Gertrude Benham

Gertrude Emily Benham (July 1867– February 1938) was an English explorer and mountaineer. Born in London, she was the youngest of six children and began climbing mountains as a girl. She went on to climb mountains on almost every continent. Benham was also an intrepid hiker and walked from Valparaiso, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. She went on to hike across Kenya, and traverse Africa on foot.

Benham also drew as she travelled, and her drawings were later used in mapping the countries she explored. Benham always traveled alone or with native guides, spending less than 250 British pounds a year. In 1916, she was named a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. Throughout her life, she climbed more than 300 mountains. Notably, she was the first woman to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Truda Peaks, one of the summits of Mount Rogers in Glacier National Park, in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, is named in her honour. Her climbing boots are on display in the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery.

Early travels
Benham's intention was to climb as many Rocky Mountain peaks as time would permit. She travelled alone, she was aided only by porters. She always carried a Holy Bible, a pocket edition of Shakespeare's plays, copies of Rudyard Kipling's Kim and R. D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone.

She travelled to Canada in 1904. By spring, she had already visited Banff, Alberta. She moved to a chalet on Lake Louise. On 27 June, she made an ascent of Mount Lefroy with Mr Frost and her brothers Hans and Christian Kaufmann as guides. She ascended several other major peaks - Mount Victoria, Mount Stephen, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Balfour - then, transferred to the Selkirk Range where the Truda Peaks are named in her honour.

Accompanied by Christian Kaufmann, she reached the summit of Mount Hejee, beating Charles Ernest Fay, after whom the mountain would subsequently be renamed.

In 1905, she climbed in the Southern Alps alone and visited Tasmania and Australia. She made her way back to England via Japan, India, Egypt and Corsica.

Benham's second trip around the World occurred in 1908. She travelled west-to-east, visiting Japan and California. She disembarked at Valparaíso, and then crossed the Andes and Pampas to arrive in Buenos Aires. In 1909, she travelled to central Africa, arriving in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe in Zambia). She walked 900 kilometres to Abercorn (now Mbala) near the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. From there, she proceeded to Uganda and Kenya where she ascended the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Back in Africa in 1913, she disembarked on the Niger delta and made her way to Kano, Nigeria. Her route took her through Cameroon, down the Ubangi, up the Congo to Stanleyville (now Kisangani), then through the Ituri Rainforest to Mbarara, Uganda. Diverting west through Rwanda, she ascended Mount Nyiragongo (3470 m) and reached the crater of an unnamed volcano that had erupted in December 1912. She climbed to the summit of Mount Mulanje.

In 1914, Benham visited India and ventured for the third time into the Himalayas. She trekked across the mountains, reaching Srinagar in Kashmir.

First World War and later years
The First World War kept her in England, where she established relationships with the Royal Geographical Society and the Natural History Museum.

She resumed her travels in 1919. Back in India, she undertook a journey through the mountains from Nainital, near the western border of Nepal, to Leh in Ladakh. In 1921 she travelled to East Africa, where she ascended Mount Elgon. She then voyaged to Australia and the South Pacific, returning to England in October 1923, and ending her fifth trip around the world.

In 1924 she was back in India, repeatedly pestering the Anglo-Indian administration for permission to enter Tibet by the remote passes to the west of Nepal.

Started her sixth trip around the world in 1926. She visited Natal, Zanzibar, Sudan, Egypt, Syria, India, Malaya and the East Indies. She arrived in Hong Kong in 1927, crossed the Pacific to arrive in California, and explored Guatemala, Belize, the West Indies and Trinidad. She disembarked at Plymouth, in 1928. Later that year, she visited Taiwan, Burma (Myanmar), Celebes, Java and China.

She tried again in 1929 to enter Tibet and go back to the Himalayas, but permission was not granted. She made a third attempt to enter the Himalayas, this time, through the mountains of Kumaon beyond the western border of Nepal.

Benham circumnavigated the globe a seventh time in 1933, sailing via Hong Kong and Los Angeles, and the coast of South America, with stops at Mollendo, Peru and Valparaíso, Chile.

Benham presented the Benham Collection to the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery in 1934. Her collection consisted of hundreds of items, including jewellery, costumes, accessories, metalwork, lacquer ware, ceramics, toys and religious articles.

Last journey and death
Benham started her "last journey" in 1935. She travelled to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), New Zealand and returned via Hong Kong and India. In 1937, she boarded a ship to South Africa.

Gertrude died in 1938 on board a ship bound from Africa to England. She was buried at sea.