“It’s a level of satisfaction that surpasses publishing a really great paper, or just climbing something for the sake of climbing it. It feels really cool.”
her first politically-charged hazard. In 2010, as she and partners Rebecca Haspel and Kate Harris journeyed by 4x4 to Pinnacle Peak with only a liaison officer, they were stopped by armed guards at a river crossing on the road connecting Leh to Kashmir.
“They said things like ‘do you understand there’s snow up there? You know there is no rescue?’ They made up reasons to hold us because we were women,” she said. “It was a little bit scary. It’s the only time in my life I’ve been held at gunpoint. The whole area is terrifying, the politics. Armed guys in little huts.”
After three days they were finally let go. Their next crux was on the mountain, on day six at about 5,800 metres. “There was one route that would go, it was near vertical, the ice was shitty and full of bubbles, and it was totally run out,” she described. “That’s the one we did.” After 11 days Criscitiello and Haspel summited while Harris shot photos from high camp. Having been denied permission to bring any satellite phones or gps with them, it wasn’t until they began their journey home that they learned massive f loods had destroyed villages, killed more than 250 and left thousands in Pakistan and Leh homeless.
“There were makeshift bridges for us to pass through, but I’m fairly sure the drive was scarier than the climb,” she recalled. When she contacted her family Criscitiello learned everyone was distraught, thinking for weeks she was dead. “Embassies were looking for us. mit was mourning the loss of one of its students,” she recalled.
Despite the near miss, Criscitiello can’t wait to return to the region with Anna Smith, a strong all-round climber living in Canmore, where Criscitiello relocated two years ago after accepting a post-doc position at the University of Calgary. “Prior to moving to Canmore I felt like an anomaly wherever I was,” Criscitiello said. “It’s awesome having so many partners keen to get out. I’m more of a high-altitude expedition climber, but living in Canmore has really helped push my technical skills.”
With that, even though her upcoming expedition to the Garhwal Himalaya doesn’t have a scientific component, she’s thrilled she and Smith were awarded the Alpine Club of Canada’s John Lauchlan Award and the Mugs Stump Award for their objectives. “It’s not often that teams of just two women get these grants,” she said. “That’s pretty gratifying.” No doubt, Criscitiello will continue to make big strides.
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