Anna Pigeon (1833 - 1917) Notable Achievements She climbed over 63 major peaks. She and her sister, Ellen, were the first women to go completely over the Matterhorn. Occupation/Field of Study: mountaineer Exploration Zone: Land: mountaineering, climbing; Location of Activity: Europe: Great Britain, Mount Blanc, France, Italy, Matterhorn, Switzerland; Period of Activity: 1801-1850; 1851-1900; 1901-1950; Biography Born in 1833, Anna Pigeon was among Great Britain's most accomplished mountaineers. Usually accompanied by her sister Ellen, she climbed over 63 major peaks, including Mount Blanc on the French-Italian border and the Matterhorn on the Swiss-Italian border. Pigeon an her sister ascended the Matterhorn twice; on their second climb in 1873, they became the first women to go completely over the mountain, traveling from the Italian side to the Swiss side. Pigeon continued to be an active mountaineer into her 70s. She died in 1917. -The Encyclopedia of Women's Travel and Exploration, Patricia D. Netzley 2001