“Hilaree checks her head with the unmis-takable Pequeno Alpamayo, a 17,618-foot Bolivian behemoth in the background. On this day in 2003, firm conditions forced us to ski off the shoulder rather than the true summit, but in all our team tagged over 20 peaks in 20 days, accomplishing a variety of climbing and skiing objectives. We all took turns with horrible stomach bugs, but managed to see (and ski) an amazing amount of the Cordillera Real.” Photo: Chris Figenshau Words KIT DESLAURIERS ONCE We humans operate in these stories told, systems learned and myths pondered. The defining facet of Hilaree Nelson’s life, however, is that she absorbed those same inputs, then created a new world entirely. I first met Hilaree in April 1999 as we folded our laundry on the outdoor tables at la laverie in Argentiere, France. We’d just returned from separate missions, our first interna-tional ski expeditions. Hilaree had gone to India, I’d gone to Siberia, yet both were linked with The North Face teams. I saw upon a time, there was a world where even a skilled woman was very rarely included on a mountain expedition team. One could argue that this era lasted for most of the 20 th century. After that came a time when the rare woman of a certain caliber was invited, but was often tokenized, her presence rarely, if ever, equal to that of her male counterparts. Then, of course, there was the calendar of life, when a female athlete became a mother and people postulated that her place was no longer in the hills. the dedication and joy Hilaree had for her chosen career path as a professional in the mountains, on skis. I was one step behind her on the path of believing I could do the same. She led with conviction. When asked how she skied on that particular expedition, Hilaree was frank. “Pretty good, but I can do better,” she an-swered with her characteristic grin. That was Hilaree, always planning how to do it better. I knew I could have done better too, but hearing it from her was like a melody for my heart—to know it was OK to be vulnerable with the truth and to approach it with the intention to improve. For a few years after that first India trip, Hilaree mostly planned expeditions with other women. She didn’t have to, but she wanted to create more opportunity for the most deserving ones she knew. Although being with strong women in the mountains was always important to Hila-ree, that phase of women-only expeditions was brief. Hilaree knew that her passion to experience big, beautiful moments was not motivated by gender inclusivity. 038 The Ski Journal
The Ski Journal Volume 16, Issue 4: Page 38
