Mary Paillon (1848–1946) was a French mountain climber and writer. She is known for her climbs with

Katharine Richardson Sarah Katharine "Katy" Richardson (24 April 1854 – 20 August 1927), also referred to as Kathleen Richardson, was a British mountain climber. She made numerous first ascents in the Alps and climbed frequently with her close friend Mary Paillo ...

, and for her contribution to the ''

Alpine Journal The ''Alpine Journal'' (''AJ'') is an annual publication by the Alpine Club of London. It is the oldest mountaineering journal in the world. History The journal was first published on 2 March 1863 by the publishing house of Longman in London, ...

'' and the

Ladies' Alpine Club The Ladies' Alpine Club was founded in London, England in 1907 and was the first mountaineering club for women. It merged with the Alpine Club of Great Britain in 1975. History In December 1907 a group of ladies who were climbers in the Alps m ...

Biography

Early life

Mary Paillon was born in

Oullins Oullins () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in eastern France. It is a suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to it on the southwest. On 1 January 2024, Oul ...

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

, into a family with a background in medicine and mountaineering. Her mother, Jane Paillon, was an experienced mountain climber with successful ascents of

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...

, the

Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...

, and Belledonne to her name.

Career

Paillon began climbing in the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

under the guidance of her mother and her brother, Maurice Paillon. She met

, an English climber, in 1888 when Richardson was climbing the

Meije La Meije is a mountain in the Massif des Écrins range, located at the border of the Hautes-Alpes and Isère '' départements''. It overlooks the nearby village of La Grave, a mountaineering centre and ski resort, well known for its off-piste ...

. They agreed to climb together the next year, and eventually became close friends and frequent climbing partners. In the winter of 1890, together they traversed the Belledonne range in the

Dauphiné Alps The Dauphiné Alps () are a group of mountain ranges in Southeastern France, west of the main chain of the Alps. Mountain ranges within the Dauphiné Alps include the Massif des Écrins in Écrins National Park, Belledonne, Le Taillefer range ...

, and in 1891 they made the first female ascent of the Méridionale d'Arves. They climbed the Meije Orientale with

Émile Rey Émile Rey (August 1846 — 24 August 1895) was an alpine mountain guide from Aosta Valley in Italy. Dubbed "the Prince of Guides" in Courmayeur, he was one of the most renowned guides at the end of the 19th century, making many first ascents on ...

in 1893, marking the third ascent of the peak by women, and

Mont Pelvoux Mont Pelvoux () is a mountain in the Massif des Écrins in the French Alps. It stands in elevation. For many years, Mont Pelvoux was believed to be the tallest mountain in the region, since the taller Barre des Écrins cannot be seen from th ...

in 1897. Following their expedition to Pelvoux, Paillon's eyesight began to deteriorate and she and Richardson retired from serious climbing, since Richardson refused to climb when Paillon could not. The two women subsequently settled together in the Paillon family estate in Oullins. Paillon became a distinguished writer after retiring from climbing. In the period of 1895–1905 she was one of three female contributors to the ''

'' (edited at the time by her brother) and was responsible for fourteen of the seventeen pieces written by women. She largely wrote biographies of other women climbers; alongside

Henriette d'Angeville Henriette d'Angeville (10 March 1794 in Semur-en-Auxois – 13 January 1871 in Lausanne) was the second woman to climb Mont Blanc, and the first to do so unaided (meaning that, although male guides showed her the way up the mountain and carried he ...

, she wrote accounts of Richardson,

Meta Brevoort Marguerite "Meta" Claudia Brevoort (November 8, 1825 – December 19, 1876) was an American mountain climber and pioneer in alpine history, known for her many first ascents and as a trailblazer in winter mountaineering. In the Dauphiné Alps, Ha ...

, and Isabella Charlet-Straton. In 1910, Paillon was elected vice president of the

Late years and death

After Richardson's death in 1927, Paillon wrote in an obituary that Richardson had been "almost a sister to me". Paillon died in 1946 at the age of 98, having outlived Richardson by 25 years and never married.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paillon, Mary 1848 births 1946 deaths French mountain climbers French women writers People from Oullins French female mountain climbers