PATHS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN MOUNTAINEERING
SUMMIT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MORE GENDER EQUITY
Shared moments in nature, ambitious mountaineering, multi-day tours to magical places, alpine high-altitude tours, or pure summit bliss—these experiences should be open to all outdoor enthusiasts, regardless of gender or financial means. However, women are still severely underrepresented in mountain sports worldwide: the number of female mountain guides is negligible. Climbing all 14 eight-thousanders remains an exception for women – for every woman who has achieved this goal, there are about five men.
LOWA wants to change this imbalance together with the Summit Scholarship Foundation. As a premium partner, LOWA supports the US foundation’s mission to give women access to unforgettable expeditions and outdoor experiences. Exclusive Summit Scholarships will be awarded for 2026 – mountain scholarships for women in need of financial support who are passionate about nature, the outdoors, mountain sports, and alpinism. In doing so, LOWA and SSF are sending a strong signal for greater equality and diversity in mountain sports.
LOWA x SUMMIT SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
As a premium partner of the Summit Scholarship Foundation (SSF), LOWA is committed to promoting gender equality in mountain sports. The aim is to empower women through outdoor experiences and expeditions and open up new perspectives in outdoor sports, enabling them to surpass themselves both mentally and physically.
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
The LOWA Matterhorn Adventure is underway!
The all-women team brings together two LOWA Pro Team athletes and two Summit Scholarship recipients to take on the iconic peak this August. In addition to the opportunity to climb the Matterhorn, scholarship recipients receive a travel stipend, technical gear from LOWA and partner brands, and a dedicated day of climbing and team-building in Zermatt, Switzerland. This ambitious objective demands strength, endurance, and advanced alpine skills—and we look forward to sharing updates as the team prepares for their ascent.
Vamos A La Playa shares an intimate, behind-the-scene look at the 2025 Summit Scholarship Foundation’s high-altitude expedition in the Peruvian Andes. Fun fact: “Vamos A La Playa” is titled after a phrase their guide Alfi would cheerfully call before the group needed to do something that would be cold, difficult, or both.
