved wrong those who doubted her and helped change the pervasive image of what a mountaineer looks like. Shortly before Junka's death in 2017, she was asked what she would say to her younger self if she had the opportunity. She responded with advice that we could all stand to hear. Junko said, quote, do not give up. Keep on your quest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And that's the story of trailblazing Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Holy shit, man. Maybe I'll start hiking again.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You could just do flat hikes to start.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Is that still a hike or is that just walking?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I mean, I think you can use whatever word you want, right? They can't prove it wasn't a hike.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Right? There's a slight incline.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, it still counts. Also, the thing I really like and the message of this, Junko's message. But then the way she lived her life. I was, of course, watching the. This TikTok this morning where they're like, how do we dismantle the patriarchy? How would women do that? And it's just this idea of like, you don't stay quiet, you don't fall prey to these cultural restrictions or norms of women are like this, or women are supposed to do this. You make your own money, you make your own business, you don't give up even when things are hard or even when people say shit about you. It's like you just keep going and you just keep doing the thing you wanna do and let them talk.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Like, you don't have to debate at all, you don't have to argue with them online, you don't have to engage, just keep doing what you're doing, because

[Georgia Hardstark]

doing it is the example for the next generation. We have to show women, young women, what's possible, and then they can do it. Then everyone's just doing it for each other.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Podcasting. That's our. That's what we're showing them.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Podcasting is the same as mountaineering. This is Stolen Valor.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They're showing young ladies. Yeah. And I'm proud of it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I am, too. Well, that's a solo story.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Great job. That was definitely one for the books.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thank you guys so much for listening.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Do not give up.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Nope.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Keep on your quest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Stay sexy and don't get murdered.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye, Elvis. Do you want a cookie?

[Georgia Hardstark]

This has been an exactly right production.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our senior producer is Molly Smith, and our associate producer is Tessa Hughes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This episode was mixed by Liana Squalachi.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our researchers are Maren McGlashan and Ali Elkin.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Email your hometowns to my favorite murdermail.com

[Georgia Hardstark]

and follow the show on Instagram at my favorite murder.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Listen to my favorite murder on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And now you can watch My favorite Murder on Netflix.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And when you're there, hit the double thumbs up and the remind me buttons. That's the best way you can support our show. Goodbye. This episode is brought to you in part by Vital Farms.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Have you noticed that the egg section at the grocery store has gotten very complicated lately?

[Karen Kilgariff]

But Vital Farms makes it simple. Pasture raised eggs traceable to the farm.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Their hens have outdoor access year round with fresh air and sunshine, and forage on rotated pastures with local grasses.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Every carton can be traced back to the farm it came from. So you can see the pasture where the hens live by visiting vitalfarms.com farm.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Look for the black carton in the egg aisle, and visit Vit to learn more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Vital good eggs. No shortcuts. Goodbye.

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[Karen Kilgariff]

You can keep it all.

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