ANNIE SMITH PECK
Name: Annie Smith Peck
Born: 19 October 1850
Died: 16 July 1935
Annie Smith Peck (born 19 October 1850 in Providence, Rhode Island; died 16 July
1935 in New York, New York) was an American mountaineer.
Peck was born into a wealthy family, which made it possible for her to get a
good education. In 1878, she concluded her archaeology studies with flying
colors and thereafter went to Europe, where she continued her schooling at
Hannover and Athens. In 1885, she discovered her enthusiasm for mountaineering.
From 1881 to 1892 she worked as a professor in the field of archaeology and
Latin at Purdue and Smith Colleges. She began to make money on the lecture
circuit and by 1892 she gave up teaching and made her living by lecturing and
writing about archeology, mountaineering and her travels. She scaled a number of
moderate-sized mountains in Europe and in the United States, including Mount
Shasta. In 1895, she climbed the Matterhorn and was suddenly quite well-known.
She began to climb, lecture and explore in Latin America. She promoted pan-Americanism
(peace between the Americas) and geographic education through her lectures,
articles and books. She was fluent in Spanish, Portugese and French.
She climbed Mount Orizaba and Mount Popocatepetl in Mexico in 1897. Although
already over 50 years old, Peck wanted to make a very special climb. She
travelled to South America in 1903, looking for a mountain taller than Aconcagua
in Argentina (6960 m). She climbed in Bolivia and Peru and in 1908 she was the
first person to climb Mount Nevado Huascarán (6768 m) (she climbed the north
peak, the south peak is actually taller and was first climbed by Germans in 1932,
14 years later) [Yungay,Peru] ), accompanied by two Swiss mountain guides. She
wrote a book about her experiences called 'The Search for the Apex of America:
High Mountain Climbing in Peru and Bolivia, including the Conquest of Huascaran,
with Some Observations on the Country and People Below" Due to a severe
snowstorm, Peck misjudged the measuring altitude by about 600 m, calculating it
as 7300 m high. She was later shown incorrect from a recalculation done by Fanny
Bullock Workman.
The 6648 m northern peak of the Huascarán was named Cumbre Aña Peck in her honor
in 1928. Peck scaled mountains into her old age, including a first accent of one
of the peaks on the five peaked Mount Coropuna in Peru in 1908. After her return
she wrote two books, 'Industrial and Commercial South America' and 'The South
American Tour: A Descriptive Guide.' Both books were quite popular with
diplomats, business-men, corporations, politicians and tourists.
In 1929-30, Peck travelled by air around South America in order to show how easy
and safe it was for tourists. Her journey was the longest by air by a North
American traveler at the time. She published her fourth and last book after her
return 'Flying Over South America: Twenty Thousand Miles by Air'.
Peck started a world tour in 1935 but after visiting Greece she became ill and
returned home to New York City. She died in 1935 and is buried in Providence,
Rhode Island. She became the first person (woman) to climb Mt. Huascaran and we
honor her today!
Name: Annie Smith Peck
Born: 19 October 1850
Died: 16 July 1935
Annie Smith Peck (born 19 October 1850 in Providence, Rhode Island; died 16 July
1935 in New York, New York) was an American mountaineer.
Peck was born into a wealthy family, which made it possible for her to get a
good education. In 1878, she concluded her archaeology studies with flying
colors and thereafter went to Europe, where she continued her schooling at
Hannover and Athens. In 1885, she discovered her enthusiasm for mountaineering.
From 1881 to 1892 she worked as a professor in the field of archaeology and
Latin at Purdue and Smith Colleges. She began to make money on the lecture
circuit and by 1892 she gave up teaching and made her living by lecturing and
writing about archeology, mountaineering and her travels. She scaled a number of
moderate-sized mountains in Europe and in the United States, including Mount
Shasta. In 1895, she climbed the Matterhorn and was suddenly quite well-known.
She began to climb, lecture and explore in Latin America. She promoted pan-Americanism
(peace between the Americas) and geographic education through her lectures,
articles and books. She was fluent in Spanish, Portugese and French.
She climbed Mount Orizaba and Mount Popocatepetl in Mexico in 1897. Although
already over 50 years old, Peck wanted to make a very special climb. She
travelled to South America in 1903, looking for a mountain taller than Aconcagua
in Argentina (6960 m). She climbed in Bolivia and Peru and in 1908 she was the
first person to climb Mount Nevado Huascarán (6768 m) (she climbed the north
peak, the south peak is actually taller and was first climbed by Germans in 1932,
14 years later) [Yungay,Peru] ), accompanied by two Swiss mountain guides. She
wrote a book about her experiences called 'The Search for the Apex of America:
High Mountain Climbing in Peru and Bolivia, including the Conquest of Huascaran,
with Some Observations on the Country and People Below" Due to a severe
snowstorm, Peck misjudged the measuring altitude by about 600 m, calculating it
as 7300 m high. She was later shown incorrect from a recalculation done by Fanny
Bullock Workman.
The 6648 m northern peak of the Huascarán was named Cumbre Aña Peck in her honor
in 1928. Peck scaled mountains into her old age, including a first accent of one
of the peaks on the five peaked Mount Coropuna in Peru in 1908. After her return
she wrote two books, 'Industrial and Commercial South America' and 'The South
American Tour: A Descriptive Guide.' Both books were quite popular with
diplomats, business-men, corporations, politicians and tourists.
In 1929-30, Peck travelled by air around South America in order to show how easy
and safe it was for tourists. Her journey was the longest by air by a North
American traveler at the time. She published her fourth and last book after her
return 'Flying Over South America: Twenty Thousand Miles by Air'.
Peck started a world tour in 1935 but after visiting Greece she became ill and
returned home to New York City. She died in 1935 and is buried in Providence,
Rhode Island. She became the first person (woman) to climb Mt. Huascaran and we
honor her today!