SCENE | The Swiss Alps, 1951


Photo of Suzanne Wiedmer-Sauter rappelling in the Engelhoerner in Switzerland, 1951. Scanned and sent by her daughter Heidi Monti.

I lived in Switzerland for three years growing up, so you couldn't imagine how cool it was to open an email from an old family friend (the 'mum' of my best friend and ski buddy) with these images of her friend's mum—climbing mountains in 1951!

Suzanne Wiedmer-Sauter was born and raised in Paris and moved as a teenager to a little village in the Bernese Oberland. She was always the adventurous kind, so she adapted quickly to the starkly different lifestyle and was keen to try out different things. Epic photographs not only for the time, but by today's standards too—look at those peaks! Heidi tells me that her mum is now 85 and is still up to everything and still has that certain Parisian flair.


I couldn't resist posting this one too, it's just too good!

Comments

Anonymous said…
those pictures are so cool!
especially that last one...too awesome!

climbing the swiss alps while also looking tres chic sounds too cool...makes me want to dress up in my best tomboy chic clothes and go out to climb a mountain! :D


~A
theaceofheartsa.blogspot.com
Unknown said…
I love this. Strong women climbing the Swiss Alps. I am part German (family from Switzerland) and love everything about the country (Bern, Interlaken, Matterhorn)... Quite the picturesque country!

xoxo,
mon amy
dana joy said…
cannot tell you how inspiring these photos are to me. and I love the way they're all so casually and smartly dressed. not a stitch of north face on them! thanks for posting these.
Mamavalveeta03 said…
Hey, when you've gotta have a smoke, you've just gotta have a smoke!
tammy h. said…
I loved this. I also grew up in Switzerland (Geneva) and miss the days we used to take trips to the mountains. The last photo is a gem!
Anonymous said…
nice post....love the vintage...good to see everyday people rather than privileged/famous/celebrities.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Guy Faux said…
beauty...but rappelling and repelling are two v. different things.
Lizzie said…
Thanks! Fixed the typo.
These are truly phenomenal photos - and it brought me such glee to find that you have a real connection to someone in them, and they're not just cool pictures you found on the internet. They're truly something to cherish, and as for me...well, I'm ready to go climbing now!

<3 christen
Tarra said…
A friend sent me this post, love the photos, love climbing, beautiful & fun, Thanks for sharing!

-Tarra
http://therealbabes.tumblr.com/
Unknown said…
Wow, great photos! You say you have lived in Switzerland for a few years. Can you recommend a ski resort in Switzerland where we can have a skiing holiday for a fair price?

thanks,
Holiday Rentals Saas Fee
biz-fashion said…
i like your old photos.thanks for sharing.
essay writing said…
These are really so so memorable photos from 50's era...I just can't took my eyes off it as time passed so quickly and now we are here in 2012...we have moved forward so much in mountain climbing truly..!!
article writing said…
Mountain climbing has now reached completely new heights and this is really good as the safety measures have become more and more secure...but still I have to say awesome for these oldie gold photos :)

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