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Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary
This episode of Writer’s Voice brings you two powerful stories of women adventurers who forged their paths in male-dominated outdoor sports.
Bridget Crocker’s memoir River’s Daughter is a story of trauma and healing, rooted in her lifelong connection to rivers. From childhood brushes with death to breaking into the male-dominated world of river guiding, Crocker explores recovering from childhood trauma, sexism in adventure culture, and the lessons rivers teach.
“I realized that it was the river who had told me to swim and had saved our lives.” — Bridget Crocker
Cassidy Randall’s Thirty Below recounts the groundbreaking 1970 first all-women’s ascent of Denali. Against life-threatening conditions and entrenched sexism, six women mountaineers made history—and challenged ideas about who belongs in extreme adventure. We revisit our March 2025 conversation with an excerpt from the interview.
“Not an easy mountain to climb.” — Cassidy Randall
Together, these stories highlight resilience, courage, and the fight to carve out space for women in arenas long dominated by men.
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Key Words: Bridget Crocker River’s Daughter, women river guides, sexism in adventure sports, Cassidy Randall Thirty Below, women mountaineers, 1970 Denali all-women ascent, breaking barriers women adventurers, Writer’s Voice Francesca Rheannon
You might also like: Cassidy Randall (full interview), Elizabeth Flock, THE FURIES
Segment 1: Bridget Crocker
Crocker recalls how surviving a near-drowning on the Snake River as a child gave her a sense of being chosen and protected by the river. She reflects on confronting trauma, navigating sexism in guiding, and how writing memoir became a form of healing and activism.
Key Topics
- Childhood connection to rivers
- Surviving trauma and abuse
- Rivers as refuge and teacher
- Sexism in river guiding industry
- Confronting power structures in guiding and travel
- Memoir as healing and activism
See photos of Bridget Crocker on rivers
Segment Two: Cassidy Randall (replay)
Randall tells the story of the first all-women’s team to summit Denali in 1970. Facing deadly storms, exhaustion, and a mountaineering culture that dismissed their abilities, the climbers proved not only their strength but also redefined what was possible for women in the sport.
Key Topics
- The dangers and history of Denali
- The 1970 all-women’s expedition
- Mountaineering sexism and barriers
- The psychological and physical demands of extreme climbing
- Legacy of the Denali ascent